Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Time to turn on the tap – Maple syruping
It’s time to turn on the tap, if you haven’t already. The sap is running.
Maple Syrup season is here and that golden goodness is the best thing EVER.
Sugar Maples are best but it’s not just maple trees. I’ve told you before that you can even tap boxelder trees. The caveat to tapping these other trees is that the sugar content is lower than a Sugar maple and they’re not as generous with their sap.
I’m not a fan of Black Walnut trees because they’re messy (notice nuts below!) and they have juglone, however, they can be tapped. Their sap carries a nutty taste and is almost as sweet.
Butternut is similar and Birch is an option too.
I also have the technique from tapping to boiling on THIS Garden Bite! You need about 40 gallons of maple tree sap to make 1 gallon of pure maple syrup.
Only water is evaporated from the sap, the rest is that sweet deliciousness!
A tapping tree should be at least 10 inches in diameter. You can generally get 10 to 12 gals of sap per tree. syrup. Tap the trees about 3 feet up and at an upward angle. I have links to purchase tapping equipment, basically a clean collection bag and a tap. BOIL outside to avoid a sticky mess in your home. It takes about 6 hours to boil down 7 gallons of sap. Once the sap reaches the boiling point, you need to monitor it very carefully so it doesn’t burn. The finished point of maple syrup is when it has reached 7 degrees above the temperature of boiling water.
WI Maple Syrup Producer’s Association
Here is a link to tapping supplies, however, I would encourage you to check your LOCAL area first!