Pure maple syrup should be between 66 and 68 Brix when tested with a refractometer or hydrometer . . . whoa, is that too many technical terms for you? Don’t worry, this article will explain it all and show you how easy it is to use these tools and produce the best quality syrup you’ve ever had. Most professional sugarmakers (and many home hobbyists) use two tools to measure sugar content — hydrometers and refractometers. Keep reading for more info on each.
Hydrometers
The more dense the liquid, the more sugar it contains — the hydrometer measures this relative density. Most hydrometers use a common scale of degrees Brix (shown as °Bx) which shows the sugar percentage of the liquid. One °Bx equals 1% sugar content. For pure maple syrup, the target density range is between 66% and 68% sugar content (shown on the hydrometer as 66° Brix or 35.6° Baume). Many states have a required Brix scale for folks selling maple syrup so if you’re going to market you must test your syrup.
This tool is fairly inexpensive and consists of a tall metal cup and the marked hydrometer tool which looks sort of like an old fashioned thermometer but much bigger. Be sure you buy the type of hydrometer calibrated for syrup making as they’re also sold for beer and wine. It’s also another one of those tools that will last for many seasons if you take good care of it. Typically these hydrometers are calibrated to measure cold syrup (at 60°F) or hot syrup (at least 211°F) and will be marked with a cold test and hot test line.
A hydrometer hangs on the side of a maple syrup evaporator as steam rises from the evaporator. The operator uses the hydrometer to test whether the syrup is done.
To use the hydrometer, first place the cup in a level pan with a lip as syrup will splash over the sides (or hang over the side of evaporator pan as shown here). Fill the cup with syrup to within ½” or so of the rim. Immerse your thermometer and make sure it reads at least 211°F if testing hot. Then carefully lower in the hydrometer – do not drop it in! It will float and the red line should be even with the surface which indicates the Brix reading. If in the proper range, return this syrup to the pan and continue with filtering and bottling.
If you find the red line floats below the surface, syrup must be boiled longer and tested again. If the red line floats above the surface, syrup is “heavy” and too sugary or dense and you’ll need to add partially-boiled sap, cook a bit longer, and retest. While extra-sugary syrup sounds yummy, it will be more like maple sugar once it cools. After you’re done testing, be sure to rinse the hydrometer in hot water so no syrup accumulates on the device. Be careful, it is fragile!
Refractometers
Simpler to use but quite a bit more expensive, a refractometer (either manual or digital) determines sugar concentrations by measuring how light is refracted through a sugary solution. Typically a drop of sap or syrup is placed in a little cup at the end of the device and it’s held up to light (or with digital devices, just push a button). As light passes through the syrup, it’s refracted and the tool is designed to pick this up and measure it on the Brix scale. Refractometers, though, come with different scales – a low scale to measure sap and a higher scale to measure syrup.
See it in action
You know how much we love the folks at our country’s Extension offices! They provide such an incredible wealth of knowledge for all things outside and are generally pretty nice people who love to help. And they did not disappoint us here – we found this great video from the University of Maine Extension services that shows each of these tools in action and does a great job explaining how they all work.
If you’d like to learn more about other steps of the sugarmaking process, click here to look through our library of How To articles.
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. Once you have the tools assembled, it really takes less than 5 minutes to tap a tree. This section will first give you step-by-step tapping instructions and then answer a few common questions people have about sugarmaking. Much more detailed information can be found in our book, Guide to Maple Tapping, which is included in every kit and also available electronically. 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. Please check back often as we’re updating all of these resources with new material.
Step One: Identify and Mark Your Trees
Hard maples, also called sugar maple, black maple, or rock maple, have the highest sugar content and produce the best tasting syrup. 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. Folks also tap the box elder tree and the finished product has a heavy, sorghum-like flavor.
The best time to identify a maple tree is in the summer or fall when it is in full leaf. Maple trees all have the same characteristics with slight and subtle variations between each subspecies of tree. Consult an illustrated tree reference guide for more details. Common but distinctive features of maple trees include:
Helicopter seeds (technically called samaras) with two v-shaped wings that flutter down and away from the tree. Hard maples drop seeds in the late summer or early fall and soft maples drop seeds in spring and early summer.
Separately lobed leaves – typically five lobes prominent valley between each lobe. Hard maples typically have a “U” shaped valley and soft maples have a more “V” shaped valley.
Hard maples have darker green leaves with smoother points and the most vivid orange, red, and yellow fall colors. Soft maples have a lighter yellow-green color, much pointier leaves, a white or silver underside, and mostly yellow fall colors.
Hard maples have light to dark gray bark with narrow, deep furrows while soft maples have a more layered, flaky bark.
Hard maples are most prevalent in southern Canada, the Upper Midwest, the Northeastern states, and down the eastern seaboard of the United States. Sugar maples can be grown outside these areas but require climates with a freeze/thaw cycle to produce tasty sap.
