MAPLE SYRUP IS SOON TO FLOW

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 21, 1993                   TAG: 9302180245
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Patricia Held
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
MAPLE SYRUP IS SOON TO FLOW
Maple syrup connoisseurs know that frosty, cold nights and sunny, warm days mean only one thing - it is "sugaring off" time.
The syrup season usually runs for about eight to 10 days when weather conditions are just right, and it can start as early as February. Sap begins to flow after a period of freezing and thawing. But if the temperature remains above freezing, the syrup quality drops and then the trees shut down or stop producing sap.
"Sugaring off" is a tradition that began with the Indians, who later taught the settlers. The process has been passed down through the generations, and most of today's commercial producers still are family run operations.
Maple syrup production is a time-consuming process, and a great deal of work yields only a small amount of syrup. Fifty gallons of sap must be collected and boiled down for one gallon of usable syrup. But pancake lovers agree that it is worth the effort.
Tree size and the sugar content of sap are among several factors that determine the amount of syrup that a single tree can produce. A tree 18 inches in diameter can yield a half-gallon of good syrup.
The amount of sugar varies with the species; and because the sugar maple has the highest sugar content, it produces the finest quality syrup. While we do have sugar maples here in Virginia, more common are the red maples. These trees can be tapped, but the sap cannot be compared to the sugar maple's. Found in moist soils, the red maple grows near marshes and streams and is common throughout the mid-Atlantic states.
Up to 10 percent of the tree's sap can be removed without harming the tree. The collected sap is boiled down until only a sweet, sugary syrup remains. The first run of sap produces quality "Grade A" syrup. It is the sweetest of the season and has a light and delicate taste. As the season continues, the syrup gets darker and the quality decreases.
Soon after the sap stops flowing, maples begin to blossom. Theirs are some of the earliest colors of the spring season.
For those who wish to get a taste of the real thing, plus see first-hand the process of making maple syrup, Highland County sponsors a maple festival each year. This year's is the 35th annual festival and is scheduled for the weekends of March 13-14 and March 20-21. It is the southernmost festival of its kind in the country, says Gail Lowry, director of the Highland County Chamber of Commerce.
During the two weekends maple syrup "camps" are open throughout the county and welcome visitors to come and watch the process of syrup-making.
In addition to the camps, the Maple Museum on U.S. 220 south of Monterey is open free to the public. There are exhibits demonstrating a variety of old-time and modern sugar-making techniques.
Other activities scheduled for the weekend include bluegrass music, craft exhibits, storytelling and dances.
For more information on the festival, call the chamber at 468-2550.

Patricia Held is a Bedford County free-lance writer and author specializing in natural history.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB