When one thinks of natural maple syrup, Vermont is likely the first place that comes to mind. The state did produce 2.5 million gallons of it last year, half of the overall production in the United States. And, while NJ doesn’t contribute largely to that maple syrup industry, you might be surprised to learn it is home to many varieties of maple trees including the Sugar Maple – the best source for sap that turns into delicious maple syrup. You might even be more shocked to realize this resource could be sitting right in your backyard.
“We’re lucky we’re in an area in the right climate, and with a high enough density of maple trees, it’s possible for us to make maple syrup,” explains Kevin Watson, Assistant Director of Howell Living History Farm, a facility of the Mercer County Park Commission. “The ingredients you need climate-wise to make for good maple sugaring are freezing temperatures at night and thawing temperatures during day. In non-maple trees, inside the xylem of the tree is just water. In maple trees it’s a gas, so the temperature fluctuations result in cold temperatures creating a frost on the inside of the cells and the evaporation of the liquid resulting in movement of the sap through the tree up and down.”
FINDING THE RIGHT TREE
With these requirements, February is the perfect time to try and drain the sap from your trees and turn it into a sweet treat. To determine if you’re living amongst the right species of trees, you first must do a little detective work. The bark, branches and buds will tell you right away if a Sugar Maple is in your yard.
The bark should be a medium to dark grey color, the branches will have opposite positioning as opposed to alternate and the buds tend to be black with a red hue. In addition, its leaves (if they’re still around) usually have five lobes and will resemble the shape of what you find on the Canadian flag. With the highest concentration of sugar of all maples, the Sugar Maples has about 6% sugar content in its sap.
“There are 13 North American maple species that can be tapped for syrup. Ideally Sugar Maples and Black Maples have highest the concentration, but you can tap Red, Silver, Swamp and Norway Maples as well. For a Norway Maple, you need 90 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup,” Watson shares.
Yet it takes just 40 gallons of sap from the Sugar Maple to create one gallon of syrup. A solid Sugar Maple is going to produce approximately one gallon of sap every 24 hours. That one gallon will then yield approximately 3-4 ounces of syrup. So, it is a lot of work to create a little sweetness, but many think it’s worth it!
REMOVING THE SAP
Howell Living History Farm aims to demonstrate life on the farm in the early 1900s, at a time when things were done manually using the natural resources around. For the past 30 years they have been tapping their Sugar Maples to demonstrate the process to locals (and ultimately bottling up the natural maple syrup.) So far this year their 800 gallons of sap have created 20 gallons of syrup which has been separated into 320 8-ounce bottles.
There are three ways to collect sap from a tree, two of which are demonstrated at Howell Living History Farm: manual bucket collection and gravity feed method with a pipeline system. As you see in this photo, a section on Baldpate Mountain, adjacent to the historic farm, has been set up with blue pipe tubing, using the gravity down the mountain to pull the sap from the tap into a storage container that is collected daily. More commercial ventures today often use vacuum feed, which pulls that sap through the tubing even faster.
It is believed the first tree taps were created by the Native Americans, using hollowed out Elderberry, Cedar or Staghorn Sumac segments and scraping out the inner core. They then used hot rocks to heat up the collected sap inside their birch bark bowls to create what likely became maple sugar. Nowadays, metal taps, steel pots and other more commercial products are available.
“When you’re tapping a tree, you check to make sure it doesn’t already have any damage, maybe a branch had blown off and was leaking sap or a woodpecker made holes,” clarifies Watson. “Examine the tree to make sure it’s healthy. If so, and it’s at least 11-inches in diameter, you can put one tap in. If it’s 18-inches in diameter or more you can put in 2 taps, and 24-inches or over you can tap it 3 times.”
You will drill a hole using a 7/16” drill bit and then insert a metal tap, being careful to space it at least 2 inches from any previous scarring. You can choose to hang a metal bucket below it, like they did in the early 20th century, or you can simply attach a cleansed milk container to trap the sap. You’ll see, it comes out looking mostly like water, because sap is 98% water. It’s when you change its composition that the sugary traits heighten and take form.
