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| 3/28/2008 12:00:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| One of the first signs of spring on the Gogebic Range is sap bags hanging from sugar maple trees. After the sap is collected, it is boiled down into a delightfully sweet syrup. (Margaret Levra/Daily Globe) |
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Range shows signs of spring
MARGARET LEVRA
Globe Staff Writer
All the signs of spring are here, even our latest snowfall.
The wet, scattered snow showers generally fall on the Gogebic Range through much of April, and sometimes even into May, and this week is no exception.
Above freezing temperatures have been accompanying the snowfall, creating a slushy mess on roadways.
There's a 20 percent chance of snow in the forecast for today and Saturday, followed by a 40 percent chance of rain and snow Sunday.
Temperatures are forecast to climb into the mid-30s today and continue climbing to a high of around 39 on Saturday, and 38 on Sunday, according to a spokesman from the National Weather Service in Marquette.
Wet snow is forecast to continue into next week.
The season's snowfall through Thursday totaled 146.4 inches, according to a spokesman from the wastewater treatment plant in Ironwood. Last year's seasonal snowfall in Ironwood totaled 196.6 inches.
Snowfall at the end of March 2007 totaled 168.7 inches.
WTP records show the Gogebic Range was hit with its last significant snowstorm on April 4-5. A total of 13.2 inches fell in Ironwood on April 4, followed by 11.3 inches on April 5.
The last snowfall of the season, .3 inch, was recorded at the WTP on April 12.
With warmer temperatures comes the flow of sap, and that's evidenced by the bags hanging from sugar maple trees in the Montreal, Wis., area for well over a week.
The sap is running.
Sap run
Sap flow will not occur every day. It occurs when a rapid warming trend in early to mid-morning follows a cool (below freezing) night, according to a release from the Michigan State University Extension.
The amount of sap produced will vary from day to day because of our warming pattern.
A single tap hole produces from a quart to a gallon of sap per flow period (from a few hours to a day or more), with seasonal accumulation of 10 to 12 gallons per taphole likely.
For high quality syrup, sap collections should be made as required, not exceeding two or three days.
Collections obtained from prolonged flow periods should be stored and processed separately, the report said. During periods of rather low temperatures and under favorable storage conditions, sap may be kept four or five days without reducing syrup quality. The amount of sap required to produce one gallon of maple syrup varies, depending on its sugar concentration.
Sap averages about 2 percent sugar. At this concentration, 43 gallons of sap are required to produce one gallon of syrup. If the sap contains a higher sugar concentration, less sap will be required.
Boiling sap
Producing maple syrup is essentially a matter of concentrating the sugar solution to a predetermined level through evaporation. Heat is used to concentrate the sap and to develop the characteristic maple color and flavor.
In large commercial operations, a continuous feed evaporation process is generally used. An evaporation pan is arranged so that sap may be continuously added and syrup drawn off.
In smaller operations such as those found in northern Wisconsin and on the Gogebic Range, a "batch" approach is used.
To begin evaporation, fill the evaporating container (preferably a large shallow pan) with sap. Begin heating the sap to the boiling point, taking care not to burn or scorch the sap.
As evaporation lowers the level of sap in the pan, add more sap. Continue this process until most of the sap in the pan is highly concentrated and the boiling point of the sap begins to rise above the boiling point of water.
Throughout this process, it may be necessary occasionally to skim the surface of the boiling liquid to remove surface foam and other materials.
Finished syrup boils at 7 degrees above the boiling point of water. As the temperature of boiling sap approaches this point, boiling should be carefully controlled to prevent burning and overheating.
Once the desired boiling point has been reached, the syrup is ready for filtering and packaging.
Filtering and packaging
Hot syrup should be filtered through a suitable filter of wool or orlon to remove suspended particles, such as sugar sand, and to improve the appearance of the syrup.
After filtering, the syrup should be packaged, also while hot. A temperature of at least 180 degrees Farenheit is necessary to prevent spoiling while in storage.
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Precipitation
(in inches, to 7 a.m.)
Thursday: none
July: 3.98
Snowfall
(in inches, to 7 a.m.)
09-10 season: 170.6
08-09 season: 188.9
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