Everyone would go out around late February into March and tap maples for syrup. You have to check the buckets and collect the sap daily – no matter how busy you are or what the weather is like outdoors. If the tree has been tapped before, make sure you do not locate the hole within 6 inches from the prior sap collection spot. Maple trees that give the most sap are of the sugar or black variety. The sweetness of the syrup produced from this tree is comparable to that of a Sugar Maple tree, even though it is churned out in less abundance. Hang your bucket or bag on the tree – this is usually done by hanging it onto the hook facing outward on the spout, but not all spouts and spiles come with a hook. The maple tree tapping season generally runs for approximately four to six weeks. You tap maple trees in the spring when the temperatures are getting warmer. Lightly tap the spile into the hole. It’s got electrolytes, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Find a maple tree. 3. Always clean the tree tapping equipment when you put it away after a season and before tapping during a new season. 3. Hard maple varieties begin letting loose of their seeds usually in either the late summer or early autumn. If it’s light brown or beige, the tree is most likely healthy and you have selected a good spot to garner sap. To boil sap, bring it to a full and rolling boil, and hold it there for about one minute, before turning off the heat. Each produces a syrup with a slightly different flavor profile. Me too. • Holder or Hooks – Holders are sold to hang either buckets or bags and purchased by some tree tappers. 2. The sap turned into syrup from this tree is typically deemed just as sweet as the sap created by the Sugar Maple tree – and there is usually about twice as much of it. • The sap must be stored at a temperature of 38F or colder for best results. You’ll want to check your buckets daily and empty any collected sap. Join The Self Sufficient Life group here. above photo shows a sugar maple tree leaf. They make these in metal and even plastic. • Use tree tapping pouches like the ones in the photo below to keep debris and other impurities away from your sap. This will vary wildly depending on the tree, but typically each tree will produce anywhere from 5 to 15 gallons of sap per tap, per season. Spiles. Just when the weather starts the warm, but the ground is still snow covered and cold… that’s the perfect time for tapping trees for sap you can boil into syrup. The south side of trees generally get the most sun, making them the warmest side, and the side where sap flow will be the best. You want your spile to fit tightly. Hooks. 10 Essential Crops for a Self Sufficient Garden. Thankfully, you can still purchase aluminum sap buckets and lids on Amazon or even at your local farm store. Once you drill your hole, you’ll need to pound your spile into the tree. • Big Leaf – These maple trees are routinely found growing abundantly from California all the way up to British Columbia. Tapping buckets must have a firm fitting lid. The goal of Tap My Trees is to promote tapping maple trees by families at … Basically what we’re using is just this orange actually it’s red bailing twine and we’re just going to take it and we’re going to identify a maple tree. Unless you purchase a maple sugar starter kit like this one. Another option, of course, would be to identify the trees in the summer or fall when the leaves are still on the branches. If you’re only placing one tap, you will want it on the south side of the tree. The sap from maple and most other tappable trees begins to flow when the temperature during the daytime is consistently above freezing, and when evening temperatures still hover at or below 32 degrees. For huge trees above 27 inches in diameter, use three taps when collecting sap. stay above freezing and leaf buds appear, the maple syrup season is over. Use this guide to decide which trees to tap and learn about making birch syrup, making walnut syrup, and making sycamore syrup. You will take your drill and drill to the depth required by your spile, about 2 to 2 1/2″ deep. When you start tapping, you’re actually drilling a hole into the trunk of the tree with a power drill. Simply hang your bucket and lid and move on to the next tree. Hammer. These are, of course, to capture the sap. That means you’re going to need some supplies. NECESSARY EQUIPMENT FOR TREE TAPPING. You want the temperature to alternate above freezing in the day, and below freezing at night. You’ll want to drill your tap hole on the south-facing side of the tree. If the tree measures 18”-24” two taps can be installed in the tree if the tree has a diameter greater than 24” then 3 taps can be installed in the tree. The bark on soft maple tree varieties feature bark that can best be described as flaky, and comprised of layers in a lighter shade of gray, usually. Tapping maple trees is relatively straightforward, and it’s an activity the whole family can enjoy. You’ll want to make sure that your trees are a minimum of 12 inches in diameter (indicating they are mature) and of course, healthy. You could also get a maple tapping starter kit that has all of the specialty things you will need. When you tap a tree in the spring, it is the equivalent to a human getting a small cut, which will will slowly scar over to stop the loss of bodily fluids. When the tree being tapped is between 20 to 27 inches in diameter, you may need to use two taps to capture all of the sap. Use a hammer or rubber mallet to tap, gently now, the spout into the hold to secure it into place. While the syrup is very tasty, the Red Maple tree creates less sap than either the Black or the Sugar Maple tree varieties. I hope you have warm days and cold nights for good runs. For any tree 27″ or larger in diameter, it will take three. Some days, your