TURINING IT INTO SYRUP
Once you’ve collected your sap, it must be boiled to change consistency and sweeten. At Howell Living History Farm, this used to be done manually with a cauldron. The farm has maintained the use of wood-burning energy but has upgraded its process and is now using a 30-gallon commercial evaporator. The goal is to ultimately heat the sap to 7.25° past the boiling point, or to 219.25°. That is when it becomes syrup. Should you choose, you can boil it up to 230° to create maple candy and at 260° maple sugar will form.
“An evaporator is essentially a big boiling kettle. To do it at home you need a big pot, a candy thermometer and plenty of time. Depending how much you’re making, it would take at least 4-6 hours of boiling time,” Watson says. “Once you get to the point that you’re noticing it has the beginnings of a golden color, you want to make sure you’re adding a little more sap if continuing to a roaring boil or, if it’s getting syrupier, take out your thermometer and find out what temperature you’re at.”
At home, you can set up a system outside using your grill or even a turkey fryer (if done inside you will end up with very sticky ceilings and walls). The safest way to set up this process is to create a two-pot system, so as the raw sap starts to boil you can transfer it to boil further in a 2nd pot with a little less heat, continue adding more raw sap to the first pot then transferring it again in the process using caution not to burn the sap. Once you’ve reached the required temperature, let it cool (to ideally 180 degrees to prevent mold or yeast growth). You can use coffee filters to drain it into air-tight containers to store or into any container kept in your refrigerator for immediate use.
If this process feels a bit overwhelming, don’t worry. You can go to Howell Living History Farm for a free demonstration. Click here to register for one of multiple tours taking place on Saturdays February 18th and 25th. You can purchase a tap in their shop or elsewhere online, then at home locate any maple trees and set up your system to create homemade maple syrup. With all the hard work you put in, it will likely be the sweetest you’ve ever had!
Lisa Jacknow spent years working in national and local news in and around New York City before moving to Princeton. Working as both a TV producer and news reporter, Lisa came to this area to focus on the local news of Mercer County at WZBN-TV. In recent years, she got immersed in the Princeton community by serving leadership roles at local schools in addition to volunteering for other local non-profits. In her free time, Lisa loves to spend time with her family, play tennis, sing and play the piano. A graduate of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, Lisa was raised just north of Boston, Massachusetts but has lived in the tri-state area since college. She is excited to be Editor and head writer for Princeton Perspectives!
In Princeton and throughout Mercer County, the land and climate make it possible to stay local and well cared for. There are many natural resources and naturally grown items that can help make for a healthier you. As far back as the 1600s, the Lenape Indians inhabited the land area we call Princeton today. The creeks and forested areas provided an abundance of resources for them to nourish, through fishing and hunting. The naturally fertile soils of this area later beckoned the area’s early European settlers, who were able to sustain themselves by farming the land, due to our moderate climate. They also fished along the streams and nearby Delaware River. Urbanization and industrialization have drastically decreased the amount and varieties of fish today and many are now deemed unsafe to eat by the 
Today it is possible to reap the benefits of this land without having to do all the manual labor. Throughout the state’s farms, more than 100 fruits and vegetables are grown with blueberries, corn, soybeans, peppers, peaches, hay, cranberries, squash, spinach, asparagus and wheat being the top crops grown in NJ, based on the 
If you do make your way to the 
Also farm fresh are our local pumpkins. Every fall, my family has enjoyed going to 
“It has anti-inflammatory properties, making it an ideal ingredient for sensitive or acne prone skin. It also contains linoleic acid which is a fatty acid found in our skin’s moisture barrier. Therefore, it helps to strengthen our moisture barrier, keeping our skin hydrated and healthy. And last but not least, calendula is high in antioxidants. Antioxidants help to prevent skin cell damage from free radicals. Free radicals form from exposure to environmental aggressors, such as UV radiation and pollution, and can cause premature aging,” offers Wall.
