Maple Syrup: An Introduction to the Science of a Forest Treasure - Softcover

Mike Rechlin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 193577834X ISBN 13: 9781935778349

Publisher: McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company, US, 2016

Synopsis

Maple Syrup takes the reader through the what, where, when, and why of maple sap and its conversion to maple syrup, that all-so-appreciated product of the North American deciduous forest. The journey begins with an introduction to trees, primarily maple trees, and especially sugar maple trees: where they occur, how they function, and particularly how they produce and deliver the sap from which the syrup is made. From there, the reader travels through the actual collection and management of the sap, the conversion of the sap to syrup, and the longer-term planning for and management of expanding and future sugarbush operations. Due attention also is paid to the history of human collection of sap and its conversion into syrup and sugar, ranging from its harvest by Native Americans through to the modern, and still evolving, tastes and methods of harvest and production. Written for the broad audience, Maple Syrup will be an accessible, enlightening, and enjoyable exploration of the science and history of a treasured natural resource.

About this title

About the Author

Mike Rechlin is a forestry and ecology educator with resource management degrees from Paul Smith s College (AAS), the University of Michigan (BS, MS), and SUNY-College of Environmental Science and Forestry (PhD). He taught his first class in sugaring while a graduate student at the University of Michigan. Later, he served on the faculty and as department head at Paul Smith s College in New York and at Principia College in Illinois, where he taught courses in sugaring and helped manage the college s sugar bush operations. Today, Mike and his wife, Nancy, make West Virginia their home base and spend summers in the Adirondacks. Mike also works internationally in the field of community forestry.

From the Inside Flap

Written for a broad audience, Maple Syrup is an accessible, enlightening, and enjoyable exploration of the what, where, why, and how of a treasured natural resource. A book for the curious, readers learn how and why trees, particularly sugar maples, produce and deliver the sweet sap from which maple syrup is made. Traveling with the reader through a maple season, the author describes traditional and modern operations, and the chemistry and physics involved in converting sap to syrup. From Puttin up Wood to Managing Forests for Sap, author Mike Rechlin blends science with an obvious enjoyment of the pure fun of working in the woods and boiling sap. Whether you re an experienced syrup maker, a backyard hobbyist, a teacher, an inquisitive naturalist, or simply somebody who likes maple syrup, you ll learn something new and intriguing from reading this book.

Edition details

• Publisher: McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company, US
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 193577834X
• ISBN 13: 9781935778349
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 188