To get maple products to the state we know and love, a process of filtering needs to be done. Sugar crystals, also called sugar sand, naturally form during production, but are not desirable to see in the finished product. Early maple syrup production simply did this using a wooden holder and nails to secure a cloth that could then be used for straining the syrup. A simple but effective way to remove sugar sand and other debris from the boiling maple syrup.
The first commercial production of maple syrup in Albert County was in the early 1840’s by the Colpitts family. This maple syrup strainer, made circa 1860 out of hornbeam wood, was used by the Colpitts family in their original sugar camp. In their first year of production they gathered enough sap to produce 6200 pounds of maple sugar. All the sap was gathered in birch bark cassas, used throughout the long history of maple syrup production! Many tools used on the Colpitts’ sugar camp are displayed in our Winter Wonderland exhibit in the Carriage Shed. We will be part of the 2021 Maple Festival taking place March 27 and 28 and the Winter Exhibit and Community Hall will be open from 10-4 daily - join us!
Did you know: maple sugar and maple cream are actually the same thing. When rationing of sugar was introduced in Canada during WW2 sugar camps decided to change the name from sugar to cream so that it would not be subject to rationing.