another local maple syrup guy is a multimillionair and purchased a huge woods and built a ultra modern shop, his syrup is runny and unfit to consume. the guy i buy from is poor, uses wood for the heat and makes it the same as his family did 100 years ago and when it breaks down, he will have no money to buy new and it will be gone. thats why he makes only a few hundred gallon per year, its allot of work the old way and not worth it $$$$ wise.
i prefer to add a drop of pure oregano and an ounce of pure olive leaf tincture to a gallon of maple syrup myself, it makes it better and i like the taste just as well.