A sugar maple in the yard and a February freeze-thaw, and you can make your own syrup. A set of spiles (taps) and collection buckets or bags, a 5/16-inch drill bit, a wool or synthetic filter, and a candy thermometer. Tap on the warm days after a freeze, collect the sap, boil it down 40-to-1 outside (the steam peels your wallpaper), filter, bottle.
Plans
Choose a plan that fits your needs and budget
Item List
4Tapping
2 items
Finishing
2 itemsPlan Totals$79
FAQ
Common questions about this kit
When do I tap?
During the freeze-thaw cycle of late winter — freezing nights (below 32F) and thawing days (above 40F) make the sap run. In most of the north, that is February to early March. The season is short (4 to 6 weeks); tap when the forecast shows the pattern.
Why boil 40 gallons to one?
Sap is about 2% sugar; syrup is 66%. So roughly 40 gallons of sap boil down to 1 gallon of syrup — there is no shortcut. Boil it outside (a turkey fryer or a backyard pan) because 40 gallons of evaporating water will peel your wallpaper and warp your floors.
How many taps per tree?
One tap on a tree at least 12 inches across; two on a tree over 18 inches. Never more. A healthy tree yields 5 to 15 gallons of sap per tap per season — about a quart to a third of a gallon of syrup per tap. Respect the tree; over-tapping harms it.
When is it syrup?
At 219F (7 degrees above the boiling point of water at your elevation) — that is 66% sugar. The candy thermometer is non-negotiable; under-boil and it ferments, over-boil and it crystallizes. Filter hot through wool to remove the "sugar sand" (minerals), then bottle hot.
User Reviews
5.0 / 5.0
Maple sugaring and my raised beds share the seasonal-patience gospel — tap on the freeze-thaw the way I plant on the frost date. The 40-to-1 boil and the candy thermometer are the soil-thermometer gospel: measure, do not guess, agreed.