Sugar Snow

March is almost over, and its "In like a lion, out like a lamb" as they say. The weather we're experiencing at the moment is not really a blizzard or a snow storm. It's just a good spring dumping. Out east they would call this the "sugar snow" as the sugar maples are usually running at this time of year. Of course with their high humidity, the "sugar snow" usually comes down in large, floating chains.

Speaking of maples, a neighbor friend asked me the other day if the Manitoba maples in his yard could be tapped. The answer is , absolutely. They will give you less sap per day, and the sugar concentration in the sap is much lower, but they can be used to make syrup.

There are other trees, especially in the box elder family, that can be tapped. Most of these trees do not grow native in central Alberta. However, there is a tree that grows in the Boreal region that produces a very unique syrup. The birch tree. Any birch will produce syrup in the spring, but the trick is to find a tree large enough to tap. Taps are made close to the base, and can be 1" - 1-1/2" in depth. I usually pick trees with a minimum 8" diameter to make sure the taps do not touch the heartwood of the tree. If you touch the heartwood, there is a good chance the tree will not be able to heal properly, and will ultimately die. Also, with birch, you should never make more than one tap. The sap is the lifeblood of the tree. If you go donate blood, you do so with the understanding the nurse won't be taking 95% of it!

If you want to make syrup, the ratio of sap to syrup is usually about 110:1. That means you need to collect and evaporate 110 liters down to get 1 liter of birch syrup! You will be rewarded, however, with a unique flavour that is reminiscent of molasses and fruit or berries. You can also just drink the birch water to save some time and effort. Its cold, refreshing, slightly sweet, and full of minerals from deep under the ground.

There is never a shortage of treasures in nature, whether in the sky above or the earth below.