For Immediate Release
Feb. 13, 2009
It’s time once again for sap lovers’ two favorite Forest Preserve District of DuPage County programs: "Maple Sugaring" at Kline Creek Farm in Winfield and "Maple-Syrup Sundays" at Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center in Oak Brook.
Visitors at Kline Creek Farm are in for a sticky proposition during "Maple Sugaring" on March 14 and 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They’ll see how 1890s farm families collected and cooked sap to make maple syrup and sugar and try out the old-fashioned methods for tapping a tree. And, everyone can taste the final product. At the farm’s visitor center, natural maple syrup, maple candies and supplies for tapping trees and making maple syrup at home will be available for purchase.
During "Maple-Syrup Sundays" at Fullersburg Woods on March 15 and 22 from noon to 4 p.m., visitors will learn the historic and modern-day methods of turning sap into syrup. They’ll stroll through the woods on a self-guided tour, interacting with staff and volunteers at various stations and trying a taste of syrup made at the center.
Reservations are not required for either of these free events.
All trees make sap, a clear liquid that carries nutrients to and from their leaves. But only maple sap makes quality syrup. Though varying by species and by individual tree, maple sap is about 90 percent water and 10 percent sugar.
In winter, the sap mainly stays in a tree’s roots below the freeze line. When temperatures rise above 40 degrees during the day before falling below freezing again at night, typically during March in DuPage County, the sap begins to flow. This daily fluctuation in temperatures causes the sap to flow more quickly. During this time, syrup producers drill small holes in the trees and insert taps, called "spiles," to collect the sap.
To make syrup, much of the sap’s water content must be evaporated until the remaining liquid has the right sugar content for syrup. Small batches may be cooked in pans, while large-scale commercial producers use specialized equipment. Depending on the initial sugar content of the sap, 40 to 50 gallons of sap are needed to make one gallon of syrup.
Kline Creek Farm is located on County Farm Road, one-half mile south of North Avenue. For more on "Maple Sugaring" and other programs at the farm, call 630-876-5900.
Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center is located on Spring Road, one-half mile south of 31st Street. For details on "Maple-Syrup Sundays" or other programs at the center, call 630-850-8110.
With over 25,000 acres, 145 miles of trails and 60 preserves all right at your feet, there’s a perfect way to enjoy DuPage County’s forest preserves just waiting for you. For more information on these and other programs and preserves, call 630-933-7200, or visit www.dupageforest.com.
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Media Contacts: Chris Gingrich, Kline Creek Farm, 630-876-5900
Dave Andrusyk, Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center, 630-850-8113
Bonnie Olszewski, Office of Public Affairs, 630-871-6402