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Match 23 3 up woodburning boiler under lie evaporator In j upnu wooooummg in nn Maple sugar time is COM FORTing At a Comfort is stoking modest sugar bush of about prod ones with low sugar content less I im the under Ihp boiler in his trees two percent got the the Story and photos by A nne Redfearn up the fire under the boiler in his sugar shack If the sap run is good today he be boiling down maple syrup until late In the evening It so spring ritual or the Com for Is and for many others living along the edge of the maple forest south of Acton many who ore willing to keep an allday all vigil beside their cookers Not the Comforts at least not all night Us just a hobby Comfort insists This isn I my bread and butler Bui It tastes good with bread and butter and even to a gallon there will ways be a market for this sweet stuff Compared with some the Comforts have a sophisticated set up a sugar hut a large evaporator which feeds the raw sap through at a rate fed boiler and a gas powered finishing tank and miles of plastic tubing joining a trees Actually the old boiler came out of the ruins of a building in the Guelph area salvaged piece by piece by Comfort for his maple sugar shack years ago The holding tank which keeps the syrup hot until it can be poured into tins is an old coffee urn The equipment however serves Its purpose This is the last year forsyrupmaking for Comfort Its a good hobby but it timeconsuming think 11 give it up for other things a iter this year Sap Is collected through tubes pumped through to a warming tank where It Is heated up then drained Into the evap orator Once it reaches the correct temperature and consistency It is transferred to a stainless steel finishing Lank and heated to a temperature of about degrees When it reaches that or when the sugar content reaches per cent its ready The syrup is strained through felt to get rid of the sugar sand a gritty sugary substance which looks like dirt before it is poured into containers to be cooled The whole process can lake just a few hours or many depending on how much sap is to be boiled down Besides so much has to be evaporated from the sap that gallons of the stuff boils down one gallon of syrup the moment Comfort is burning maple logs in I hi fire box under the sap Last I tested the sugar con lent of the sap from all my trees The than two per cent got the Years ago when Comfort a retired school principal first bought the pro perty he tapped trees using the old fashioned tin pail method A few years ago he switched to the tubing method The sap is drawn from the trees by a vacuum pump and stored in a small hold tank until It time to boil Itdoesnllastlong however After just stored sap turns a milky color as the bacteria content rises and It is no good for syrup Maple syrup producers generally fol low the same guidelines when tapping trees don tap a tree until it has grown to 10 inches in diameter For every four inches over the original inches another tap can be added The boles dril led into the trees are of an inch In diameter about three inches deep Peo ple have been tapping trees for gen eratlons and no harm has ever come to the trees Cold nights and worm sunny days arc needed to get the sap moving But if the weather turns too warm the buds appear In the trees and the sap takes on an units flavor Most producers consider that to be the end of the run Also the syrup gets darker as the advances and lighter syrup is con side red belter quality he added It too early to judge whether this is a good year for syrup Comfort said At the rate has been flowing it end tomorrow Or it continue for another weeks MBI Under New Management Special CHINESE CUISINE Mandarin Cantonese Style CANADIAN FOOD Fish Chips a Specialty CATERING TO BANQUETS PARTIES DAILY LUNCHEON SPECIALS way lu III 8532060 DENTURE THERAPY CLINIC J DT PHONE 8778974 GUELPH ST GEORGETOWN i Good Friday Easter Sunday to Live Entertainment rridaySatBnUr John Boyko ACTOn In town by OIK i rowing GIANT LIQUIDATION OVER 100000 WORTH OF NAME BRAND FURNITURE Mattresses bedroom sets living room sets dining room sets tables sofabeds Roxton furniture lamps chairs AN EXAMPLE OF THE SA WE ARE NOT GOING OUT OF BUSINESS WE MUST CLEAR OUT PRESENT STOCK TO MAKE ROOM FOR INCOMING SPRINGSUMMER STOCK HALTON HILLS FURNITURES APPLIANCES QUEENST EAST urn MOTORCYCLE LEATHERS A complete selection of quality jackets pants chaps vests gloves and boots styles to fit the taste and budget of rider NOW Jack Summer Hours- Sun Wed IJT Thurs Sat Reflections Art Gallery NOW OPEN featuring Local Artists AlsovBU aCtotl SJ9aS3lM J