Once you’ve identified the tree, choose a tree at least 12” in diameter with a full canopy of strong healthy branches. Tie weather-resistant marking tape around your tree so you can easily find it in the spring.
Step Two: When to Tap
The tapping season varies from region to region but generally starts in early March and lasts until mid-April. When the sap starts and stops running depends greatly on day and nighttime temperature fluctuations. Watch the weather forecast – sap starts flowing when the temperatures are below freezing at night but climb to the 40°F and above range during the day. 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. 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.
Step Three: Drilling the Taphole
No matter what system you choose, the drilling procedure is the same. 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. Select a wood-boring drill bit and mark it with tape or a marker at 1½” from the end. This mark will show you where to stop drilling so you only go into the sapwood. Pick a spot on the tree trunk approximately four-feet off the ground below a large branch or above a large root. 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.
Drill at a slightly upwards angle into the tree and do not go deeper than 1 ½”. Shavings that come out of the hole should be creamy or light yellow and sap will most likely start running immediately.
Step Four: Inserting the Spile
Once the hole is drilled, you simply insert the spile, gently tap it in with a hammer until it feels snug, and attach your bucket, jug, or bag to collect sap. This tap will stay in the tree for the entire season.
Step Five: Collecting Sap
Each day, you will come back to the woods to collect your sap. Sap left sitting in buckets can grow bacteria – this is not harmful as the sap will be boiled but the bacteria will eat away at your sugars which will affect the syrup’s taste. If you can’t boil your sap every day, it can be chilled for a few days until you’ve collected enough to cook. Normally, a single taphole produces between one quart to one gallon of sap per flow-period (which can last a few hours or more than a day.) Please refer to the section “How to Make Maple Syrup” for more information on filtering and boiling down your sap.
Step 6: End of Season Chores
Once you’ve collected enough sap or the trees bud out, simply pry the spiles from the tree with a small claw hammer. The taphole will heal over the summer and the same tree can be tapped year-to-year, although you cannot reuse the same taphole. Thoroughly rinse all of your equipment – do not use detergents – let air dry and store away for next season.
A Few Common Questions
Do I need special tools for tapping?
Yes: you will need spiles or taps, something to collect your sap in, and a method of attaching it to the spile. Two of the kits we have available are all-in-one systems where the spile, hook, and bag or bucket all fit together right on the tree. We also sell a tubing kit which comes with the taps inserted into the lengths of tubing which you then can direct into a bucket or use as droplines connected to a common line that leads into a bucket.
You will also need to take a few extra tools with you to the sugarbush – most of which you probably already own. A few necessities include: a drill with a wood-boring drill bit (5/16” or 7/16” depending on the spile you’re using); a marker; a small hammer; and a few five-gallon, food-grade buckets to transfer your collected sap. Depending on which type of kit you buy, you might also need jugs or buckets for collecting at each tree. Our deluxe kits include many of these extra tools.
What’s the difference between a 7/16” and a 5/16” spile?
Previous generations of sugarmakers used a 7/16” spile but research in the last decade has shown that a 5/16” spile (sometimes called the “health spile” or “tree saver spile”) causes less damage to the tree, allows for faster taphole healing, and does not reduce the sap yield when used with gravity systems such as tubing or buckets. Whenever possible, Maple Tapper uses the 5/16” spile in our kits.
How much sap or syrup will I get from each taphole?
The amount of sap each taphole yields varies greatly depending on the tree, the time of year, environmental conditions such as the weather and soil conditions, and even at what point you are in the tapping season. In a normal season, a single taphole produces approximately 10- to 12-gallons of sap. Your finished yield of syrup will depend on the sugar content of your sap. Generally, assume a 40-to-1 conversion – so 12 gallons of sap will boil down to 1 quart of syrup. With this ratio in mind, you’d need four tapholes to produce one gallon of syrup for the season.
What parts of the country produce maple sap?
Because the sap “run” is triggered by the freeze-thaw cycle, maple syrup is only produced in the Upper Midwest, the Northeastern U.S., and Canada.
Does tapping hurt the tree?
If the tree is healthy when tapped and proper tapping procedures are followed, the taphole will start healing within weeks of the spile’s removal. Many maple tree farms have been tapping the same trees for over 100 years. Each taphole, however, must be placed in a different spot on the tree from the previous year. One thing to note: the bottom 4- to 6-foot “tapping zone” will result in trees that are less valuable if cut down for lumber.
What makes sap into syrup?
Sap becomes syrup as the water is removed through evaporation and the sugars become concentrated. The flavor of your finished syrup is created by the caramelization of the sugars during the boiling process – the longer the sap is boiled in the pan, the darker and stronger the flavors become. Flavor can also be affected by the tree’s qualities and genetics; by the time of year and method through which sap is collected; and by the cleanliness of the boiling room and storage containers. Please refer to the section “How to Make Maple Syrup” for more details on the syrup making process.
Do I need special tools for boiling?
