![]() ![]() If using a bucket or jug that will sit on the ground, be sure your tubing will reach the bucket even after the snow melts underneath it.ĭrill at a slightly upwards angle into the tree and do not go deeper than 1 ½”. Pick a spot on the tree trunk approximately four-feet off the ground below a large branch or above a large root. This mark will show you where to stop drilling so you only go into the sapwood. Select a wood-boring drill bit and mark it with tape or a marker at 1½” from the end. The only variation is the size of drill bit needed – most of our kits use a 5/16” spile so that is the size drill bit you’d need. No matter what system you choose, the drilling procedure is the same. ![]() Remove your taps when you have enough sap or when the tree buds out as that can lead to an off or “buddy” flavor in the finished syrup. If this freeze/thaw pattern is predicted, get out and tap your trees! Don’t be tempted to do it early, though, as this could cause the sap to freeze in your spiles which could damage your equipment and the tree. Watch the weather forecast – sap starts flowing when the temperatures are below freezing at night but climb to the 40☏ and above range during the day. When the sap starts and stops running depends greatly on day and nighttime temperature fluctuations. The tapping season varies from region to region but generally starts in early March and lasts until mid-April. Tie weather-resistant marking tape around your tree so you can easily find it in the spring. Once you’ve identified the tree, choose a tree at least 12” in diameter with a full canopy of strong healthy branches. Sugar maples can be grown outside these areas but require climates with a freeze/thaw cycle to produce tasty sap. Hard maples are most prevalent in southern Canada, the Upper Midwest, the Northeastern states, and down the eastern seaboard of the United States.Hard maples have light to dark gray bark with narrow, deep furrows while soft maples have a more layered, flaky bark.Soft maples have a lighter yellow-green color, much pointier leaves, a white or silver underside, and mostly yellow fall colors. Hard maples have darker green leaves with smoother points and the most vivid orange, red, and yellow fall colors.Hard maples typically have a “U” shaped valley and soft maples have a more “V” shaped valley. Separately lobed leaves – typically five lobes prominent valley between each lobe.Hard maples drop seeds in the late summer or early fall and soft maples drop seeds in spring and early summer. Helicopter seeds (technically called samaras) with two v-shaped wings that flutter down and away from the tree.Common but distinctive features of maple trees include: Consult an illustrated tree reference guide for more details. Maple trees all have the same characteristics with slight and subtle variations between each subspecies of tree. The best time to identify a maple tree is in the summer or fall when it is in full leaf. ![]() Folks also tap the box elder tree and the finished product has a heavy, sorghum-like flavor. You can also tap the red or silver maple but the sugar content is lower so you’ll have lower syrup yields and longer boil times. Hard maples, also called sugar maple, black maple, or rock maple, have the highest sugar content and produce the best tasting syrup. Please check back often as we’re updating all of these resources with new material. Additionally, our video and article library includes how-to videos and instructions on selecting a tree, drilling the hole, and using each of our systems. Much more detailed information can be found in our book, Guide to Maple Tapping, which is included in every kit and also available electronically. This section will first give you step-by-step tapping instructions and then answer a few common questions people have about sugarmaking. Once you have the tools assembled, it really takes less than 5 minutes to tap a tree. Making maple syrup is an age-old activity, the sugarmaking process is not complicated, and you can easily learn everything you need to know in one season. ![]()
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