Make sure the tree is on your property! Anything under 21″ will only take one tap. For huge trees above 27 inches in diameter, use three taps when collecting sap. The flow lasts about 5 weeks. This warming temps create pressure within the tree, which generates the flow of sap. How to tap a maple tree This blog comes from Cathy Entwhistle, a Senior Park Interpreter at Bronte Creek Provincial Park. • Paper Birch – This type of birch tree has a 1% sugar count and is among a favorite for tappers who expand their efforts beyond the maple variety. You want to hit the xylem or sapwood of the tree. A lot of times you will tap a tree that you think is a maple tree going to find out that there’s no SAP the reason why there’s no SAP is that it’s probably not a maple. Scrub the equipment with a firm brush and rinse, at least two to three times, with very hot water and allow them to air dry fully before storage or use. In the spring, the sugar maple tree (Acer saccharum) does something magical. • Black – This maple tree generally offers the highest production of sap each season. The sugar and syrup produced from this variety is incredibly sweet and delicious. Any kind of maple tree can be tapped, but the best sap comes from sugar maples, tapped in spring. If it’s light brown or beige, the tree is most likely healthy and you have selected a good spot to garner sap. I used to tap trees and make maple syrup, lots of fun with plenty of hard work. You’ll want to check your buckets daily and empty any collected sap. Gently tap the spile into the tree with a hammer (do not pound the spile into the tree, as this may cause the wood to split). These are, of course, to capture the sap. The bark on hard maple tree varieties is typically filled with deep and narrow furrows. Although syrup is the most common use for sap, in some regions of the world it is brewed into beer or tea and drunk for its nutrient benefits. 2. 5. If it’s a little more narrow, that’s ok, too. When you start tapping, you’re actually drilling a hole into the trunk of the tree with a power drill. Their leaves are either silver or white on the bottom, and boast a more pointy shape than the leaves from hard maple tree varieties. A second tap may be added to trees between 20 and 25 inches in diameter. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Lightly tap the spile into the hole. plink! Black maple (Acer nigrum) Black maples produce as much sweet sap as sugar maples. 3. You might be hiking out to your trees up to your ankles in mud with rain pouring heavily upon your shoulders, but the sap buckets must be check and poured into a storage container. • Silver – Although not ideal for tapping, the Silver Maple tree can be tapped. You’ll want to locate the trees you plan to use and use the guidelines above for how many taps to put into each tree. We prefer metal. Some days, your buckets might be almost overflowing when you hike out to check them, but other days you might find only a very small amount of sap in the bottom of the bucket or bag. The sap from maple and most other tappable trees begins to flow when the temperature during the daytime is consistently above freezing, and when evening temperatures still hover at or below 32 degrees. The size of the drill bit depends on the size of your tap (also known as a spile). Tara lives on a 56 acres farm in the Appalachian Mountains, where she faces homesteading and farming challenges every single day. You can usually tap the Black Walnut tree in every season except the summer. • Sycamore – Sap from this tree has a yummy butterscotch flavor. Soft maple varieties tend to drop their seeds in either the early days of summer, or the final weeks of spring. How to Tap a Maple Tree for Syrup & Sugar Production. The Sycamore sap yield is usually a lot less than nearly every version of maple tree. That means you’re going to need some supplies. Use a hammer or rubber mallet to tap, gently now, the spout into the hold to secure it into place. When you tap a tree in the spring, it is the equivalent to a human getting a small cut, which will will slowly scar over to stop the loss of bodily fluids. Trees between 10 and 20 inches in diameter should have no more than one tap per tree. 3. Typically, a 7/16 or 5/16 drill bit will work for most spouts and trees. Since the leaves can’t help you identify the species this time of year, you’ll want to get a winter field guide like this one to identify which are maples if you aren’t familiar with the characteristics. Drink sap straight from the maple. This will vary wildly depending on the tree, but typically each tree will produce anywhere from 5 to 15 gallons of sap per tap, per season. You can run it through a cheesecloth or similar to remove any impurities that found their way in. Don’t drive too hard and don’t tap when the temperature is below freezing to avoid splitting the … • The amount of sap you get in your buckets in a single day will vary based upon fluctuations in temperature. It’s that time of year again, when the sweet sounds of spring fill Bronte Creek Provincial Park : the twittering of returning songbirds, the laughter of visitors strolling through the woods, and the plink! • Black Walnut – This tree produces not only delicious nuts, but a tasty sap as well. The trees selected should be fully mature and measure a minimum of 12 inches in diameter – and of course, healthy. It’s that time of year again, fellow homesteaders… tree tapping time! No maple trees on your homestead? We are the leading site for home based maple sugaring, the process of sap collection and making maple syrup. The maximum is 4 taps per tree because you don’t want to stress the tree too much. Drill a hole about 1-1/2″ – 2″ into the tree at an slight upward angle. The most important step in the process of tapping a tree for maple is finding just the right tree. The exact time to start and stop tapping trees for maple syrup depends largely on where you live. The trees closely resemble sugar maples and can be distinguished by their leaves. This site may earn commissions when you click on certain links. You’ve found the trees, you have an idea of the timing. You will take your drill and drill to the depth required by your spile, about 2 to 2 1/2″ deep. The seedlings growing on them not only resemble the propellers of a helicopter, but “fly” away from the tree and start to grow just about everywhere they land. Unless you purchase a maple sugar starter kit like this one. You can also get pre-made tree sapping kits on Amazon. If you have an abundance of trees that you can utilize for tapping, you should