History of Maple Syrup in Kentucky
Native Americans & Maple Sugar
Native Americans condensed maple sap into maple sugar long before the Europeans arrived. However, they did not make maple syrup for their pancakes and waffles. Instead, they would evaporate all the moisture out of the sap yielding maple sugar.
This was accomplished by collecting maple sap and storing it in a hollow log. They would allow the freezing temperatures to freeze the water and the sugar would not freeze. The ice would be broken and removed leaving behind a concentrated sap liquid.
This would be repeated for several nights, then hot stones from a fire would be placed in the concentrated liquid until all that remained was the sugar.
Early Settlers & The Sugar Ration
The settlers followed this practice using more modern methods of collecting the sap with hollow reeds as taps and catching the sap using buckets. The sap was gathered and taken back to the sugar shack where the liquid was boiled over a fire in a cast iron kettle. According to US records, more maple syrup was produced in the USA in 1862 than today!
In 1930 sugar was rationed; it was hard to get and expensive. Many rural Kentuckians made their own maple syrup and maple sugar in response to the difficult times using primitive, inefficient methods. Since then, each generation wanted their children to have it easier than the previous. As a result, we almost lost the fading memory of making sugar in Kentucky.
Kentucky Maple Syrup
Today we are seeing a resurgence of maple syrup production in Kentucky. With modern technology, changing economic climate, and an entrepreneurial spirit; farmers are taking advantage of the numerous maple trees in Kentucky to supplement their income.
Are you a syrup producer?
Maybe you are interested in starting your own production, looking to support producers or genuinely interested in maple syrup production in Kentucky. Please feel free to join our association for additional benefits and resources!
