Making Maple Syrup the Old-Fashioned Way: A Tradition That Stands the Test of Time

Maple syrup has long been a staple of North American life, with deep roots in Indigenous traditions and centuries of adaptation by European settlers. While modern production methods often rely on evaporators, pipelines, and high-tech filtration, we still embrace an older, time-honored method—boiling sap over an open fire and carefully condensing it into golden syrup.

It’s a labor of love, but one that connects us to the earliest sugarmakers and the traditions they passed down. Here’s a look at how the process has evolved through history and how we still honor these methods today.

The Earliest Sugarmakers: Indigenous Maple Sugaring Techniques

Long before European settlers arrived, Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern woodlands—including the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), and Algonquin nations—perfected the art of tapping maple trees and reducing sap into sugar.

How Did Indigenous Peoples Make Maple Sugar?

• Tapping the Trees → Instead of modern spiles, Indigenous people cut V-shaped gashes or inserted reeds to direct sap into containers.

• Using Birch Bark Baskets → Sap was collected in birch bark baskets or hollowed-out wooden troughs lined with animal skins.

• Stone Boiling Method → Before metal kettles, they heated stones in a fire and dropped them into sap-filled containers to slowly evaporate the water.

• Maple Sugar, Not Syrup → Since syrup is difficult to store without refrigeration, they boiled the sap down further into sugar cakes for long-term use.

This process was labor-intensive but allowed for natural preservation of the sugar, which could be rehydrated for cooking or eaten as a source of energy throughout the year.

How the Pilgrims & Settlers Adapted Sugaring

When European settlers arrived, they quickly adopted Indigenous maple sugaring practices, but with one major change—the introduction of iron and copper kettles for boiling.

By the 1600s-1700s, settlers developed a new process:

The Pilgrim & Early Settler Sugaring Method

1. Tapping with Wooden Spiles – Instead of cutting V-shaped gashes, they began using hollowed-out wooden taps to reduce tree damage.

2. Collecting Sap in Wooden Buckets – Replacing birch bark baskets, settlers used wooden buckets or barrels for sap collection.

3. Boiling Over an Open Fire – Large iron kettles were suspended over an open fire, allowing sap to be continuously added over several days.

4. Finishing as Maple Sugar – Like Indigenous sugarmakers, most settlers boiled sap down further into sugar rather than stopping at syrup. Sugar could be stored year-round and traded.

Unlike today’s precisely controlled evaporators, early sugaring was an art—requiring experience and intuition to know when the syrup was ready. Without thermometers, settlers judged doneness by bubble size and viscosity.

How We Still Use the Old-Fashioned Sugaring Method

Fast forward to today, and we still follow much of the same process the settlers used—but with a few modern refinements.

Our Traditional Maple Sugaring Process

1. Tapping the Trees

• We use modern metal spiles, but like early sugarmakers, we collect natural sap flow without vacuum systems.

• Each tap is carefully placed so the tree stays healthy year after year.

2. Boiling Sap Over an Open Fire

• Instead of kettles, we use large flat pans over a wood fire, allowing for even evaporation.

• We continuously add fresh sap to the pans over several days, just like the Pilgrims did.

3. Finishing the Syrup Indoors

• Once the sap is dark enough and condensed, we bring it inside for the final finish.

• Unlike settlers who relied on sight and taste, we use a hydrometer to ensure it reaches the correct Brix level (66-67%).

4. Bottling for Storage

• We stop at syrup rather than sugar, sealing it in bottles for year-round enjoyment.

• Any extra syrup that crystallizes naturally can still be turned into maple sugar—just like they did in the 1700s.

While we use some modern tools for accuracy, the heart of our process is nearly identical to how it was done centuries ago. It’s a slow, intentional way of making syrup, but one that feels deeply connected to the past.

Why We Love This Traditional Method

There’s something incredibly rewarding about making maple syrup the old-fashioned way.

✔ It honors history – We feel connected to generations before us who relied on maple sugar as a staple food source.

✔ It’s a labor of love – Unlike modern commercial producers, we take our time, letting the syrup develop rich, complex flavors.

✔ It produces exceptional syrup – Slow-boiling over a wood fire adds depth to the syrup’s flavor that can’t be replicated in modern setups.

✔ It’s family tradition – Every year, we look forward to tapping trees, collecting sap, and standing around the fire, tending the boil.

Though we don’t rely on maple sugar for survival like settlers once did, it’s still an important part of homesteading, sustainability, and seasonal living.

Final Thoughts: Keeping the Tradition Alive

Maple sugaring is one of the oldest agricultural traditions in North America, and we’re honored to carry it forward—not just as a way to make delicious syrup, but as a way to stay connected to the land and the past.

Whether you buy syrup from a small producer or try your hand at making it yourself, every bottle is a reminder of the generations who came before us, carefully tending their fires and waiting for nature’s sweetest reward.

Do you have any family traditions around maple syrup? Let us know in the comments! If you’re considering tapping your maple trees, I wrote an article about what you need to know, and what you need to have. You can read it here. If you’re looking to try our maple syrup, you can find that in our shop, here.