Something else that is found in abundance, here and everywhere, is water. You naturally know the benefits of water to cleanse yourself or to hydrate, but did you also know that if you utilize water in a certain way, it can have other healing benefits?
If you pay attention to what’s going on in the world, it can be overwhelming. The ongoing war in Ukraine, COVID changes in China, political strife over the leadership in countries like Peru and Brazil. In the United States alone, there is plenty to contemplate, from financial matters to political decisions on a range of topics. But, in your everyday life, it’s what is happening here that likely affects you most. And that is why we’re starting off 2023 telling you just how it is.
The sobering truth is that nationally, overdose deaths of teens caused by opioids have doubled in recent years, while the use of opioids by teens has dropped drastically. Why? Illicit fentanyl. This synthetically manufactured form differs from and is more potent than pharmaceutically manufactured prescription fentanyl. Sadly, when adolescents think they’re buying prescription pills off the street, they’re often buying something counterfeit – and they do not know what is in it. Think cannabis is a better option? Such fentanyl is also now often used to lace unregulated marijuana as well as cocaine. As the 
Synthetic fentanyl is the drug to be aware of today. The available data for those up to age 21 in New Jersey shows that drug-related deaths overall have stayed relatively low, but national data indicates this drug is to blame for an increasing number of those deaths. From 2015 to 2022 drug-related deaths have hovered between 1-3% for New Jerseyans ages 18-21. For those under 18, the number is lower, hovering between 0.1%-.4% in that time frame. There does not appear to be data that directly shows the amount of local adolescent overdose deaths caused by illicit fentanyl, but it is probable that since the data for NJ, and more specifically Mercer County, show a leap of fentanyl-related deaths overall, and national data clearly indicates a jump in fentanyl overdoses in the adolescent group, local teens are suffering from the same tragedy.
Another threat to older teens and young adults is that of sexual assault on the college campus, believed to affect far more students than reports indicate. In September, the U.S. Justice Department awarded more than $10 million to target this issue, offering 36 grants through the Grants to Reduce Sexual Assault. In October, the 
There are many issues the Federal government has on its plate as it finished 2022 and begins 2023. Sometimes what we see taking place in the national agenda is similar to what we experience here in New Jersey and Mercer County. Other times, there are vast differences occurring. From inflation to gun control, cannabis to abortion, what are things like right here at home?
Food prices rose 8.6% in the NJ region, and that impact was definitely felt here in Princeton. 
Availability of cannabis is increasing nationwide, while the Federal government still considers it an illegal substance. 20 retail cannabis stores have opened in New Jersey this past year, bringing in an estimated $116,572,533 in sales between July-September 2022. With Missouri and Maryland voters deciding to go legal, 21 states and Washington DC now offer cannabis for sale to anyone over 21. As more states legalize, so do the numbers of youth using it. A December 2022 study published in 
Like abortion, gun control legislation remains vastly partisan. In June 2022, 
Sunday morning, I was driving through town, south on Nassau Street from Harrison towards 206. It’s very peaceful at that time of day, which allows the beauty of the buildings and layout to really shine. In my normal days of hustle and bustle, there are few moments like that which remind me of the things that make Princeton stand out from other towns.
Like a good soup gets its flavor from the ingredients you put into it, a municipality becomes what it is made of – its schools, stores, restaurants and community. Each part has its purpose. In Princeton, the variety of commerce areas offer opportunities for locally owned businesses to add a lot of their unique flavor.
“This place reminds me of the show Cheers. Meaning, these are our customers but they’re also our friends and family,” explains Eric Weshner, who owns 
Princeton is also home to Andrew Mangone, who grew up here, working at his uncle’s stationary store on Nassau Street. The store, originally named Roland Stationary, has been around since the mid-1800s. Now, in 2022, 
Just slightly younger than Hinkson’s is 
“One of my favorite things is when I’m in the store and I meet someone who says, ‘My dad bought his engagement ring from your grandfather and now there’s not even a question I was coming here to buy mine from you.’ That level of community support, where people say we are not even going to think about other stores or online, we support local, and we support the businesses that are in our community. That happens every day and it’s amazing,” recalls Siegel.
