How to Make Maple Syrup: From Gathering Sap to Marketing Your Own Syrup

by Alison Anderson, Steve Anderson

Third-generation syrup makers Alison and Steven Anderson show you how to collect sap using a tree-friendly tubing system and then cook, package, and even market your own syrup. With expert advice for first-time bottlers, the Andersons share their passion with a contagious excitement that is as inspiring as a bowl of sugar on snow. 

131 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 5, 2014

About the author

Alison Anderson spent many years in California; she now lives in a Swiss village and works as a literary translator. Her translations include Europa Editions’ The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery, and works by Nobel laureate J. M. G. Le Clézio. She has also written two previous novels and is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Literary Translation Fellowship. She has lived in Greece and Croatia, and speaks several European languages, including Russian.

Reviews

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is good for what it is - a high-level, introductory look at the process of making and selling maple syrup, from end to end. The book goes over the entire process, from collection to marketing, but never goes too deep into any one subject. Rather, the book provides a framework to work from, oftentimes referencing other books or organizations that you can go to for more information.

I think this book is a good starting off point - it gives you the basic knowledge that you need to get started, and provides a solid foundation to build more specialized syrup-making knowledge off of. If I do decide to tap our trees and make syrup, this will certainly be a great quick-reference book.

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: How To Make Maple Syrup:
From Gathering Sap To Marketing Your Own Syrup
Author: Alison and Steven Anderson
Publisher: Storey Publishing
Published: 3-5-2014
ISBN: 13-978-1-61212-171-0
E-Book ASIN: B00GU2RKNM
Pages: 128
Genre: Food & Wine
Tags: Cookbooks, Hobbies
Overall Rating: Great
Reviewed For: NetGalley
Reviewer: DelAnne


If you have ever thought of harvesting your own maple sap and making your own maple syrup then you will find this book invaluable. If you are only interested in reading this book and learning more of the process from experts. Alison and Steven Anderson run and operate a commercial maple production company. The Anderson family has been in the business for three generations. "How To Make Maple Syrup" is an absolute fount of information, recipes and process do and don'ts for anyone thinking about making maple syrup from scratch.


For those of us who have wondered and thought I can do that, keep in mnd that is not a simple process, but neither is it so daunting that you feel it is impossible. I have visited many maple processing business to take tours, and even spent some time with a friend at her family's farm collecting the sap and watching as her father and brother processed it from beginning to end. I think that is why even today I order natural maple syrup from her family. I was ruined for the store bought stuff when I was a teenager.


Pick up a copy of "How To Make Maple Syrup" and find out if this is something you would like to try for yourself. Those beautiful trees around your home are for more than decoration.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good starting guide for someone who would like to tap trees and make maple syrup on a personal use level. This was the best aspect of the book for me since a lot of how-to's are written on the scale of a big business production level.

Written in a down-to-earth approach that explains the science that you need to understand in order to tap trees and the process that is involved. There is also a lot of good information on all of the tools that you will need including pros and cons of different types of materials and even tips for purchasing items.

The end of the book delves into production on a larger scale and what you would need to do to produce maple syrup and maple syrup products to sell. I enjoyed the extra recipes that included how to make maple sugar, maple candy and maple cream, yum!

This book was provided for free in return for an honest review.