Mix & Match
There's nothing like taking a trip up north and watching people harvest their own food to recognize how self-sufficient you aren't. My friends in Vermont are actually tapping, boiling, filtering, and bottling their own syrup from three hardy trees in the back yard and have something like five gallons a day coming through right now! This shot was taken at a neighboring syrup farm where vials of syrup from each "harvest" was taken and preserved over the years (some of these date back 30-40 years!) to compare their color. Depending on the time of the season, outside consditions, nutrient level of the trees, etc., the syrups can range from light to dark (or, "fancy" to "dark amber"). Really cool to watch how it's done, but wow... that's a lot of work!