absolutely try this rewarding experience. Learn how your comment data is processed. Picking trees with the most exposure to sunlight can also help with the flow of sap. Maple trees have what we dubbed “helicopters” when growing up. It is best to distribute the tapping holes around the tree’s circumference when putting in a new season holes or making multiple tapping holes on a large tree for the first time. This gives the sap a chance to flow up during the day, and down at night. If you delay and let the sap sit in a bucket overnight it will likely freeze and have to be pitched. Typically, this variety of maple tree will have a more watery or thinner sap and a low sugar content. You will want to use a bit about the same diameter as your spile (typically 5/16″ or 7/16″ ). Use a hammer to lightly tap the spile into the hole. It has bark that is dark gray in color. • Strain the collected sap through the cheesecloth or manufactured filter to remove any debris that might have gotten inside the bucket before putting it in a storage container. Hey there! 1. To tap the tree, drill a hole about into the trunk of the tree, either above a large root or below a large branch on the south side of the tree. 2. Keep checking until the sap stops flowing and then you can turn the sap into syrup. You tap maple trees in the spring when the temperatures are getting warmer. You could also get a maple tapping starter kit that has all of the specialty things you will need. 2. The European, black, river, gray, white, and yellow birch trees can also be tapped, but the sap they each produce is not generally nearly as sweet as the sap that flows from the Paper Birch tree. • Use tree tapping pouches like the ones in the photo below to keep debris and other impurities away from your sap. Join The Self Sufficient Life group here. The hole should be drilled at a slight upward angle to a depth of about 3 inches. We’ll be tapping birch trees this year as well, but it takes many more birches to get the same amount of syrup. Some of the reviews on this site may be compensated by the companies whose products were reviewed. Tapping Maple Trees for Syrup (Acer Species) There are 10 different species of maple tree that can be tapped for syrup. What species of maple tree is it? Ideally, you will want to put the spile above a big root or below a big branch to get the most sap out of the tree. Do not hammer the spile Maple trees that give the most sap are of the sugar or black variety. Tapping the trees may seem overwhelming at first, but it’s actually the easiest part of making syrup! For the safest type of consumption, always boil the sap to destroy any bad bacteria that could be growing inside. The sweetest and best sap is usually produced during the early days and weeks of the season. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Whether you have an abundance of trees on your property or find a nice neighbor, it’s definitely worth giving a try to get some delicious, natural sugar. above photo shows silver maple tree leaves. 6. Simply hang your bucket and lid and move on to the next tree. Look for a maple tree that is at least 12 inches in diameter and has a lot of direct sunlight. How to tap your tree. Now that I live up in Canada’s far north – (Northwest Territories), it’s a good month later – April. We’re growing our own food, cooking from scratch and taking steps toward self sufficient living on just an acre, and I think you can, too. It is vital to remember that a tree is a living thing, even when it is sleeping all winter long, and that it can (and will) heal itself. • Buckets or Bags – Traditional tappers use buckets that can be hung on or above the spout and onto the tree to collect sap. Whether you have 10 trees or 10,000 the process is basically the same: tap your trees, collect the sap, and boil it down until it’s reduced down to maple syrup. • Holder or Hooks – Holders are sold to hang either buckets or bags and purchased by some tree tappers. Drill a hole about 1.5 inches into the tree – slightly uphill – so the sap will run down. Drill the tapping hole. University of Maine Cooperative Extension educator Kathy Hopkins discusses the best method to safely tap a maple tree. Sugaring season used to be a tradition. This doesn’t require anything fancy, just a few things and you’ll have sap flowing. Find a maple tree. • For best results, use or process the sap within one week of collection. If a tree is under 12″ in diameter, do not tap it. The equipment you will need to tap about 10 trees should not cost your most than $50, depending upon the prices at the local or online store you shop. So, if you’re placing two put one on the south side and one on the north. Trees over 25 inches in diameter can sustain three taps. Hang your bucket or bag on the tree – this is usually done by hanging it onto the hook facing outward on the spout, but not all spouts and spiles come with a hook. While the syrup is very tasty, the Red Maple tree creates less sap than either the Black or the Sugar Maple tree varieties. For trees 12-20″ in diameter, you’ll use one spile each. You’ll be glad you did. If the tree has a big “crown” or lots of full and sturdy branches in its mid-section, it might be a great sap producer. If you’re placing more than one, you’ll want to divide them around the circumference of the tree. Tap the SOUTH side of the tree. It is the combination of the chilly night time temperatures and the warm daytime temperatures that causes the sap to flow both easily and fairly rapidly, from the trees. A tree should be at least 10 inches in diameter, measured at 4 1/2 feet above the ground, before tapping. How to Tap Trees for Syrup. But this will depend a lot on where you live. A hammer will do wonders for this task. See more ideas about maple tree, tapping maple trees, maple. The maple tree tapping season generally runs for approximately four to six weeks. The sap turned into syrup from this tree is typically deemed just as sweet as the sap created by the Sugar Maple tree – and there is usually about twice as much of it. You’ll insert the spile into the loop on the hook and pound it gently into place using a hammer. This will then translate into a small amount of maple syrup per tree. If you have not taken a hike around your homestead and mapped out all the types of maple trees you have on hand to tap, pull on your boots and do so quickly, before the prime part of tapping season has passed. Jan 16, 2017 - Explore Heather Clower's board "Tapping maple trees", followed by 161 people on Pinterest. 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