Written by David Jonah, Pleasant Vale, Local Writer & Agriculture Enthusiast
Submitted by Megan Mace, Coordinator, Foods of the Fundy Valley
foodsofthefundyvalley.ca & www.facebook.com/FoodsOfTheFundyValley
Every year on the third Sunday of August, at the annual historic Pleasant Vale United Church commemorative memorial service, now in its 154th year, organizer Dennis Shaffer rewards the minister and choir for their participation with a special gift bag of local Maple Sugar products.
The annual gift bag includes his Shaffer Maple products, plus those of the remaining hobbyist Maple Sugar producers in Pleasant Vale, David and Maureen Stevenson, and Bruce Steeves.
The story of how this 23-year-retired former manager of Respiratory Therapy Services at Horizon-Moncton Hospital crafts raw sap into sweet products is an inspiring tale of the Shaffer family's generational legacy and Albert County's agricultural traditions.
For Dennis, his retirement focus on maple production is an all-encompassing hobby that not only anchors his children and grandchildren to their family's history, but also emotionally connects his family to his father and grandfather.
Submitted by Megan Mace, Coordinator, Foods of the Fundy Valley
foodsofthefundyvalley.ca & www.facebook.com/FoodsOfTheFundyValley
Every year on the third Sunday of August, at the annual historic Pleasant Vale United Church commemorative memorial service, now in its 154th year, organizer Dennis Shaffer rewards the minister and choir for their participation with a special gift bag of local Maple Sugar products.
The annual gift bag includes his Shaffer Maple products, plus those of the remaining hobbyist Maple Sugar producers in Pleasant Vale, David and Maureen Stevenson, and Bruce Steeves.
The story of how this 23-year-retired former manager of Respiratory Therapy Services at Horizon-Moncton Hospital crafts raw sap into sweet products is an inspiring tale of the Shaffer family's generational legacy and Albert County's agricultural traditions.
For Dennis, his retirement focus on maple production is an all-encompassing hobby that not only anchors his children and grandchildren to their family's history, but also emotionally connects his family to his father and grandfather.
Boiling the Sap submitted by Foods of the Fundy Valley. Following in Sweet Footsteps
"My sugar production hobby started for me in 2003. I have always had the dream of following in the footsteps of my father, grandfather, and possibly my great-grandfather.
I remember my grandfather using three large pots over an open fire and the excitement when he bought his first evaporator and built a sugar camp."
"I built my sugar camp next to our cottage in Pleasant Vale, with a small evaporator, and I tapped 125 trees that first year. My sister and neighbours allowed me to borrow their maple trees because there were very few suitable trees close to my cottage."
The Math and Labour of Making Maple Magic
The physical demands of Dennis's operation are considerable.
"Eventually, I maxed out at 250 taps, which is rather a large number when all the sap buckets are emptied into a custom-built trailer, built by my grandson, and hauled with my ATV back to my sugar shack. I gather the sap with two 5-gallon pails when full of sap, each one weighs 50 pounds, totalling a weight of 100 pounds", says Dennis.
The truly exhausting work begins when boiling down the raw sap to the exact density and colour for bottling or for further reduction into candy products.
Making Maple Sugar from tree sap is a meticulous process of maintaining the wood-fired evaporator's demanding temperature, which requires extensive manual work, and Dennis does it all alone with assistance from his wife Ann. A few years ago, he reduced the number of taps to 200, which is still substantial work but much more manageable.
Dennis explains the mathematics behind making Shaffer Maple products: A cord of wood yields approximately 20 gallons of syrup.
"I usually go through two cords of wood, sometimes more, and it takes 40 gallons of sap to get one gallon of syrup. My sap is sweeter, and it usually yields 25 to 30 gallons of raw sap to one gallon of syrup. Old-timers told me my increased yield is due to my location, fertile ground, good water flow, and maple trees with great crowns."
Dennis adds that the weather throughout the year can be a significant factor in the amount of sap available each season.
