Cold Snap Farm

For years it has been assumed that syrup cannot be made from bigleaf maples, Acer macrophyllum, and that the only sugar maples, Acer saccharum, can produce sap that can be made into syrup. While there are differences, one can most definitely make maple syrup on the West coast!

The general process of making bigleaf maple syrup is very similar to the way it is made on the east coast, but there are some divergences. On the west coast, there are pretty drastic temperature fluctuations in the winter that can cause issues when it comes to sugaring. When it gets too warm, sap can spoil quickly, so having refrigeration systems, freezer space or a highly efficient way to process sap quickly is a necessity.

Out east, the sap from the sugar maple has a higher sugar content so it takes approximately 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. Here in Washington, the sap has about half the sugar content, so it can take upwards of 100 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.

It can be daunting to feel efficient.
So, is it worth it?

There is a wondrous feeling to introduce such a rare delicacy like bigleaf maple syrup, because, yes, it is most definitely worth it.

West Coast maple syrup has a different flavor profile than traditional East coast/Canadian syrup; with notes of vanilla and molasses, buttery caramel and smoke. It is a precious commodity not just for its ambrosial taste, but additionally for what sugaring can do for the environment and local communities.

Producing syrup on the west coast has the potential to benefit and strengthen local food systems by offering an alternative sweetener and a new, exciting food. It promotes localized economies and collaboration between sugar makers, restaurants, farm stores, chefs and neighbors.

Sugaring is traditionally a community event - people get together to spend time in the sugar house (where the sap turns to syrup) or in the sugar bush (where the maple trees grow). It promotes exercise, getting outside and is a gorgeous way to enjoy the season!

Another aspect to sugaring is community sugaring; having a centralized hub/sugar house where neighbors and friends bring the sap they have collected to boil in big batches together. Sugaring strengthens communities and neighborhoods, especially in the darkest time of the year.

The more time spent in maple forests, one cannot help to appreciate those magnificent trees. The glory of bigleaf maple trees (the tallest in the maple family) cannot be overlooked! For generations, bigleaf maple trees have been cut down in favor of fir trees for lumber. But what if we decided that our maples are worth keeping and nurturing?

Outside of their syrup, there are many benefits of big leaf maple forests. Their huge overstory creates a cooler, more moist environment during hot weather and they are home to many birds, amphibians, insects and small mammals as well as epiphytes, plants that don’t need soil, like licorice fern and club moss. Because they shed their limbs and leaves, which decompose easily, they are soil-building trees that benefit the areas where they grow. Furthermore, bigleaf maples can provide riparian buffers (swathes of trees and shrubs alongside wetland/rivers that provide benefits like stabilizing banks, providing shade and shelter for fish and other aquatic organisms and reducing floodwater velocity). Maple wood is also used by local Indigenous people to make canoe paddles and spindle whorls and is used for cabinetry and musical instruments.

Last but not least, bigleaf maples are an amazing food source for animals (elk, chipmunks, evening grosbeaks for example) and humans alike. In the winter, the sap flows. In early spring, their huge, glowing flowers are food for pollinators and humans (the blossoms taste like a sweet brassica and can be pickled, fried, used on salads or pizza). Thousands of little sprouts pop up in mid spring and are a fun little snack. Their leaves can be eaten; they can be battered and fried or used for steaming food in. The cambien layer of the bark can be used as a survival food and the seeds can be peeled and roasted!

It is truly a wondrous tree!