How is maple syrup made?

Can I tap the maple trees in my yard?

What types of maple trees produce maple sap that can be turned into syrup?

Making maple syrup is easier than you might think! YES, you can tap the maple trees in your yard, provided they are either a sugar maple or a red maple. Here’s how it works, in a nutshell. Find detailed instructions on this article by Acadian Maple.

1. Choose a healthy tree that has a diameter larger than 8 inches.
2. Drill into the trunk of the tree – the hole should not be more than 2 inches deep.
3. Hammer in a spout, and hang a bucket from the spout.
4. Check your trees daily to be sure the sap is running (dripping) into the bucket.
5. Collect the sap daily, as it is perishable and shouldn’t sit in the bucket longer than a day.
6. Next, is the boil. Boiling is pretty simple – but this process creates a lot of steam! So it’s recommended that you boil the sap outside, and not in your kitchen.
7. Make sure the pot doesn’t boil dry! Check it often.
8. Is your syrup done? One way to tell is to dip a spoon into the syrup, and see if it “aprons” off the end.
9. You can store your maple syrup in a pitcher in the fridge, or glass containers. Pour the syrup into the container while it’s hot, and put the cover on right away.

And you’ve made your own maple syrup at home! Please remember to check the details on this article by Acadian Maple.