"Prolonged droughts in the summer, like the one we just experienced, can impact the maple trees so they don't store as much starch and sugar as in other normal weather years, and this can change my 40/1 ratio yield".
The Science Behind the Sweet
Dennis explains that barometric pressure significantly affects the boiling process. Sap needs to boil seven degrees above water's boiling point: 212°F + 7°F = 219°F.
"If the pressure is low—on a rainy or snowy day—the boiling point will be lower. For example, it could be 210°F, so the syrup comes off at 217°F instead. If you don't continually adjust for that change, the syrup will be too runny or too thick and will crystallize at the bottom of the bottle."
The syrup must also achieve proper density. Dennis uses a hydrometer to check it before drawing it off the evaporator, as a second verification that the boiled-down syrup's colour and density are to his liking and ready for bottling. Even more time and effort are needed for the reduction of the syrup to make maple sugar treats.
Dennis jokes that making maple syrup is called a "labour of love," and many veterans of the intensive six-to eight weeks of early springtime work say, it's "a disease that has no cure."
Family Rooted in Pleasant Vale Traditions
Dennis recalls his family's history spanning three or more generations in Pleasant Vale, nestled in the twisting valley that runs southward from Parkindale, and framed by Sweet Mountain, with the headwaters of the Little River flowing through it. Life in the Vale represents emotional family traditions and links to shared history.
"Most of my taps are on our former family farm, so the area is very dear to me. My son Stephen, who is a long-distance trail runner, often runs along Sweet Mountain, and he says it impresses on him that he's touching the same trees his grandfather touched and tapped."
Sweet Mountain: Sugar-Making Memories & Magic
"My father's operation was on Sweet Mountain, which is in clear view every time I look out our cottage or sugar camp windows. My father operated from the early 1940s to 1960. During his final years, he had approximately 3,500 taps, all on sap buckets. He was one of the largest maple producers in the area."
Dennis recalls that almost every farm in Pleasant Vale had a sugar camp, and they all made excellent products. "Being young, I had no experience operating an evaporator. My job was to gather sap with a team of horses and help my dad make maple sugar."
Learning Maple Arts from Vale Elders
"When starting my hobby of making maple products, it was a very steep learning curve. There were still a few members of the older generation living in the area then, and an honourable mention to Everett Steeves and Kenny (Clinton) Steeves, whom I appreciated for their guidance. I also learned a great deal from my neighbours, David Mitton and Dwight Mollins. They were all so thrilled that I was carrying on the tradition of the generations before me."
"I decided that my first experience operating an evaporator would be a solo event, so I could really concentrate on not making any mistakes. It went well. But it's the event later that night that I will always remember."
A Dream That Changed Everything
"That night, as I slept, I had a dream that has been entrenched in my mind to this very day. I was doing the first boil, and my dad was with me in the sugar camp.
He had passed away 26 years before that. In my dream, he was so pleased that I had carried on the family tradition, and it seemed as if we had spent hours together, really enjoying each other's company.
I don't understand the meaning of the dream, but I believe it sent a wonderful message. I had his blessing," says Dennis.
Magical Mornings and Evening Boils
"All sugar makers are eager to tap in every year, and I'm no different. I always enjoy the early morning when I light up the evaporator at 3 AM because of a big sap run the day before. It's still very dark outside. As daylight starts to arrive, the birds begin to sing, and the sun creeps over Sweet Mountain. The temperature starts to warm up, and soon I hear the ping of sap hitting the bottom of the sap bucket, and the valley comes alive. I'm grateful to be part of it."
"Evening boiling offers its own magic. It's pitch-black outside with just the sound of sap vigorously boiling and hissing, and the dense steam is drawn out through the roof vent, forming a visible steam-cloud over the hillside. There's soft music playing on the radio, and I find that time to be so quiet and peaceful in its own way", says Dennis.
Climate Change Challenges the Maple Makers Season
"I've seen drastic changes in the last 22 years due to climate change. Climate change is a serious phenomenon now, even in the Vale".