You will need an outside method of boiling down your sap. Most people use a shallow evaporator pan over a wood fire for the first stage of boiling and then a stainless steel pot on a propane burner or outside stove for the finishing stage. You will also need a candy-type thermometer with a readable, one-degree scale; food-grade, syrup-specific filters; glass jars with sealable lids; and general kitchen tools such as funnels, towels, and wooden spoons. The boiling process is covered in full detail in our book, Guide to Maple Tapping.
How long does it take to boil down the sap?
The rate at which your water will evaporate depends on numerous factors such as: pan size and construction; type of heat source; and even the temperature of sap being added to the evaporator. If using a shallow, rectangular pan with lots of surface area, it takes between 9 and 18 hours to produce one gallon of syrup. With a deep, circular pan, it can take as little as 28 hours and as long as 56 hours.
Can I use maple syrup instead of sugar in my cooking?
It is a good substitute but will impart a maple flavor to your dish. Generally, one cup of pure maple syrup equals one cup of sugar and can be swapped out in most recipes. For cookies and cakes that also use liquid ingredients, just reduce the liquids by three tablespoons for each cup of maple syrup used.
How should I store my finished syrup?
Properly bottled and sealed pure maple syrup should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place and will keep for up to one year. Maple syrup can also be frozen indefinitely – it will not harden, though, due to the high sugar content. Once opened, syrup should be stored in the refrigerator and used within six months of opening. If you notice any mold or discoloration, discard the contents as it may not be safe to eat. Also, do not store your syrup in plastic containers as the syrup may absorb odd flavors or odors from the plastic.
The maple sugaring season varies by region but generally starts in late January and can last until mid-April. When the tree sap starts and stops running, though, depends greatly on day and nighttime temperature fluctuations: if temperatures fall below freezing at night but climb to the 40°F+ range during the day, the sap will begin to flow and it’s time to get out there and tap your maple trees! Watch the weather forecast for this upcoming freeze/thaw pattern but don’t tap your trees too early as it can cause the spiles to freeze in the taphole which may damage the tree. Remove your spiles 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 you’re adventurous and trying other tree varieties, their seasons are slightly different from sugar maple.The freeze/thaw cycle does affect how well sap flows but in more temperate regions such as the Western United States, trees can be tapped all winter as long as they’re dormant. In all cases, sap will not produce good-tasting syrup if the tree is in bud or growing leaves. Here’s a quick rundown of the most popular non-maple trees that folks tap for syrup:
Birch: The sap run usually begins later in the year in late March or early April, often at the end of the maple sugaring season. Daytime temperatures need to get into high 40°s and low 50°s with cold nights to get the sap flowing. Because of this late-season harvest and warmer weather, the sap spoils more quickly if left sitting all day in the buckets so birch sugarmakers often must collect sap twice per day. The season, too, is shorter and typically lasts for only two to three weeks.
Black Walnut or Butternut: As with sugar maple,the sap flow depends on the same freeze/thaw cycle and the season begins at the same time. The length of the season, though, is sometimes a bit longer as these trees are often the last to bud out. You will notice that the color of the sap will darken over the season and the darker it gets, the more robust the finished syrup will taste.
Sycamore: The tapping season and sugarmaking process are identical to maple trees and the sap-to-syrup ratio is similar. The flavor, though, is not the greatest and many considered this a “syrup of last resort” due to its almost-scorched taste. It can, though, be blended with other saps and will add a bit of butterscotch flavor when mixed with maple or other syrups.
Now that you know when totap, click here to learn more about how to tap, look here for how to make it into maple syrup. Of course, all this info (and more!) is in our book included with every kit!
Don’t forget, during the tapping season we put out a weekly newsletter with lots of great info. Sign up here if you’d like to get the Tapping Times and you’ll also get a FREE Quick Guide to Maple Tapping ebook.
Turning maple sap into pure maple syrup is a centuries-old pastime that requires minimal tools but lots of patience! Good things come to those who wait, though, and you will be rewarded with one of nature’s sweetest treats. Pure maple syrup is 100% organic with absolutely nothing added. It’s filled with antioxidants and is just plain fun to make. The process is not complicated and you can easily learn everything you need to know in one season. This section will answer the most common questions people have about tapping trees and making syrup. Additionally, our other Q & A sections: “How to Tap Trees” and “How to Make Maple Syrup,” give a little more detail on each process. For complete instructions with photos and handy tips, refer to our book, Guide to Maple Tapping.
What kind of trees can I tap?
Hard maples, also called sugar maple, black maple, or rock maple, have the highest sugar content and produce the best tasting syrup. 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. Folks also tap the box elder tree and the finished product has a heavy, sorghum-like flavor. Refer to an illustrated tree guide for identification tips or look in our book, Guide to Maple Tapping, for more information.
What parts of the country produce maple sap?
Because the sap “run” is triggered by the freeze-thaw cycle, maple syrup is only produced in the Upper Midwest, the Northeastern U.S., and Canada.
When should I tap trees?
