Sugar, sugar

Can you identify what these masonry remains are from? Probably last used about 60 years ago.

It’s two sides of a three-sided sugar arch (fire pit for holding a long flat plan to cook down maple sap). I’ve walked past this reminder of an old sugaring operation for decades. Back in the ’70s and ’80s I had a very similar arch across the road from my house. We hung about 75 buckets each year, boiled off in a flat pan on a cement-block arch, and finished off (pouring into glass Mason jars) on our kitchen wood cookstove.

This past weekend, neighbors who use plastic line to gather sap were setting up, getting ready for the first run. If you make syrup, let me know when you get your first run…fun to keep track across the region ([email protected]). For newcomers to maple sugaring, sap runs in the late winter and early spring when night temperatures fall below freezing and daytime temperatures go above freezing.)

In honor of the start of another sugaring season, today’s Blue Note show will feature “sugar” songs.

Here’s the theme song from the old “Archie” cartoon show (yes, the same as the comic book Archie):

Tags: maple sugar