Less than half a mile north on Nassau Street sits 
“I think the heart of it is having good 2-way communication. It’s really important to have realistic expectations about what is happening on the part of businesses, but for the municipality it’s also important to understand the effect all these projects are having and trying to mitigate downside to greatest extent possible,” explains Isaac Kremer, Executive Director of the new 
Hinkson’s, for example, has hit the proverbial jackpot when it comes to things that have made business quite difficult – the pandemic shift from office environments to work-from-home, the on-and-off closing of the entrance to Spring Street due to the Witherspoon Street construction and the competition of big box stores and online shopping have created enormous hurdles for its survival. To keep afloat, both co-owners now also work other fulltime jobs. To stay relevant, the business model has shifted to include an online presence, delivery, shipping and printing. If one comes in person, they will still find unique stationary items like high end paper, journals and fountain pens.
To differentiate itself from other Princeton restaurants and invite people to come try it, Ficus decided to not only open as a restaurant but an art gallery as well. It aims to welcome people with good food at an affordable price, but also to showcase art from local artists. The upstairs, upscale dining area is surrounded by artworks from established artists, while the 1st floor, causal café, displays works from young artists, just starting out.
When the Weshner’s opted to open Delizioso, they chose its location because they felt the neighborhood was calling for their type of eatery. Nothing else on those blocks offers Italian foods, homemade, made to order and using fresh, quality ingredients, so the customers are buying it. They’re also loving the genuine joy of serving them that emanates from Lynn Weshner when they stop in.
“The pendulum swings a lot but 10, 15, 20 years ago when online shopping started becoming a thing and big box retailers became more frequent, the pendulum swung too far. I think people realized pretty quickly there’s a personalized aspect missing,” Siegel recalls. “We have an important online business and we’re happy to serve our clients wherever they need to be served, but the thing that’s really great about working with a local, trusted retailer is that person is going to know you and know what you’re needs are and be able to call you before your anniversary, or know your kids is graduating, and probably sees you out to dinner. I think that’s what people are looking for when they make the decision to go out to a store.”
Princeton, located approximately an hour from either New York City or Philadelphia, makes access to art pretty amazing. You can travel to places including the Met, MOMA or Whitney in NYC or Philadelphia Museum of Art or the Barnes Foundation in Philly. But sometimes, just traveling to a big city can make it prohibitive. You have to pay tolls, deal with traffic and of course, there’s parking. That’s why, whether you’re an artist or a connoisseur, it’s fortunate there are many artistic opportunities available that provide big-city offerings, an easy outing away. To view gallery exhibitions, get hands on with some paints and colors or to purchase a new special piece, you don’t have to travel too far.
Whether you’re a professional artist or just like to dabble, if you want to simply stroll and look at art or want a chance to purchase some local art for your home, there are opportunities at ArtWorks. You can take a class, participate in a public art project, have your own work included in a planned exhibition or even have your own personal show hosted in their space. Building and developing community through the arts is the goal of this nonprofit, through exposure of artists’ works as well as exposure to non-artists of the creativity and art itself.
Another 100 artists now have their work on display at 
Since its founding in 1967, Arts Council of Princeton has aimed to fulfill its belief that the arts play an integral role in a healthy society and strong quality of life. Like Artworks, the Arts Council has created public displays of art around the community, such as the LOVE mural at Princeton Shopping Center and the Parklet built outside of 
“Our two temporary gallery spaces are designed to balance each other in presenting a range of exhibitions exploring some of the most dynamic aspects of contemporary artistic practice. The scale of Art on Hulfish allows us to be present both thematic and single-artist exhibitions, at the level of either group exhibitions or single artist surveys,” says James Steward, Nancy A. Nasher-David J. Haemisegger, Class of 1976, Director of Princeton University Art Museum. “By contrast, the intimate nature of the gallery spaces in historic Bainbridge House is better suited to single-artist projects; during these years of construction, we feel it’s most impactful to focus these primarily on early-career artists, some of them receiving their first museum exhibitions.”