During the years my father was a producer, spring traditionally arrived, and everyone tapped in around the third week of March. The season lasted approximately three weeks, with good sap days almost every day, and then it was over."
"Now it's all over the map. I have the first boil, the last boil of the season, and how much of a season I got, which is posted on a wall in my sugar camp. For many years, sugar making began on March 1st and concluded by the end of March.
In other years, it doesn't even begin until early April and lasts until the end of that month. Another year, my first boil was February 28th, which was unheard of in earlier times."
Family Traditions and Fun Continue
For Dennis and Ann, their best experience each spring is spending time with their large and growing family of grandchildren and now great-granddaughter.
Family members enjoy a hot sap toddy right off the evaporator in a mug (with a splash of rum, if age appropriate). Everyone enjoys the traditional sweet taste of warm maple syrup poured on frozen snow, creating a sticky, tasty maple toffee-like treat.
"We often enjoy a family potluck supper afterward in the cottage, making memories that last a lifetime." .
"My sugar production hobby started for me in 2003. I have always had the dream of following in the footsteps of my father, grandfather, and possibly my great-grandfather.
I remember my grandfather using three large pots over an open fire and the excitement when he bought his first evaporator and built a sugar camp."
"I built my sugar camp next to our cottage in Pleasant Vale, with a small evaporator, and I tapped 125 trees that first year. My sister and neighbours allowed me to borrow their maple trees because there were very few suitable trees close to my cottage."
The Math and Labour of Making Maple Magic
The physical demands of Dennis's operation are considerable.
"Eventually, I maxed out at 250 taps, which is rather a large number when all the sap buckets are emptied into a custom-built trailer, built by my grandson, and hauled with my ATV back to my sugar shack. I gather the sap with two 5-gallon pails when full of sap, each one weighs 50 pounds, totalling a weight of 100 pounds", says Dennis.
The truly exhausting work begins when boiling down the raw sap to the exact density and colour for bottling or for further reduction into candy products.
Making Maple Sugar from tree sap is a meticulous process of maintaining the wood-fired evaporator's demanding temperature, which requires extensive manual work, and Dennis does it all alone with assistance from his wife Ann. A few years ago, he reduced the number of taps to 200, which is still substantial work but much more manageable.
Dennis explains the mathematics behind making Shaffer Maple products: A cord of wood yields approximately 20 gallons of syrup.
"I usually go through two cords of wood, sometimes more, and it takes 40 gallons of sap to get one gallon of syrup. My sap is sweeter, and it usually yields 25 to 30 gallons of raw sap to one gallon of syrup. Old-timers told me my increased yield is due to my location, fertile ground, good water flow, and maple trees with great crowns."
Dennis adds that the weather throughout the year can be a significant factor in the amount of sap available each season.
"Prolonged droughts in the summer, like the one we just experienced, can impact the maple trees so they don't store as much starch and sugar as in other normal weather years, and this can change my 40/1 ratio yield".
The Science Behind the Sweet
Dennis explains that barometric pressure significantly affects the boiling process. Sap needs to boil seven degrees above water's boiling point: 212°F + 7°F = 219°F.
"If the pressure is low—on a rainy or snowy day—the boiling point will be lower. For example, it could be 210°F, so the syrup comes off at 217°F instead. If you don't continually adjust for that change, the syrup will be too runny or too thick and will crystallize at the bottom of the bottle."
The syrup must also achieve proper density. Dennis uses a hydrometer to check it before drawing it off the evaporator, as a second verification that the boiled-down syrup's colour and density are to his liking and ready for bottling. Even more time and effort are needed for the reduction of the syrup to make maple sugar treats.
Dennis jokes that making maple syrup is called a "labour of love," and many veterans of the intensive six-to eight weeks of early springtime work say, it's "a disease that has no cure."
