Step-by-step instructions for how to harvest and process maple sap yourself.

1. What is maple syrup and damaging the tree's health, by boring a hole into the
trunk and collecting some of sap that drips out.
when should it be harvested?
Historically, First Nations people had been harvesting
Maple syrup is obtained from the sap of various kinds
maple sap in early spring for hundreds of years, and
of maple trees, including red maple, sugar maple,
their preparation technique involved boiling down the
black maple and bigleaf maple. Essentially, any kind
sap to obtain the rich, sticky syrup. To this day, this
of maple tree can be tapped for sap, but the sugar
is still the best and most natural preparation tech-
maple generates the sweetest of all syrups, with a
nique. Alternately, sap can be consumed in its raw
2% or higher concentration of sugar in the sap.
form, as it is a highly nutritious, sugary beverage.
Other trees that can also be
tapped, aside from maple, What tools are required for
include walnut, hickory, tapping maple trees?
sycamore and sweet birch
trees. Trees that are suited • spiles
for tapping should be at • metal hooks off which to
least 1 1/2 feet in diameter, hang the buckets
have full and healthy-look- • hammer
ing crowns, and must re- • buckets with small holes or handles
ceive a lot of sunlight. they can hang by
• brace and bit
• 5 gallon pail (optional)
Maple trees can be easily • large plastic container (a garbage can works)
recognized by their distinc- • evaporator
tively shaped leaves and
their impressive stature. * Spiles are collecting spouts that are to be fitted into the
drilled hole, and they can be either purchased from a
local store or made at home. A 3/8" metal tube is usually
Maple trees produce sugar-rich a good choice, as it can be cut into 2 1/2" segments.
sap by storing starch in their
trunks during the winter, which Note: Copper tubes should be avoided, as they are
is later converted to sugar, and poisonous to plants.
ultimately infused into the sap
during early spring. Some of the
sap can be collected without
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2. To adapt the tube for tapping purposes, one end
should be flared so as to allow for easy sap collection A small upward slope to the hole
into the bucket. will ensure that the sap flows into
the bucket with ease, with the help
How do I tap the tree? of gravity. Moreover, the hole
should be drilled on the side of the
Weather conditions influence the amount of sap you trunk that receives the most sun
will be able to collect. The maple sap only begins to exposure, and it should not be lo-
flow after the ground thaws, and a few sunny days cated below any lump or defect, as
have literally liquefied the sap within the trees once these may obstruct the natural flow route of sap.
again. The sap flow stops every time temperatures
drop below the freezing point. Sap flows for about a 2. As you begin to drill
month, during the warm season, and it is best to be into the trunk, you may
collected in late afternoons. Holes that are drilled too notice that the bark
soon, before the sap starts flowing, will be quickly shavings are damp. This
healed by the tree, and will have to be re-drilled. only occurs if the sap
has started flowing, and
it can be used as a sign
How many taps can I have on one maple tree?
to know whether or not
you should continue drilling,
The number of taps you can put on a maple tree de-
or give it a few more days.
pends on its trunk circumference. A healthy maple
tree with the trunk circumference of 31 to 53 inches
3. If you have purchased the
should have only a single tap. Larger maple trees, with
spiles, a a 3/8" piece should
circumferences of 57 to 75 inches can support two
best be used, and a 3 gallon
taps, while trees with circumferences of more than 79
bucket can be hung from it,
can withstand 3 taps.
although you can use tubes
and buckets of different sizes
Steps to tapping a maple tree: as well. Smaller plastic bot-
tles and containers can also
1. The tapping hole should be be used, although they need
drilled approximately 3 feet to be checked more fre-
from ground surface and should quently, especially on days of
reach about 1.5-2 inches deep heavy sap flow.
into the tree trunk.
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3. 4. After you have drilled the hole and cleaned out the
shavings, insert the spile through the eye of a hook, If everything is done cor-
allowing the hook to face outwards, so that the rectly, a tapped tree
bucket can be hung from it. should look like this:
5. Using a good hammer, tap
the spile well into the drilled
hole. 8. The final step in producing maple syrup is
evaporation.
A successfully tapped maple
tree hole should look like this: To boil the sap, a shallow,
wide pan can be used, as
the greater surface area of
the wider container ensures
6. Hang the bucket that the water will evapo-
from the hook. rate more rapidly. Ideally,
and for the best tasting
maple syrup - with a faint
smoky flavor, the sap should be boiled over open wood
fire.
If you don't have a hook
and the spile is long Note that as the water evaporates, a lot of steam is
enough, you can simply produced, so the sap should be boiled in a well venti-
place a large bucket on the lated room. You will know that the syrup is ready when
ground and let the sap col- most of the water has evaporated, and the remaining
lect into it. product has a thick, sticky consistency. Near the end
of the evaporation process, it is important to keep your
7. Cover the bucket so eyes on the syrup, as it may burn badly if left on fire
that dust, rain water for too long. When it is finished, the syrup should be
and other impurities do boiling at around 219°. Heating it to very high temper-
not gather on the sap. atures (234°F) will enable you to produce maple sugar
A lid with a sliding wire instead.
can be used.
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4. If you want to con-
sume the sap raw, in-
stead of turning it
into syrup, keep it at
temperatures between
40 and 45 degrees
Fahrenheit.
Higher temperatures will cause the sap to spoil.
Since tapping a hole into the tree does produce a
wound in its trunk, following the correct tapping proce-
dures and harvesting only from healthy specimens will
allow most trees to recover within a year. This is what
a healed tap hole looks like after nearly a year has
passed:
Last but not least, enjoy your homemade maple syrup!
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