Meet birch syrup, maple’s wilder cousin

Maple syrup, naturally sweet with its lush notes of vanilla and caramel, is one of the first signs of spring. Now, maple’s lesser-known forest cousin birch is having its day. Nature’s unrequited gifts of indigenous syrups broaden our definition of...

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Maple and birch syrups are harvested around the same time, in early spring, when temperatures fluctuate. They’re also harvested the same way: A small hole is drilled into the trunks, a spout (spile) is inserted and directs the sap that flows from the trees into buckets..