Tapping into maple trees’ sweetness – with syrup the end goal
The Mountain Lake Christian (MLC) Cedar class (grades five and six) of Karin Stoesz have one really sappy story to tell.
This week, the sap was running from the sugar maple trees on the school’s grounds, and Stoesz and her students have tapped into that sweetness.
According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), any species of maple tree can be tapped for its sap Trees that can be tapped include sugar, black, red and silver maple – as well as box elder – trees.
Of all the maples, the highest concentration of sugar is found in the sap of the sugar maple. Stoesz tells that, “The ratio is 40:1. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.” Other species of maple have lower concentrations of sugar in their sap. For example; it may require 60 gallons of box elder sap to produce one gallon of syrup.
The tools required for a small maple syrup operation are found in most homes or can be easily obtained. They include a drill (brace) with a 7/16″ or 3/8″ drill bit; a hammer; collection containers, such as plastic buckets, milk jugs and coffee cans; a large boiling pan (preferably low and broad); a candy thermometer; wool felt or cheesecloth filter and spiles (or tapping spouts). Spiles can be purchased or made from 1/2 ” wooden dowels cut to 3 ” lengths. Drill a 1/8 ” hole through the center of each dowel and taper at one end so the spile will fit snugly into the tree tap hole. A notch should be made on the top of the wide end of the spile to support the sap collection container).
Sap runs best when the nights are still below freezing and the days are above freezing, rising into the 40s. Alternating freeze and thaw temperatures are necessary to create the pressure which causes the sap to flow when the tree is tapped. In Minnesota, these conditions typically occur during the month of March. However, because weather conditions vary somewhat from year-to-year, and from one location to another, trees can sometimes be tapped as early as mid-February or as late as April. Once temperatures stay above freezing and leaf buds appear, the maple syrup season is over.
To tap a tree, drill a hole in the tree two-to-four-feet above the ground. The hole should be drilled at a slight upward angle to a depth of about three inches. Use a hammer to lightly tap the spile into the hole. Do not hammer the spile too far into the hole as it may cause the wood around the hole to split – resulting in lost sap flow. Hang a sap container from the spile. It is best to use containers that have a cover on them to keep out rain, snow and other debris. Empty sap containers once a day and process sap immediately or store in a cool place out of direct sunlight until ready to process into syrup. It is recommended that you have at 10 gallons of sap before starting the evaporating process.
To determine the number of taps per tree, (too many taps in a tree may be harmful) use the following – tree diameter 10 inches, 0 taps; 10 inches to 14 inches, one tap; 15 inches to 19 inches, two taps, 20 inches to 24 inches, three taps and larger, four taps.
To make syrup from maple sap is a simple process of boiling and evaporation. Since substantial quantities of water will be “cooked off,” most of the boiling should be done outside, preferably over a wood-burning stove. Pour the sap into a large cooking pan. (A pan with a large surface area will increase the rate of evaporation during the boiling process.)
As the water boils off, add more sap. Take care to add only small amounts of sap at a time to avoid killing the boil. Use a candy thermometer attached to the side of the pan to monitor the temperature of the sap. As the sugar in the sap becomes more concentrated, the temperature of the boiling sap will rise.
When the sap darkens and the bubbles become smaller, the final stages of boiling are approaching. At this point, pour the sap into a smaller pan and continue boiling on an indoor stove.
When the temperature of the sap reaches 219 degrees, the sap has become syrup.
To finish the syrup- process, strain the hot syrup twice through cheesecloth or felt, pour into jars and refrigerate. For longer storage, use mason jars and can the syrup.
To date, Stoesz shares, “We have collected about two ice cream pails full of sap (which is like slightly-sweet water) and boiled it down to make maple syrup.”
Pass the pancakes, please!
