Sweet tradition on tap at Fullersburg

Maple syrup season is a sure sign spring is right around the corner.

To find out where maple syrup comes from, attend "Get Sticky! Maple Syrup Sunday" from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, March 22, at Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center, 3609 Spring Road, Oak Brook.

The program features a guided stroll through the woods to discover the secret of turning tree sap into syrup. It is open to all ages and costs $10. Advanced registration and payment are required. To register, call (630) 850-8110.

To make syrup, sap is gathered from trees and then reduced down until the remaining liquid has the right sugar content. Depending on the initial sugar content of the sap, 40 to 50 gallons of sap are needed to make one gallon of syrup.

Maple syrup can be produced only in certain parts of the U.S. and Canada and only at this time of year due to specific weather conditions needed to produce the proper sap. At one time, maple syrup was one of the few sweeteners available in much of North America.

"People love this program because it offers a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes process of making maple syrup," said Jeffrey Redick, DuPage County forest district commissioner from District 2.