The tapping season varies from region to region but generally starts in early March and lasts until mid-April. When the sap starts and stops running depends greatly on day and nighttime temperature fluctuations. Watch the weather forecast – sap starts flowing when the temperatures are below freezing at night but climb to the 40°F and above range during the day. If this freeze/thaw pattern is predicted, get out and tap your trees! 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.
Does tapping hurt the tree?
If the tree is healthy when tapped and proper tapping procedures are followed, the taphole will start healing within weeks of the spile’s removal. Many maple tree farms have been tapping the same trees for over 100 years. Each taphole, however, must be placed in a different spot on the tree from the previous year. One thing to note: the bottom 4- to 6-foot “tapping zone” will result in trees that are less valuable if cut down for lumber.
Do I need special tools for tapping?
Yes: you will need spiles or taps, something to collect your sap in, and a method of attaching it to the spile. Two of the kits we have available are all-in-one systems where the spile, hook, and bag or bucket all fit together right on the tree. We also sell a tubing kit which comes with the taps inserted into the lengths of tubing which you then can direct into a bucket or use as droplines connected to a common line that leads into a bucket.
You will also need to take a few extra tools with you to the sugarbush – most of which you probably already own. A few necessities include: a drill with a wood-boring drill bit (5/16” or 7/16” depending on the spile you’re using); a marker; a small hammer; and a few five-gallon, food-grade buckets to transfer your collected sap. Depending on which type of kit you buy, you might also need jugs or buckets for collecting at each tree. Our deluxe kits include many of these extra tools.
What’s the difference between a 7/16” and a 5/16” spile?
Previous generations of sugarmakers used a 7/16” spile but research in the last decade has shown that a 5/16” spile (sometimes called the “health spile” or “tree saver spile”) causes less damage to the tree, allows for faster taphole healing, and does not reduce the sap yield when used with gravity systems such as tubing or buckets. Whenever possible, Maple Tapper uses the 5/16” spile in our kits.
How much sap or syrup will I get from each taphole?
The amount of sap each taphole yields varies greatly depending on the tree, the time of year, environmental conditions such as the weather and soil conditions, and even at what point you are in the tapping season. In a normal season, a single taphole produces approximately 10- to 12-gallons of sap. Your finished yield of syrup will depend on the sugar content of your sap. Generally, assume a 40-to-1 conversion – so 12 gallons of sap will boil down to 1 quart of syrup. With this ratio in mind, you’d need four tapholes to produce one gallon of syrup for the season.
What makes sap into syrup?
Sap becomes syrup as the water is removed through evaporation and the sugars become concentrated. The flavor of your finished syrup is created by the caramelization of the sugars during the boiling process – the longer the sap is boiled in the pan, the darker and stronger the flavors become. Flavor can also be affected by the tree’s qualities and genetics; by the time of year and method through which sap is collected; and by the cleanliness of the boiling room and storage containers. Please refer to the section “How to Make Maple Syrup” for more details on the syrup making process.
Do I need special tools for boiling?
You will need an outside method of boiling down your sap. Most people use a shallow evaporator pan over a wood fire for the first stage of boiling and then a stainless steel pot on a propane burner or outside stove for the finishing stage. You will also need a candy-type thermometer with a readable, one-degree scale; food-grade, syrup-specific filters; glass jars with sealable lids; and general kitchen tools such as funnels, towels, and wooden spoons. The boiling process is covered in full detail in our book, Guide to Maple Tapping.
How long does it take to boil down the sap?
The rate at which your water will evaporate depends on numerous factors such as: pan size and construction; type of heat source; and even the temperature of sap being added to the evaporator. If using a shallow, rectangular pan with lots of surface area, it takes between 9 and 18 hours to produce one gallon of syrup. With a deep, circular pan, it can take as little as 28 hours and as long as 56 hours.
Why is my syrup cloudy or crystallized?
This sugar sand, or niter, is sometimes left if your syrup was not filtered enough. It can also be created by boiling the sap too far past the finishing point. In either case, it does not affect the quality of your syrup and will usually sink to the bottom during storage. You can reheat your syrup and put it through another filtering to remove the sugar sand.
Can I use maple syrup instead of sugar in my cooking?
It is a good substitute but will impart a maple flavor to your dish. Generally, one cup of pure maple syrup equals one cup of sugar and can be swapped out in most recipes. For cookies and cakes that also use liquid ingredients, just reduce the liquids by three tablespoons for each cup of maple syrup used.
How should I store my finished syrup?
Properly bottled and sealed pure maple syrup should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place and will keep for up to one year. Maple syrup can also be frozen indefinitely – it will not harden, though, due to the high sugar content. Once opened, syrup should be stored in the refrigerator and used within six months of opening. If you notice any mold or discoloration, discard the contents as it may not be safe to eat. Also, do not store your syrup in plastic containers as the syrup may absorb odd flavors or odors
Have you been wondering if it would be faster to freeze the water in your sap instead of boiling it down? We’ve all found our sap buckets with chunks of ice after a really cold night and we know that ice is mostly water, so why not just toss it out and save time evaporating it during boiling? Early sugarmakers did just that mostly because they didn’t have access to heavy-duty tools that would stand up to high heat. Large modern day sugarmakers are using freeze concentration in their operations to save time. If you’d like to try it out this season, this article will highlight the hows and whys of freezing sap and we’ll begin with this author’s unscientific freeze experiment.
