Evaporator, 1

The centerpiece of any maple sugaring operation is the evaporator, the modern equivalent of a big cast-iron cauldron over a fire for boiling sap down into maple syrup. Traditionalists still use wood fires to power their evaporators, and the Aucoins' miniature version is one of these wood-fired pieces.

In this photo, before the sides and doors were put onto the "stove" area, you can see the top section where logs are placed and the fire is constantly maintained during the sugaring process, and the lower section from which ash can be removed.