First Maple Sap Harvest for Maple Syrup

All you need is a couple of copper pipes, gallon milk jugs, a drill, and sugar maple trees and you can make your own maple syrup right from your backyard.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• homemade
• maple
• syrup
• home
• made
• tree
• tapping
• sap

[DexterCow]

I meant to tell you ... the season finally started around here last week. I tapped in 41 spiles. First harvest 12 gallons, second harvest reaped 21.5 gallons (I had to leave 1.5 gallon behind, the drum was too small). For the last 3 days it's been nothing but heavy non-stop boiling on the woodstove.

Not sure if you boil inside or not, I was told repeatedly not to try inside, but we did anyway, and it really hasn't been bad at all.

[chadhols]

wow you took it to a whole new level! I probably harvested a total of 15 gallons this year. I also boiled it inside. Kept the windows open in the house for a few days and it wasn't bad at all. We need some fresh air in here since its flu season.

[chadhols]

DexterCow... I don't know what the weather is like up there, but for the sap to run it has to be below freezing at night and above freezing during the day. Here in Chicago we have these conditions RIGHT NOW , and they only last for a couple weeks... check your weather report you may need to tap those trees right now!

[chadhols]

you can check online to see what sort of maple tree you have. any kind will make syrup, but sugar maples make the best. the copper pipe is only about 1 inch in the tree or slightly less, just until it is solidly in there and won't fall out.. tap it in to the trunk on a slight downward incline to help the sap drip out. make sure the pipe fits tightly into the hole that you drill for the pipe, or the sap will drip down the trunk of the tree instead of running through the pipe.

[etechjoe]

you sap sucking...... you trying to make me home sick ?

[erererer2]

does it need to be a suger maple or can it be just a baple tree

[iphone12302]

ummm u cant use copper pipe cause it kills plants and trees

[JMULIKOW]

Very very cool, im going to try this with my kids. Keep up the vids...excellent job!

[FightUni09]

Nice Job, you read my mind.

[DexterCow]

This is beautiful! Green poetry right off the street. I will be tapping my trees in Eastern Ontario in a couple of weeks now following your 4 gallon jug method. Thanks for the tip!