Because necessity is the mother of invention . . .
I tried my very own freeze experiment in 2015 mostly because it was an abysmal sap year and I wanted to boil all my sap at once at the end of the season. I only gathered about 20 gallons of sap in 2015 so as I collected it, I filtered it, and froze it in five-gallon-buckets. It was cold enough outside that we just put the buckets in the shade and banked them with snow. Sure enough a big block of ice formed in each bucket. When I was ready to cook, I let the buckets thaw a bit and poured the liquid into my pot. As you can see from these pictures this left a lot of ice in the bucket. I boiled my syrup as usual and ended up with the standard yield of about 40-to-1.
But while I was boiling my first batch of sap, those big chunks of ice melted. I just couldn’t help myself so I boiled these former ice chunks down and do you know what? I ended up with more syrup but it was probably closer to a 50-to-1 yield. So in my unscientific judgment, freezing did work somewhat to concentrate the sap but if I would have thrown out that ice, I would have lost about a half-quart of syrup!
Now I’m not saying it doesn’t have merit and if you can freeze your sap outside, you would use zero energy for at least part of your concentrating steps. One way to try this would be to use a multi-stage freeze/thaw method where you let the ice chunks melt, then pour off the liquid to boil, and then start the freeze/thaw/cook method over again.
One thing everyone agrees on, though, is you still must boil your sap to achieve the caramelized color and flavor we all love. Besides it has to be heated up for bottling anyway and there’s no way around that!
A more proven freeze method.
Beyond this backyard trial and error, the professionals have been working out a way to freeze the water in sap as it flows through the lines into the sugar shack. The upfront cost and set up of these systems is not really feasible for the hobbyist but it’s interesting to take a look at the method. Typically at the end of the mainline but before the storage tank, the sap is run through a refrigerated pipe. The water freezes, concentrating the sap which continues to flow through into the storage tank for boiling. The ice is melted and drained off.
There are three simple ways to tell when the oh-so-short maple tapping season is done.
Sign #1: You Have Enough Maple Syrup!
We sincerely hope you reach your personal goal of maple syrup production before the season officially ends. This is usually indicated when your shelves are overflowing with maple syrup and your family is begging you to stop boiling sap and go get some groceries already because they are tired of pancakes!
But we all know you really can never have enough pure maple syrup so most of us rely on the next signs to know when to stop.
Sign #2: Weather Warms Up and Sap Slows Down
The forecast says it all . . . as nighttime temperatures warm up past freezing (and stay there), sap runs to the top branches which causes the tree to bloom or bud out. Also, the warmer the weather, the more energy the tree has to heal the taphole you’ve drilled which cuts off the sap flow from that spile (this is sometimes referred to as “drying out” but it really is just sealed over). Anyway, once you see buds, you’ve moved onto Sign #3.
Sign #3: Buds Open Up
As the warm weather and Spring Fever grips us with dreams of gardening, it also encourages the tree to open up its little buds and start growing leaves. But once those buds open up, the sap takes on an off-flavor and makes for odd-tasting syrup and the sugaring season has come to its end.
When You’re Done: Pulling the Taps
Once you’ve decided to stop collecting sap, gently pry your spiles from the trees. Just leave the taphole as is and it will naturally heal over the summer. Thoroughly rinse your equipment in hot water but do not use dish soap. Some folks use a mild bleach and water solution (especially for tubing) but you must thoroughly rinse all equipment so no traces of bleach remain. After everything is dried, pack it away for next year.
If you’re really adventurous, you can find a way to extend your season by tapping other varieties of trees such as birch or black walnut. Their seasons last a bit longer than sugar maples, read more on our blog here . . .
Every tree has some “sugar” in its sap but not all of this sap is as delicious or as concentrated as sugar maple sap. Many regions, though, without abundant sugar maples tap other trees to collect sap water, boil into syrup, and further cook into candy or sugar. Each variety of tree sap will have a different flavor, color, and even sweetness but this non-sugar maple syrup can be an acquired taste!
Editor’s Note: Please forgive this long article but I wanted to cover this topic in full! If you’d like to skip ahead, sections include: Maple Family Trees (i.e. soft maples); Birch trees (and their unique cooking needs); and other trees such as Black Walnut. This article has been excerpted from our newly updated Guide to Maple Tapping which is included with each kit and available separately for print or ebook here.