Family Rooted in Pleasant Vale Traditions
Dennis recalls his family's history spanning three or more generations in Pleasant Vale, nestled in the twisting valley that runs southward from Parkindale, and framed by Sweet Mountain, with the headwaters of the Little River flowing through it. Life in the Vale represents emotional family traditions and links to shared history.
"Most of my taps are on our former family farm, so the area is very dear to me. My son Stephen, who is a long-distance trail runner, often runs along Sweet Mountain, and he says it impresses on him that he's touching the same trees his grandfather touched and tapped."
Sweet Mountain: Sugar-Making Memories & Magic
"My father's operation was on Sweet Mountain, which is in clear view every time I look out our cottage or sugar camp windows. My father operated from the early 1940s to 1960. During his final years, he had approximately 3,500 taps, all on sap buckets. He was one of the largest maple producers in the area."
Dennis recalls that almost every farm in Pleasant Vale had a sugar camp, and they all made excellent products. "Being young, I had no experience operating an evaporator. My job was to gather sap with a team of horses and help my dad make maple sugar."
Learning Maple Arts from Vale Elders
"When starting my hobby of making maple products, it was a very steep learning curve. There were still a few members of the older generation living in the area then, and an honourable mention to Everett Steeves and Kenny (Clinton) Steeves, whom I appreciated for their guidance. I also learned a great deal from my neighbours, David Mitton and Dwight Mollins. They were all so thrilled that I was carrying on the tradition of the generations before me."
"I decided that my first experience operating an evaporator would be a solo event, so I could really concentrate on not making any mistakes. It went well. But it's the event later that night that I will always remember."
A Dream That Changed Everything
"That night, as I slept, I had a dream that has been entrenched in my mind to this very day. I was doing the first boil, and my dad was with me in the sugar camp.
He had passed away 26 years before that. In my dream, he was so pleased that I had carried on the family tradition, and it seemed as if we had spent hours together, really enjoying each other's company.
I don't understand the meaning of the dream, but I believe it sent a wonderful message. I had his blessing," says Dennis.
Magical Mornings and Evening Boils
"All sugar makers are eager to tap in every year, and I'm no different. I always enjoy the early morning when I light up the evaporator at 3 AM because of a big sap run the day before. It's still very dark outside. As daylight starts to arrive, the birds begin to sing, and the sun creeps over Sweet Mountain. The temperature starts to warm up, and soon I hear the ping of sap hitting the bottom of the sap bucket, and the valley comes alive. I'm grateful to be part of it."
"Evening boiling offers its own magic. It's pitch-black outside with just the sound of sap vigorously boiling and hissing, and the dense steam is drawn out through the roof vent, forming a visible steam-cloud over the hillside. There's soft music playing on the radio, and I find that time to be so quiet and peaceful in its own way", says Dennis.
Climate Change Challenges the Maple Makers Season
"I've seen drastic changes in the last 22 years due to climate change. Climate change is a serious phenomenon now, even in the Vale".
During the years my father was a producer, spring traditionally arrived, and everyone tapped in around the third week of March. The season lasted approximately three weeks, with good sap days almost every day, and then it was over."
"Now it's all over the map. I have the first boil, the last boil of the season, and how much of a season I got, which is posted on a wall in my sugar camp. For many years, sugar making began on March 1st and concluded by the end of March.
In other years, it doesn't even begin until early April and lasts until the end of that month. Another year, my first boil was February 28th, which was unheard of in earlier times."
Family Traditions and Fun Continue
For Dennis and Ann, their best experience each spring is spending time with their large and growing family of grandchildren and now great-granddaughter.
Family members enjoy a hot sap toddy right off the evaporator in a mug (with a splash of rum, if age appropriate). Everyone enjoys the traditional sweet taste of warm maple syrup poured on frozen snow, creating a sticky, tasty maple toffee-like treat.
"We often enjoy a family potluck supper afterward in the cottage, making memories that last a lifetime." .
Tasting Maple Snow Candy submitted by Foods of the Fundy Valley.
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