A CANADIAN CUSTOM

Evening Star, Issue 20556, 7 August 1930, Page 1

A CANADIAN CUSTOM

MAPLE SUGAR TIME IN THE FORESTS Only seems to he a month of national commemoration days. Tho ‘lth or July is American Independence Dav, tho 14th is French National Day, while tho Canadians regard July 1 as Dojrunion Day. It is of interest to learn m this connection of a Canadian custom winch takes place at maple sugar time in the Canadian forests. When the sap rises in tho sugar maple trees Canadian women neglect their ordinary' household duties in order to make maple Down in tho forest tho sap buckets are fixed securely to the trees, and the trees aro tapped so that tho thick fluid runs slowly into tho receptacles. Ino sap collected is poured 'into cnownons kettles which hang over piles ot brushwood. When the first kettle is full tho fire underneath it is lighted and ted

by the children while .the mothers superintend the ” sugaring oftThis is a long process, tor it takes twenty quarts of sap to. make 11b or sugar, but the tedium is relieved by visiting neighbours who insist on tasting tho brew at various stages of its manufacture. And of course the children clamour continually for saucers of svrup, spoonfuls of soft sugar, and piei'es of “sugar on snow. “ Sugar on snow, or maple wax, is the supreme form of maple sugar. It is a confection that has been called the ambrosia of the gods, and certainly no other local sweetmeat can coinpaio with it. It has to bo very carefully made. The syrup must bo boiled to the ngut temperature and consistency. •\t this stage there is just a trace or ritual. Usually an honoured guest is chosen to ladle out the syrup, and it isconsidered correct to make a scroll which spells the name of the hostess in sugar. A patch of snow is chosen, and with elaborate flourishes, the <nmst forms amber arabesques on the white surface. After a few minutes she lifts tho maple wax with a special paddle and holds it to the light. If it is wafer thin and opaque the boiling is a success. Everybody present eats it while the the chill of the snow is still IU Tho trick of making maple sugar was learnt from the Red Indians, and possibly the touch of ceremony is also derived from them. To this day the Ojibwavs collect the sap.in. birch bark utensils and boil it all night in a deep sap kettle—an improvement on the old method of plunging red-hot stones into the syrup. When the syrup is thick it is strained and put back into the kettles over gentle heat. As it thickens to the proper consistency it is transferred to granulated troughs and worked with a paddle until the sugar crv«t alike-. Canadian women use maple syrup for many purposes, but most of it is made into fudge, which is a favourite sweet in Canadian iiomes.