HOW TO TAP MAPLE TREES AND PROCESS MAPLE SYRUP

MAPLE TREE

ACER SACCARUM USUALLY FOUND ON RICH LAND A HARDWOOD TREE - ROUGH GREY BARK THE LEAVES LOOK LIKE OPENING HANDS LEAVES TURN BRIGHT RED, ORANGE, AND YELLOW IN FALL SAP FROM THIS TREE IS BOILED TO MAKE MAPLE SYRUP IN SPRING OF THE YEAR SYRUP MAKING TAKES 2 TO THREE WEEKS, DURING THE TIME WHEN THE LAKES ARE STILL FROZEN OVER

NEEDS:

         STORAGE BARRELS - HEAVY PLASTIC BOILING BARRELS - LARGE STEEL DRUMS

         JARS WITH LIDS OR BOTTLES WITH LIDS

         FILTERS TO STRAIN THE SYRUP

         METAL TAPS FOR THE TREES

         LOG SPLITTING EQUIPMENT

         KETTLES, DISHES, PANS

         FOOD FOR CAMPING OUT

         LARGE STIRRING PADDLE

         DRILL WITH LARGE BIT

*HOW TO DETERMINE THE RIGHT TIME*

         BIRDS ARE ON THE TREES LOOKING FOR INSECTS

         THE LAKE ICE IS STARTING TO TURN BLACK

         FOR MELTING TIME -SNOW IS MELTING

        WOODPECKERS ARE PECKING AT THE TREES

         THE DAYTIME WEATHER IS GETTING SUNNY AND WARM - ABOVE 32 DEGREES THIS WILL BE            LATE MARCH OR APRIL EARLIER IN MILDER CLIMATES

DRILL A SMALL HOLE IN THE TREE AND PLACE TAP INTO IT THE HOLE SHOULD BE 1/2" WIDE AND            ABOUT 1 1/2"   DEEP - SLANTED SLIGHTLY UPWARD

A HUGE TREE COULD HANDLE MORE THAN ONE HOLE, BUT ONE HOLE PER TREE IS THE NORM

NEVER USE AN AXE OR MAKE A BIG GASH OR WOUND BECAUSE THE TREE WOULD PROBABLY DIE

HANG A LARGE CLEAR PLASTIC BAG OR BUCKET FROM THE TAP

PUT A LID OR HAT OVER THE TAP SO THAT DIRT AND BUGS DON'T FALL INTO THE SAP

YOU CAN MAKE TEA FROM THE FRESH SAP

CUT LOGS FROM ANY TREES THAT HAVE DIED AND FALLEN DURING THE WINTER

THE FIRE MADE FROM THE LOGS WILL NEED TO BURN FOR UP TO TWO WEEKS

IF THE WEATHER IS COLDER, THE FIRE MAY HAVE TO BURN FOR UP TO THREE WEEKS

THE WORK CONTINUES THROUGH THE NIGHTTIME HOURS ALSO SO SEVERAL SHIFTS OF                            WORKERS ARE NEEDED

WHEN THE FROGS START PEEPING AND THE LEAVES START POPPING ON THE TREES, THAT IS THE            TIME TO STOP THE WORK

THE SAP IS 40 TO 1 FOR BOILING DOWN - 40 GALLONS OF SAP MAKES 1 GALLON OF SYRUP

THE SAP MUST BE BOILED WITHIN ONE WEEK OF GATHERING OR IT WILL SPOIL

IT TAKES 20 BUCKETS FOR A FAMILY OF 5

A FULL BUCKET OF SAP WILL WEIGH ABOUT 30 POUNDS

THE TREES DRIP SAP MORE SLOWLY IN THE SHADE THAN IN THE SUN

SMALL TREES ARE NEVER TAPPED, ONLY THE OLDER MATURE TREES

IF YOU HAVE A 'GATHERING TANK' - IT HOLDS 128 GALLONS

THE SAP IS STRAINED WHEN IT IS PUT INTO THE GATHERING TANK, BEFORE IT IS BOILED, THEN AGAIN WHEN IT IS HOT AND BOILING IS FINISHED TO REMOVE ANY BUGS OR LEAVES OR WOOD PARTICLES FLOATING IN IT. IT IS THEN BOTTLED

THE BOILING IS DONE IN LARGE VATS SINCE IT IS INNEFFICIENT TO DO SMALL QUANTITIES

THE FIRE IS DIRECTLY UNDER THE BOILING VAT

IT WILL TAKE ABOUT 15 HOURS TO BOIL ONE VAT OF SAP SO MORE THAN ONE PERSON WILL HAVE TO WATCH THE   FIRE AND THE BOILING SAP

THE BOILING SAP MUST BE SKIMMED OF SCUM AS IT BOILS

IF A TUB OF SAP STARTS BOILING TOO MUCH SO THAT IT MIGHT BOIL OVER, THROW IN A LARGE GOB OF BUTTER. THAT WILL CALM THE TENSION AND CALM THE BOILING SURFACE

SAP TURNS TO SYRUP AT A TEMPERATURE OF 218 DEGREES   USE A CANDY THERMOMETER TO GAUGE THIS TEMPERATURE

YOU HAVE TO WORK FAST AT THIS POINT, OR YOU WILL HAVE CANDY OR HARD BURNED SUGAR INSTEAD OF SYRUP

ANOTHER SIGN OF THE TEMPERATURE RISING QUICKLY IS   THE COLOR. THE COLOR WILL TURN FROM CLEAR TO LIGHT BROWN

WHEN A DIPPED SPOON SPILLS THE SAP INTO SHEETS INSTEAD OF DROPLETS, IT IS SYRUP AND MUST BE REMOVED FROM THE FIRE QUICKLY

TOO HOT SYRUP CAN EXPLODE, SO WORK FAST

IF YOU ARE WORKING WITH FANCY EQUIPMENT, SUCH AS IN LONG PARTITIONED VATS, YOU CAN MERELY JUST   OPEN THE SPIGOT AT THE END AND REMOVE THE FINISHED SYRUP AND CONTINUE BOILING NEW SAP AT THE OTHER END. OTHERWISE, IMMEDIATELY REMOVE THE BOILING SYRUP FROM THE FIRE AND BOTTLE IT

IF YOU ARE USING A HYDROMETER - THE INSTRUMENT WILL FLOAT AT A LINE MARKED 31.5. IF IT FLOATS AT A LESSOR NUMBER, IT IS STILL SAP AND NOT SYRUP

SYRUP MUST BE STRAINED AT THIS POINT ALSO TO REMOVE THE NITERS, WHICH ARE SMALL PARTICLES FROM THE TREE ITSELF, CALLED SUGAR SAND. THIS PART    IS NOT EDIBLE. A FELT STRAINER IS USED AT THIS POINT TO REMOVE THIS FINE RESIDUE FROM

THE SYRUP

               GRADES OF SYRUP

A: ALMOST CLEAR - LIGHT FLAVOR

B: LIGHT AMBER - MAPLEY FLAVOR

C: DARK BROWN - STRONG MAPLE FLAVOR

IF THE SAP BOILING TURNS TO A YELLOW FROTH, TAKE IT OFF THE FIRE IMMEDIATELY. POUR IT INTO A LARGE TROUGH. STIR IT WITH A LARGE PADDLE AND IT WILL TURN TO SUGAR

IN BETWEEN THE SYRUP AND SUGAR STAGES IS THE CANDY STAGE. THE SYRUP WILL HARDEN BUT WILL REMAIN CLEAR. THIS CAN BE POURED INTO CANDY MOLDS

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