During our second year of the pandemic, we began tapping our backyard maple trees. Baby-blue pails, taps and spigots, special filters and a Brix refractometer were added to our household inventory. We were new to the production of maple syrup but we learned by trial and error and with some help from the internet.
By early March, when the snow starts to melt, a hole is made in a maple tree to monitor the sap run. On average, we collect sap from six maple trees, including some in our neighbour’s yard. I think these are red maples, Acer rubrum, because of their serrated leaf margins, rounded buds and reddish flowers and samaras. The sap is strained and boiled on an induction plate outside to reduce the sap to a sugar temperature of about 212 OF. This reduced stage of the sap is stored in the fridge until enough quantity is collected to fill our pot on the kitchen stove. This is further reduced to syrup – at a temperature of 215O F and a 62% sugar content on a Brix refractometer.
This final syrup is filtered through cloth and bottled – and shared with our neighbour. We make enough for the year. Our maple syrup harvest is a wonderful way to appreciate the many gifts we receive from our backyard trees.
Leave a Reply