Rosalind
Deeply Rooted
1. Identify your trees. This is most easily done in the fall. You don't have to use only sugar maples, silver maples and black maples work fine too--the syrup will be a bit darker, but it will taste fine.
2. Measure the trees. Trees are old enough to tap when they are one foot in diameter. To measure, take a tape measure and measure around the tree at chest height, then divide by 3.14. You can put one tap per 10 inches of diameter, so a tree with a diameter of 12" can get one tap, 20" diam. tree can take two taps, etc. If the tree looks a bit mossy or has damaged branches or rotten limbs, pick another tree.
3. Assemble your stuff. You will need:
1/2" diameter drill bit in a cordless drill
food grade 5 gallon buckets (the kind from restaurants are fine)
spiles I use these kind but you can make your own from wood or pieces of pipe
hooks to hang the buckets
a mallet to tap the spiles into the hole and make a tight fit
a way to boil sap outside. You don't want to boil in the house, it will laminate your kitchen ceiling. I boil mine on the grill using pieces of firewood that are too big to fit the wood stove. Gas cooking stuff is expensive, you will need to boil a very long time.
disposable foil pans. Don't wreck your good pans. Burned sap is really really hard to get off.
4. Drill holes in the trees at a height that is comfortable for you to lift a very heavy bucket. Those 5 gallon buckets will get FULL, and they are heavy and they slosh. Don't put it too high.
5. Push the spiles into the holes as far as they will go. Use the mallet to tap it a few times and make sure it's in good and tight. A couple of gentle taps are enough. Then hang the bucket. Like so:
I put foil over the top of the bucket, as it was dripping rain, but you can devise your own lid or rain protector.
6. Wait. Each tap can produce anywhere from 1-7 gallons of syrup per day, depending on the tree's health, size and weather.
7. Boil the sap down to 1:40th its original volume. One five gallon bucket == 1 pint of syrup. Be patient. Roasting pans work well.
My awesome sugar shack:
With the tarp falling down in the wind...
I usually boil it to 1/10th outside, then do the final 1/4 in the house where I can pay attention to it.
If you don't pay attention and you boil too long, you get maple candy that hardens in your syrup pitcher like so:
The syrup will be done when it is 66% sugar. You can check with a hygrometer if you want, but if it's just for your personal use, you can just stop boiling when a spoonful at room temperature appears to be the right consistency and taste.
8. Pour the hot syrup into sterilized canning jars. Just the hot syrup and the clean lid will seal if you leave it cool on the countertop overnight.
9. When the buds start to swell and open on the trees, you have to stop collecting sap. The sap will start to get weird flavors. Use a pliers to get the spiles out of the trees. The holes will heal in a few months on their own. I like to put that sticky bug trap tape stuff over the holes, but an arborist told me that this was not necessary. I guess it depends on what sort of bugs live in your area, some places have beetles that can kill a tree. Check with your local tree doctors just in case.
2. Measure the trees. Trees are old enough to tap when they are one foot in diameter. To measure, take a tape measure and measure around the tree at chest height, then divide by 3.14. You can put one tap per 10 inches of diameter, so a tree with a diameter of 12" can get one tap, 20" diam. tree can take two taps, etc. If the tree looks a bit mossy or has damaged branches or rotten limbs, pick another tree.
3. Assemble your stuff. You will need:
1/2" diameter drill bit in a cordless drill
food grade 5 gallon buckets (the kind from restaurants are fine)
spiles I use these kind but you can make your own from wood or pieces of pipe
hooks to hang the buckets
a mallet to tap the spiles into the hole and make a tight fit
a way to boil sap outside. You don't want to boil in the house, it will laminate your kitchen ceiling. I boil mine on the grill using pieces of firewood that are too big to fit the wood stove. Gas cooking stuff is expensive, you will need to boil a very long time.
disposable foil pans. Don't wreck your good pans. Burned sap is really really hard to get off.
4. Drill holes in the trees at a height that is comfortable for you to lift a very heavy bucket. Those 5 gallon buckets will get FULL, and they are heavy and they slosh. Don't put it too high.
5. Push the spiles into the holes as far as they will go. Use the mallet to tap it a few times and make sure it's in good and tight. A couple of gentle taps are enough. Then hang the bucket. Like so:
6. Wait. Each tap can produce anywhere from 1-7 gallons of syrup per day, depending on the tree's health, size and weather.
7. Boil the sap down to 1:40th its original volume. One five gallon bucket == 1 pint of syrup. Be patient. Roasting pans work well.
My awesome sugar shack:
With the tarp falling down in the wind...
I usually boil it to 1/10th outside, then do the final 1/4 in the house where I can pay attention to it.
If you don't pay attention and you boil too long, you get maple candy that hardens in your syrup pitcher like so:
The syrup will be done when it is 66% sugar. You can check with a hygrometer if you want, but if it's just for your personal use, you can just stop boiling when a spoonful at room temperature appears to be the right consistency and taste.
8. Pour the hot syrup into sterilized canning jars. Just the hot syrup and the clean lid will seal if you leave it cool on the countertop overnight.
9. When the buds start to swell and open on the trees, you have to stop collecting sap. The sap will start to get weird flavors. Use a pliers to get the spiles out of the trees. The holes will heal in a few months on their own. I like to put that sticky bug trap tape stuff over the holes, but an arborist told me that this was not necessary. I guess it depends on what sort of bugs live in your area, some places have beetles that can kill a tree. Check with your local tree doctors just in case.
