Birch Bark Basket

Baskets made of birch bark were used to collect maple sap and made into maple syrup and sugar. Maple sap is sugar water, and in order to make it into maple syrup, heat needs to be applied for an adequate amount of time to boil and evaporate the excess water. And by doing this Native Americans would add hot rocks from a fire into the birch bark basket to keep it boiling.

Maple syrup was a huge factor in survival for the long winter months. Native Americans were first to know that the sap was a good source of energy and nutrition. In order to preserve food, the only resources were salt and sugar, and sugar was more readily available in the Northern part of North America.

And in the northern states of North America, maple sugar was the only source for a sweetener. Sugar cane production was brought over from Europe, which didn't happen for quite some time. Even after sugar cane was introduced, maple syrup was cheaper, and was more popular by taste.