Maple Water: While chatting with my good friend, Greg Bones, of Two Bones Trading, the topic of making Hickory Syrup came up, incidentally, you can make syrup from walnut trees too. The conversation led me to drinking maple water straight from the tree that I have had in the past. Remarkedly, it is delicious!
Trekking tips like this are fun to write about but my intent
is for you to take the information and do a deep dive on how it can help you in
the woods. Every tidbit of knowledge can make the difference between a
successful trip and a bad experience, or worse. If you do a deep dive, focus on
the medicinal uses. I prefer natural treatments to relying on modern first aid
kits. It’s a skill I am working on.
The Iroquois used maple sap to treat eye problems, and the
Mohegans used the inner bark as a cough medicine. The picture is of a Native
American tap carved by hand, of course. The composition of maple sap is roughly
98% water and 2% sugar. That’s why maple syrup producers boil down 40 gallons
of sap to make a single gallon of syrup. It is primarily available in the
spring, making it a seasonal drink for Native Americans. While you can drink it
straight from the tree, there is nothing wrong with boiling it to be safe. Once
you bring it to a boil, let it boil for an additional minute, allow to cool and
enjoy. Maple water contains vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, and
polyphenols. It is roughly 2% sugar, primarily sucrose, or table sugar. Maple
water, per 12 ounces has roughly 30 calories, 7 grams of sugar, 4% of the daily
value of calcium and 40% of the daily value of manganese. Not bad!
Further research found a study in the Journal of the International
Society of Sports Nutrition suggests that maple water may help with
rehydration. I have done several trips to the woods without food to live off
the land and if you have trouble finding clean water or enough food,
dehydration becomes a real issue not to be ignored.
It is now being sold on the shelf as a post workout recovery
drink. Who knew? Your body loses electrolytes through sweat, which is why
sports drinks tout their ability to restore that resource to proper levels
after a workout. Maple water is a “natural” version of a sports drink.
Next time you’re in the woods, give it a shot! For those on
the east coast, you will most likely find me at a Revolutionary War event as
mounted militia or Continental Light Dragoon with Bubbles. I was just at Washington’s
Crossing!
Written by Gerry "Lucky" Messmer. Reprinted with permission from the author.
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