As with sugar maples, always select healthy trees, empty your buckets often, and remove taps as soon as buds appear. You can generally use the same equipment for all types of sap but some differences are needed in filtering and cooking equipment and those are mentioned in the following sections. Time and effort needed will be the biggest difference you notice with non-sugar maple sap. Because the sugar content is usually lower, you’ll need much more sap and longer boil times to produce the same quantity of finished syrup. For example, birch trees typically have a 100-to-1 sap to syrup yield so 100 gallons of sap yields one gallon of syrup. This is nearly three times that of sugar maple sap which usually falls in the 30- to 40-to-1 range. That difference makes for more work in the field in tapping trees and hauling sap and more fuel and time required for boiling.
The season for sugaring is generally the same – some trees start later such as birch and some last longer such as walnut. The freeze/thaw cycle does affect how well sap flows but in more temperate regions such as the Western United States, trees can be tapped all winter as long as they’re dormant. In all cases, sap will not produce good-tasting syrup if the tree is in bud or growing leaves.
Maple Family Trees
While most focus on sugar maples, there are many other trees within the maple family and many such as silver maple yield a sweet sap with relatively high sugar content. Here’s a quick list of trees to try:
Black Maple (Acer nigrum): This variety most closely resembles a sugar maple and the two are often confused. Black Maple trees have a more limited range but its sap is nearly as sweet and abundant as a sugar maple.
Red Maple (Acer rubrum): Widely spread throughout North America, Red Maple is recognized as America’s most common variety of tree and is known for its beautiful fall colors.This tree is also very suitable for tapping but the sap has a lower sugar content and the buds pop out sooner than sugar maple.
Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum):This fast-growing soft maple is also widely spread throughout North America. It, too, has lower sugar content (approximately 1.7% versus 2% of sugar maples) and the tree buds out earlier making for a shorter season. Finished syrup has a more earthy taste and will be lighter-colored and thinner.
Box Elder, also called Ash-Leaved Maple or Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo): Another hardy and fast-growing but short-lived maple variety, Box Elder sap has lower sugar content and syrup has a more sorghum-like flavor.
Norway Maple (Acer platanoides): Another tree similar to the sugar maple, the Norway Maple’s sap is less sweet. This tree tolerates poor growing conditions but and is now considered invasive in many part of the United States.
Canyon Maple, also known as Big Tooth Maple (Acer grandidentatum):This tree is closely related to the sugar maple and is native to interior western North America. Its range extends from Western Montana to northern Mexico. Sugar content is higher than most maples but sap yield is much lower than sugar maples.
Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum): Another western native, Bigleaf Maples grow mostly along the Pacific coast from Alaska all the way to southern California. Sap has lower sugar content and less sap yield compared to sugar maples.
Rocky Mountain Maple (Acer glabrum): Also native to western North America, Rocky Mountain Maple sap has been used for centuries by Native Americans as a medicinal treatment for swelling and other general ailments.
Birch Trees
Likely the most common non-maple tree used for syrup, birch is tapped in regions such as Alaska where maple trees are not abundant. The Alaskans really ramped up birch syrup production in response to World War I sugar shortages and they now have a thriving cottage industry, making everything from birch syrup to beer to wine to vinegar to soft drinks. Birch sap straight out of the tree is valued by many as a sweet spring tonic (much like mineral water) or as base for tea and coffee. It’s also bottled and sold commercially in Europe, China, Korea, Finland, and Russia. Finished birch syrup tastes more savory than sweet with rich body and hints of caramel, sorghum, honey, and even balsamic. These flavors may not pair well with pancakes but are great for marinades, dressings, meats, and veggies.
Birch sugarmaking differs in a few ways from maple sugaring. The sap run usually begins later in the year in early April, often at the end of the maple sugaring season. Daytime temperatures need to get into high 40°s and low 50°s with cold nights to get the sap flowing. Because of this late-season harvest and warmer weather, the sap spoils more quickly if left sitting all day in the buckets so birch sugarmakers often must collect sap twice per day. The season, too, is shorter and typically lasts for only two to three weeks. You can only use one tap per tree no matter what size the tree but choose a tree at least 10” in diameter. The sap itself is more acidic which can eat away at metal containers, leaving behind an unpleasant taste. So, you should only use plastic, nylon, stainless steel, or glass during tapping, collecting, cooking, and storage.
Cooking Birch Sap is a Bit Different
The predominant sugar in birch sap is fructose (as opposed to sucrose in maple sap) which gives it the lowest glycemic index of all sugars. The fructose, though, also means birch syrup scorches more easily and will darken more with boiling. For this reason, the cooking process is a bit more labor intensive than maple syrup cooking. Almost the exact opposite of how we make maple syrup, the birch sugarmaker has to go by sight to tell when the syrup is close to done. The thermometer does still matter – only because your goal is to keep the temperature under 200°F. Anything above that and your batch will burn and that’s the end of it!
Because it’s so finicky, most commercial producers use reverse osmosis for the majority of processing and only boil it at the end for flavor. You can cook it at home with your evaporator but it needs to cook at a lower temperature and at a much less aggressive boil. Most birch sugarmakers cook birch sap using a three step process:
1. Boil in a traditional evaporator until volume is reduced by half. Do not add sap to the batch as it cooks, though, as it can cause scorching of already-boiling sap.
