The maple tree sap contains 98 percent water and 2 percent sugar, other nutrients and minerals. To make maple syrup one needs to boil and evaporate lots of water where the final product (syrup) content has approximately 33 percent water and 67 % sugar.
The sugarmakers make maple syrup in sugar houses, they make use of evaporator with two or more large pans especially designed for this purpose. The pans are filled with sap and put to boil. The boiling process continues and the water in the tap turns to steam and escapes out of the sugar house.
The sap becomes thick and sweet. The sugar maker has to constantly keep a watch on the boiling sap as it can easily burn in the evaporator. The sap thickens further and when it reaches seven degrees F above the boiling point of water the Syrup is ready.
This process requires lot of patience and energy as 40 gallons of sap is boiled to make 1 gallon of pure maple syrup. The maple syrup is filtered to remove sugar sand. The sugar sand is nothing but the concentrates of minerals and nutrients left as excess water is boiled away. If this sugar sand is not removed the syrup will appear cloudy.
