Ever wonder where maple syrup comes from? How about how it’s tapped for its sap and how much effort it takes for a tree to yield the gallons of syrup that line the shelves of your local grocery store? Here’s a chance to take an educational (and tasty) syrup tour through the lowland forests of Eatonville to learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Big Leaf Maple syrup, farmed right here in Washington.
The research
Finding this sticky sweet treat locally is a challenge. Maple syrup is primarily produced on the East Coast by tapping sugar maple trees for their sap. Fortunately, the University of Washington’s Mt. Rainier Institute is learning all about the maple syrup business using what’s already growing in our forests – Big Leaf Maple trees. For the past few years, researchers have been investigating the viability of syrup production from these Big Leaf Maple trees in the Pack Forest.
The research team has developed a production facility and a highly technological process that uses vacuums and reverse osmosis to extract the sap from the trees, which is then stored in large steel bins and then taken to the production facility to make the syrup. Much of the syrup production process is weather-dependent and relies on freezing temperatures at night, gradually warming up during the day to help the trees release their sap.
Big Leaf Maples have a higher water concentration than other maple trees, so syrup production takes much longer.
The Big Leaf Maple tour: Production facility
Begin your 4-hour tour at the Mount Rainier Institute in Eatonville, which is less than two hours from Seattle and a half-hour drive from Mt. Rainier National Park. Guides lead the way, teaching groups about the structure of maple trees and how they produce sap.
Stop at the production facility, where you’ll see the machinery used to extract, mix, and boil the sap down to its sweet, sticky goodness. Keep an eye out for the blue silos that stored sap several decades ago and are located behind the building. If you’re lucky and it’s been a high-yield year, you may see employees in action, measuring, stirring, and heating the product.
The first learning station is where the group learns about the various parts of the tree and how sap is produced.
Learning stations, demonstrations and games
Throughout the 1-mile hike, visitors will stop at various stations to learn about the history of maple syrup and the modern way of tapping trees. Hikers will also learn about osmosis through a demonstration using beads and a sieve. There’s also an opportunity to use a traditional tap. Bore holes into a dead maple tree trunk with a hand-crank drill, then place the tap into the tree. This activity was entertaining for my 10 and 12-year-old children.
Simon drills through the wood to place a tap.
At the end of this demonstration, there’s a game–who can fill a bucket with the most water (the idea was to pretend that this was sap). The winning team gets bragging rights for the rest of the day. Before we left, we heard Indigenous stories about the uses of the Big Leaf Maple tree and the discovery of its syrup.
Maple syrup: Modern technology
Deep within the Pack Forest, our hike halted with our guide (Josh Miller) pointing to a group of Big Leaf Maple trees surrounded by a maze of tubes. Josh explained how they drained the trees of their sap through various vacumes and tubes. Meters hung from the trees measuring multiple elements of a machine. Some trees yielded more and some less. We learned that it takes at least 80 gallons of Big Maple Leaf sap to make 1 gallon of Big Maple Leaf syrup. Now we know why maple syrup is expensive; it’s liquid gold!
Simon waits for his drop of syrup on a saltine.
Tasting
Many stops along the way were memorable, but the one that was the most delightful to our taste buds was the tasting. Having already talked a lot about maple syrup, we looked forward to trying a variety. Ahead of the tour, we were advised to bring pancakes, waffles, or unsalted crackers for this portion of the experience. My family brought mini-pancakes, a stack of waffles, and unsalted saltines in our packs. Others chose to bring things like bacon. It was like having breakfast in the middle of the day, and we loved it!
Our guide squeezed a few drops of syrup on each little pancake, and we were asked to taste and rank our favorites. At the end of our tasting, we guessed what kind of syrup each taste might have been. Some were nostalgic in flavor, while others were flavored with berries. It was a nice treat before lunchtime.
Simon holds up a delicious piece of maple candy
Tasting the Big Leaf Maple syrup
You must be wondering if we got to taste the Big Leaf Maple syrup produced at the Mt. Rainier Institute facility. Yes, we did–at the end of the tour, we sat at picnic tables, and our guide brought us a very tiny taste of the final product. We might have gotten a second round if it were a high-yield year, but the tiny taste was delicious. My kids wanted a gallon of it to take home. At the same time, my husband and I tasted notes of a familiar molasses-like sugar called jaggery and commented that it tasted like an Indian dessert that we have on special occasions.
We learned so much from this very unique experience, and we hope that one day, Big Leaf Maple syrup will be in such great production that we get to buy it from our local grocery store. In the meantime, don’t miss this cutting-edge research and opportunity to see these trees in action.
Know before you go:
- Register your group here. Fees: $20/person; children under 6 are free. See the website for more details.
- The program runs through Feb 10, with the potential of dates being added if there is interest.
- The Pack Forest is located at 9010 453rd St. E, Eatonville
- The tour is great for children 7+, but younger children may attend
- The entire experience is outdoors and lasts about 4 hours. Dress for the weather; winter’s usually rainy and muddy, so wear waterproof clothes and boots.
- Flushing toilets are located at the Institute. Port-a-potties are located near the lunch area.
- The path is not stroller-friendly; however, bring a pack if you fear your little one might get tired.
- Bring water, lunch and snacks. Don’t forget breakfast items or crackers for the tasting. There is no toaster or microwave at the facility. Bring cooked items for the .
- Walking sticks are helpful to navigate over fallen logs and on the uphill portions of the hike.
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