2. Transfer this reduced sap to a smaller pan and cook at a low simmer. Keep the temperature below 200°F and do not let it boil. If it starts turning dark brown, remove from heat immediately. Continue this simmer until sap is reduced to about 25% of the original volume.
3. Transfer this sap to a crockpot and set temperature on low but leave the lid off so water can continue evaporation. This can also be done in a double boiler. Again, make sure the temperature does not go above 200°F. Continue cooking until syrup starts to thicken and turn golden amber. Finished birch syrup will not be as thick as pure maple syrup but should read between 66 and 67 on the Brix scale. Be sure to filter it as you would with maple syrup and seal while hot in glass jars.
Any tree in the Betula family will produce birch sap but most prefer Paper Birch:
White Birch, also called Paper Birch or Canoe Birch (Betula papyrifera): The provincial tree of Saskatchewan and the state tree of New Hampshire, the white birch has half the sugar content of sugar maple sap but is considered the sweetest sap of all birches.
Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis): The sap from this variety of birch has been found to have higher mineral composition and higher antioxidant value than sugar maple. Sap from the yellow birch is much lower in sugar content and the tree buds out sooner making for a shorter season. Finished syrup has a caramel-like flavor.
Black Birch, sometimes called Sweet Birch (Betula lenta): This tree is native to eastern North America and grows from Ontario to Georgia. The sap is most commonly used to make birch beer.
Other Trees to Try
Call it desperation or ingenuity, the sugarmaking community is filled with tales of surprisingly tasty syrup made from unusual sources. Trees, such as Black Walnut, have been overshadowed by Maple but are now getting serious study as another valuable source of sap and syrup. Researchers are finding promise not only in a tasty end product but in another avenue for small agricultural markets. Because so little research exists, tapping these non-traditional trees is still somewhat of a trial-and-error experience. As a home hobbyist, it’s an opportunity to be adventurous and try something new. Follow the same tapping and boiling process as you would with maple syrup. Note: anyone with nut allergies should avoid syrup made from nut-producing trees such as walnut or butternut.
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) or Butternut (Juglans cinerea): Most commonly found in the Midwest and northeastern U.S., walnut and butternut tree syrup is darker than maple syrup with a more earthy, nutty flavor. The sap flow depends on the same freeze/thaw cycle and the season begins at the same time. The length of the season, though, is sometimes a bit longer as these trees are often the last to bud out. You will notice that the color of the sap will darken over the season and the darker it gets, the more robust the finished syrup will taste.
Sugar content is similar to maple trees and you can expect a 40-to-1 sap to syrup yield. However, the amount of sap produced by the tree is typically about one-third less than sugar maple. The sap also contains more pectin than maple sap – the same type used to make jams and jellies so the sap is thicker and harder to filter and traditional thick, wool filters will not work. Try cheesecloth or a clean thin cotton dish towel. Walnut trees also have thicker bark which can be harder to drill through but trees can be tapped at a smaller diameter (8” versus 12”). The cooking process is exactly the same as maple syrup.
Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis): Found in southern Ontario and much of northern and eastern America, Sycamore tree sap has long been collected as drinking water and for syrup making. The tapping season and sugarmaking process are identical to maple trees and the sap-to-syrup ratio is similar. The flavor, though, is not the greatest and many considered this a “syrup of last resort” due to its almost-scorched taste. It can, though, be blended with other saps and will add a bit of butterscotch flavor when mixed with maple or other syrups.
Hickory (Carya genus): The Pecan tree is also part of this family and old-timers have tapped both types for their sap which is cooked down just like maple syrup. However, most “Hickory Syrups” sold today are not made from tree sap but instead from an extract taken from the bark and nut shells which is then combined with sugar and water to make syrup.
Good luck and let us know how you’re sugarmaking goes with these non-traditional trees!
After a few seasons of sloshing buckets around the woods, every sugarmaker starts to think about connecting all these lines into one main bucket. Wouldn’t that be a huge timesaver? That’s why tubing systems are becoming the first choice of most expert sugarmakers and this article will give you a mini-guide on using droplines, mainlines, and large storage tanks (also called an Aerial Tubing System). If you’re serious about implementing one of these systems, we highly recommend visiting one of the helpful Extension Service sites listed at the end of this article. These really smart folks have done the research and offer detailed instructions for setting up, maintaining, and getting the most out an aerial tubing system. Don’t forget to check with your local Extension Service, too, or stop by another sugarmaker in your area and ask questions. Most folks love to show off their operation!
Order 50′ and 500′ coils of BPA-free, food-grade tubinghere. Easily connects to our regular tubes.
Typical Maple Tapping Dropline System Parts
(You can create a smaller version with three or four trees that would use droplines connected to a larger line that ends at a central bucket.)
Standard spiles (to go in the tree)
Droplines – tubing that connects to the spiles and runs to the lateral lines
Laterals tubing – this part of the system connects multiple trees to the mainline (Penn State recommends no more than 10 trees per lateral). The laterals are stretched from tree to tree to create a tight structure and then connected to each dropline through a special tee connector.
