Green Mountain Sugar House
The factory was beside this lake. Our guide explained that the maple tree could be harvested for sap from about 30 years maturity (200mm diameter). It then produces for 300 years or maybe more. Harvesting occurs from mid-Jan to the end of Apr. Nowadays they drill a small hole in the tree and 'plug' in a drain connected to a plastic pipe. This goes from tree to tree (for miles!) and is connected to a vacuum pump that puts a hard vacuum in the line to increase the sap flow. The pipes discharge directly into tankers that bring the sap back for processing. Water is removed from the sap (40:1 reduction), the syrup is filtered and that's all there is to it. Syrup has about the same calories by weight as brown sugar, and it tastes twice as good!
Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the origina... ... read more 
