13Mar 07
A Sweet Endeavor
posted by Daniel
Recently, Kenan and I have been experimenting with the production of pure maple syrup. We have tapped over 20 maple trees and have gathered about 100 gallons of sap. We have been thrilled by having pure maple syrup from our own back yard. Tapping maple trees is a very simple and fun process to do but most importantly the temperature needs to be right. When it is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or more in the day and 30 degrees fahrenheit or less at night the sap will run more freely.
Now this is how you tap maple trees. First, find the your tree. The best type of tree to tap is the sugar and black
maple which are often called rock maples. Other maples called soft maples (silver, red, etc) can be used, but syrup production is lower. Secondly I got some inexpensive writing pens: white ones that look like small PVC pipes when you take the inside out. I cut the small pen in half to get a 2 inch long pipe, and then I drilled into the tree 2 to 3 inches at a slight upward angle of 10 to 20 degrees. Drill the hole any where from 2 to 6 feet above the ground. Thirdly, I stick the 2 inch long pipe or pen into the hole, place the milk jug around the pen, and circle wire around the tree through the milk jug to keep the milk jug from falling.
Next comes the fun part: boiling down the sap into syrup. I pour 2 gallons of sap into a pot, boiling it down at a temperature of 212 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter. It doesnt matter where you boil your syrup. I just boil it on our kitchen stove and havent had a problem. Every 2 gallons of sap that I have boiled produces about 1cup of pure maple syrup. Although it is a little runny the syrup still tastes pretty good. If you like syrup thicker just keep boiling but keep a good watch that it doesnt burn. After boiling the sap, filter the syrup through a paper towel or coffee filter to take out the crystals and other impurities that may be in the syrup. Then make yourself some delicious pancakes and use your freshly made ‘maple’ syrup. Enjoy!
“The trees of the LORD are full of sap…” Psalms 104: 16
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Wow! 100 gallons of sap! You guys have been busy. Your enterprising efforts have inspired our family to do the same, I hear. I am so looking forward to visiting home in a couple of weeks and enjoying some fresh maple syrup! It sounds really tasty!
Kenan & Daniel have become quite the connoisseurs of maple syrup. Their simple, cost effect operation has been a great savings financially as the fresh maple syrup takes the place of bottled maple syrup which comes all the way from Canada and costs $36+ per gallon! We really appreciate their contribution to the family!
I think the recent idea about making maple donuts would be excellent (didn’t we hear that 1 gallon of syrup would produce enough donuts to make $200, if sold?). I reckon Mom & Daniel will have to do some experimenting. Thank you guys!
I am so glad to hear God is blessing your family with so much with sap! This year has been perfect for tapping. Thank you Daniel for your experience and inspiration to get us started in maple tapping. It is very rewarding. God continue to bless! Can’t wait to hear more about the creative uses for this rare resource.
Wow Daniel! That’s fascinating! Just this morning James suggested I try a little syrup as flavoring for my plain yogurt. It was really good.
Thanks for sharing with us and inspiring my brothers to also tap into this delicious treasure.
I agree that syrup is delicious on pancakes! I will be fun to compare notes when we see you next. Maple Doughnuts? That sounds like a recipe worth trying! Looking forward to seeing your family soon.
[...] decades to come. Also, a great source of encouragement and advice for pursuing tapping came from Daniel Wilkes. We also learned much from these two web sites: Making Maple Syrup and Maple Syrup [...]
That’s a funny comment, STADDONFAMILY.COM > BLOG ARCHIVE > TAPPING INTO GOD’S CREATION. You might want to work on your writing skills, though.
I take it was an accident.
Great Posting! Tapping maple tree is easier than most people think. It is a great way to teach your children about nature. For those looking for equipment and a guide to tap a few trees at home, take a look at http://www.tapmytrees.com.
[...] How to make maple syrup and tap your own maple trees [...]
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