Mainline (often called conduit) – typically larger than the tubing because it will carry sap from multiple trees. Laterals feed sap into the mainline which runs through the sugarbush to the storage tank.
Large storage tank – placed at the end of the mainlines to collect all the sap. Preferably this tank is near your sugar shack where it can be further run into your filtering and cooking areas.
Most Important Rule of Using a Multiple Line System: The overall flow of these systems must be downhill because you are creating a gravity system to pull the sap through long stretches of tubing. If parts of the tubing sag or dip, sap flow will decrease. Sags in the line also can cause bacterial growth if sap is left sitting in the tubing. Many large scale producers also incorporate a vacuum system to keep sap flowing.
After you’ve set up your system, don’t be afraid to tweak it. Maybe a line needs to be shortened a bit or maybe you need to set up a collection bucket midway through your planned route. As with all sugarmaking, trial and error creates the best product!
It’s also important to use food-grade tubing and containers at all points in collection. This ensures the taste and quality of your finished syrup. And, yes, you can freeze maple sap!
Because the syrup-making process relies so heavily on an accurate temperature reading, it’s best to calibrate your thermometer before each day’s boiling session. Readings can be affected by barometric pressure, by altitude, by mishandling of the thermometer (yes, we’ve all dropped ours!), or even if you’re using a brand new thermometer.
The purpose of calibrating it is to find the temperature at which water begins to boil — normally this is at 212°F for most maple tapping altitudes. (If you live at higher altitudes check online for your normal water boiling temperature.) Once you know your thermometer’s reading, you can then add 7° to determine your syrup’s finish point of 219°F. For instance, if your thermometer shows a temperature of 213°F when water boils, you’ll know it is off by +1°F, so you’ll know to boil the sap to 220°F (as shown on your thermometer). Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out!
How to calibrate a thermometer:
1. Place your thermometer in a pan of distilled water making sure to have 2-inches of room on all sides and up from the bottom of the pan. Make sure you start with enough water to keep your thermometer’s bulb or reading tip submerged for five minutes even as water evaporates.
2. Heat distilled water to a rolling boil. Leave thermometer in boiling water for five minutes, remove from water, and hold at eye level to read temperature.
3. Take note of temperature in relation to baseline: If it is +/- 212°F, add or subtract this range to your finish boil target temperature as described above.
If you get wildly different readings each time you calibrate your thermometer, you can safely assume this thermometer is no longer reliable you should buy a new one.
Our Ultimate Tapping Kit (order here) includes a thermometer like the one shown here — you can also use a digital one or a standard glass thermometer. Just make sure it has marking or readings to one-degrees.
If you’ve ever seen sediment, cloudiness, or even chunks of sugar in your pure maple syrup, you know what sugar sand (aka niter) is! This is a perfectly edible (and natural) component of syrup but it can easily be removed with filtering. Most sugarmakers filter sap and syrup three times and this article and video describes that quick and easy process. Be sure to use professional filters designed for syrup making (not coffee filters, cheesecloth, or dish towels).
Filters are inexpensive and reusable so it’s a one-time purchase as you get started. We use one-quart filters which are a more manageable size for the home sugarmaker. They fit perfectly into a standard sieve stand and have small slits in each side so you can thread a dowel through and easily balance on the sieve stand so you have both hands free for pouring hot syrup.
Filters are included with many of our kits but you can also buy them separately here.
Note: If you’re making black walnut syrup, don’t use the Orlon or a similarly thick filter. Walnut sap contains more pectin than maple sap so it’s too thick to run through this type of filter. Try cheesecloth or a thin strip of clean muslin.
This short video shows the entire process:
Filter #1: This step is done each day as you collect sap to remove debris that may have fallen into your sap bucket (one more reason to use a closed lid system!). Suspend the thinner prefilter over a clean bucket and slowly pour the sap through to seine out debris. When done, rinse this filter with plain hot water, air dry, and save for later. Refrigerate or freeze the sap until ready to boil.
Filter #2: This step occurs midway in the boiling process as sap reaches a temperature in the 215°F range. At this point, concentrated sap is moved from the larger pan or evaporator and poured through a thin prefilter into the finishing pot. This removes the majority of sugar sand which can make syrup cloudy.
Filter #3: The third and final filter is done after the sap has reached its finished temperature and is poured into bottles. For this filtering, put the thinner prefilter inside the thicker Orlon filter. Slowly pour the finished sap through these filters and into clean, hot bottles or jars. Syrup is now done!
Cleaning Filters. As mentioned earlier, these filters are reusable and should last for years if cared for properly. Never wash with detergent or dish soap as this can affect the flavor of finished syrup. After use, simply rinse well in hot water and hang to dry. Do not wring or twist the filters as this can tear them or alter their shape.
If you’d like to learn more about entire boiling process, click over to this helpful article, “How to Make Maple Syrup.”
