Who needs Vermont, when the maple syrup is flowing in Morris County?

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BUBBLE, BUBBLE... The 2016 Maple Sugar Festival. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
BUBBLE, BUBBLE… reproductions of the cast iron pots that early European settlers use to boil down maple sap, at the 2016 Maple Sugar Festival. Photo by Jeff Sovelove

By Jeff Sovelove

We don’t want to sound too sappy here, but…  this is a story about maple sugaring!

Saturday was a beautiful, sunny day at the Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center in Chatham for the annual Maple Sugar Festival.
The harvesting season is only about five- or six weeks long, when the temperature rises above 32 F in the day and falls below it at night, causing the tree sap to begin running in the tree.
The tree still is dormant at this stage, so it isn’t using this sugar-rich sap.  Once the maple flowers open, the tree begins using the sugar in the sap and the harvesting season is over.
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Tools to make maple syrup from sap at home. At the 2016 Maple Sugar Festival. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
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An assortment of spiles for tapping maple trees. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
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The wood fired evaporator with about a week’s worth of maple sap. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
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Trinity and Heidi of Washingtonville, NY, Dorine from Putnam Valley, all from Neises Maple Farm in Putnam Valley, NY. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
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GETTING CATTY at the 2016 Maple Sugar Fest. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
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Volunteers Nancy from Parsippany, Jesse from Stanhope, and Patty from Morristown prepare arts and crafts for the kids. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
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The wood fired evaporator. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
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Susana and Grady from Mendham watch Megan from Stanhope demonstrate how to tap a maple tree. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
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Volunteers Jana from Chester and Stephen from Flemington make pancakes in the woods. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
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Abigail from Warren tries to toss a beanbag into a collection bucket. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
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Gwen and Abigail from Warren taste test home made maple syrup against the commercial variety. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
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A staff member shows Abby from Rockaway and and Sarah from Sparta different types of seeds. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
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The maple donuts from Neises Maple Farm in Putnam Valley, NY were very popular . Photo by Jeff Sovelove
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Staff member Mindy leads a “hike” through the history of maple sugar. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
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Staff member Mindy shows how early settlers would have carried buckets of maple syrup on a yoke. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
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A little girl doing the same thing. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
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Staff member Mindy leads a “hike” through the history of maple sugar. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
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A friendly moose poses with Emma and Mikela from Elizabeth. Photo by Jeff Sovelove

 

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