buckets might be almost overflowing when you hike out to check them, but other days you might find only a very small amount of sap in the bottom of the bucket or bag. • Black – This maple tree generally offers the highest production of sap each season. How you collect and boil sap can look pretty different depending on the kind of setup you have, but the first step, tapping, is pretty universal. Leaves from soft maple trees are usually a light greenish or yellow-green color. Trees over 25 inches in diameter can sustain three taps. You’ll insert the spile into the loop on the hook and pound it gently into place using a hammer. Place the tapping hole at least 3 feet from the bottom of the tree. • Filtering Material – You can buy sap filters, but cheesecloth will do the trick just fine. Most tappers recommend drilling the tapping hole on the southern facing side of the tree, beneath a large branch. You can usually tap the Black Walnut tree in every season except the summer. Now that I live up in Canada’s far north – (Northwest Territories), it’s a good month later – April. Inspect the shaving churned out while drilling the tapping hole. The time has come. You need to make sure you’re ready. Step 1: Measure the drill bit and wrap a piece of colored tape around it 3 inches from the end. • Sugar – This is the “go to” tree for tapping. The differences are subtle, and the species has less to do with the … But, that doesn’t mean the process isn’t worthwhile. • Sycamore – Sap from this tree has a yummy butterscotch flavor. Since the leaves can’t help you identify the species this time of year, you’ll want to get a winter field guide like this one to identify which are maples if you aren’t familiar with the characteristics. To tap the tree, drill a hole about into the trunk of the tree, either above a large root or below a large branch on the south side of the tree. Don’t drive too hard and don’t tap when the temperature is below freezing to avoid splitting the … You’ll be glad you did. It’s that time of year again, when the sweet sounds of spring fill Bronte Creek Provincial Park : the twittering of returning songbirds, the laughter of visitors strolling through the woods, and the plink! A tree should be at least 10 inches in diameter, measured at 4 1/2 feet above the ground, before tapping. So, if you’re placing two put one on the south side and one on the north. Wasting time is definitely not something homesteaders like to do! For the safest type of consumption, always boil the sap to destroy any bad bacteria that could be growing inside. A hammer will do wonders for this task. • Big Tooth Maple – This sap producing maple tree grows primarily in the Rocky Mountains region and in Texas. • Tree tapping is a lot of work. This site may earn commissions when you click on certain links. • Rocky Mountain Maple – This tree grows in the region which bears its name. Their leaves are either silver or white on the bottom, and boast a more pointy shape than the leaves from hard maple tree varieties. If the tree has a big “crown” or lots of full and sturdy branches in its mid-section, it might be a great sap producer. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This task is fairly easy. How to Tap Trees Drill a hole in a tree, 2 - 4 feet above the ground. This is usually around 3 feet. Typically the time is around late February to mid-March. To make the hole through which sap will flow, you’ll need a drill. Trimming maple trees involves pruning out diseased or broken branches at least 6 inches into healthy wood. The dimensions of the drill bit will depend both on the size of the tree and the spout being used to collect sap. Even birch and walnut will provide you with plenty of sweet, flavorful sap that you can boil down. I’m Danielle. We’re growing our own food, cooking from scratch and taking steps toward self sufficient living on just an acre, and I think you can, too. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. For trees 12-20″ in diameter, you’ll use one spile each. This variety of maple tree does not produce as much sap as the Sugar Maple, but is often considered just as sweet. The abundance of sap will vary depending not only on the tree, but the type of maple. And if the shavings are a dark brown when you drill into it, pick a different spot (the shavings should be light brown). For example, a tree more than 15″ in diameter can handle 2 taps, and 20″ can handle 3 taps, etc…. See more ideas about maple tree, tapping maple trees, maple. How to tap a maple tree This blog comes from Cathy Entwhistle, a Senior Park Interpreter at Bronte Creek Provincial Park. Scrub the equipment with a firm brush and rinse, at least two to three times, with very hot water and allow them to air dry fully before storage or use. The exact time to start and stop tapping trees for maple syrup depends largely on where you live. You can, however, tap any maple tree. • Sap Hydrometer – These optional gadgets are handy to have if you are interested in learning the sugar content in your sap before cooking it. The tree should be at least 10 inches in diameter before it can be tapped. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If you have an abundance of trees that you can utilize for tapping, you should absolutely try this rewarding experience. If a tree is under 12″ in diameter, do not tap it. Learn how your comment data is processed. Generally, if the weather is right, the sap will immediately begin flowing from the tree. Black maple (Acer nigrum) Black maples produce as much sweet sap as sugar maples. This gives the sap a chance to flow up during the day, and down at night. Use a hammer to lightly tap the spile into the hole. In the spring, the sugar maple tree (Acer saccharum) does something magical. If the maple tree measures 8”-18” one tap can be made in the tree. It is the combination of the chilly night time temperatures and the warm daytime temperatures that causes the sap to flow both easily and fairly rapidly, from the trees. • Silver – Although not ideal for tapping, the Silver Maple tree can be tapped. Drill the tapping hole. The trees, maple and otherwise, that have average to above average sunlight exposure usually produce the most sap. © 2020 New Life On A Homestead | Homesteading Blog, Delicious Crack Chicken Recipe in Pressure Cooker. You might be hiking out to your trees up to your ankles in mud with rain pouring heavily upon your shoulders, but the sap buckets must be check and poured into a storage container. If you’ve tapped the tree in previous years, do not tap within 6″ of the previous holes. You can run it through a cheesecloth or similar to remove any impurities that found their way in. Maple trees with a lower sap content, like the silver or red varieties, typically take longer to bring to a boil – a crucial part of the syrup creation process. You’ll need: Cordless Drill and bit. It’s that time of year again, fellow homesteaders… tree tapping time! Wife, mama to three awesome farm girls, and passionate about helping others ditch the status quo to live more self sufficient lives, no matter where they live. But, if you didn’t plan in advance, not all hope is lost. This will then translate into a small amount of maple syrup per tree. Tap the SOUTH side of the tree. The hole should be drilled at a slight upward angle to a depth of about 3 inches. The Sycamore sap yield is usually a lot less than nearly every version of maple tree. We’ll be tapping birch trees this year as well, but it takes many more birches to get the same amount of syrup. You’ve found the trees, you have an idea of the timing. Anything under 21″ will only take one tap. Hold the drill and drill bit at a slight angle, pointing upwards. Although syrup is the most common use for sap, in some regions of the world it is brewed into beer or tea and drunk for its nutrient benefits. The tree needs some of that sap to produce buds and leaves. It has bark that is dark gray in color. Using a single tap could overtax the tree and could affect its health. For every increase of 2″ in diameter, you can add another tap. Tapping maple trees can be a fun, rewarding experience. The maximum is 4 taps per tree because you don’t want to stress the tree too much. Trees are best tapped when the temperature is warm during the day and cold at night. • Red – Sap from this maple tree contains about a 1.7% sugar content. We prefer metal. Sugar maple growth rate of course varies depending on many factors, especially on spring and summertime growing conditions. It is vital to remember that a tree is a living thing, even when it is sleeping all winter long, and that it can (and will) heal itself. But this will depend a lot on where you live. her homesteading skills are unmatched, she raises chickens, goats, horses, a wide variety of vegetables, not to mention she’s an expert is all sorts of homesteading skills such as hide tanning, doll making, tree tapping and many, many more. If the sap is flowing, you should immediately see sap dripping from the spile. If it’s a little more narrow, that’s ok, too. Jan 16, 2017 - Explore Heather Clower's board "Tapping maple trees", followed by 161 people on Pinterest. A second tap may be added to trees between 20 and 25 inches in diameter. Do not hammer the spile Drink sap straight from the maple. Each tap will yield 5-15 gallons of sap per season. You’ll want to drill at a slight angle to facilitate the downward flow of sap. • White Walnut – Sap from the White Walnut (or Butternut Tree) contains the same high percentage of sugar as the Sugar Maple tree. You’ll want to locate the trees you plan to use and use the guidelines above for how many taps to put into each tree. It is best to distribute the tapping holes around the tree’s circumference when putting in a new season holes or making multiple tapping holes on a large tree for the first time. Look for a maple tree that is at least 12 inches in diameter and has a lot of direct sunlight. Native American tribes who lived in this region often tapped the Big Leaf Maple tree for syrup and sugar making purposes. plink! You can run it through a cheesecloth or similar to remove any impurities that found their way in. The seedlings growing on them not only resemble the propellers of a helicopter, but “fly” away from the tree and start to grow just about everywhere they land. If you delay and let the sap sit in a bucket overnight it will likely freeze and have to be pitched. You’ll be mighty disappointed if you don’t have a way to hang them. We are enrolled in the Amazon Associates program, so we may earn a commission if you purchase something from Amazon after clicking one of our links. If you use a bucket not manufactured for tapping trees, make sure it is a clean food-grade container that is capable of holding 5 gallons of sap. Red and silver maple trees will also provide sap, but not as much as the other two species. You’ve got your trees identified, the weather is right, and you’ve gathered your supplies. 7. Typically, trees are prime for tapping between the middle of February through mid-March. How to Tap Maple Trees. Make sure the tree is on your property! • English Walnut – If you have purchased walnuts to bake with or simply to munch upon from your local grocery store, they probably came from this variety of tree. You’ll want to check your buckets daily and empty any collected sap. Tapping Tips. You want to hit the xylem or sapwood of the tree. Copyright © 2020 The Rustic Elk •all rights reserved•. Gently tap the spile into the tree with a hammer (do not pound the spile into the tree, as this may cause the wood to split). The most important step in the process of tapping a tree for maple is finding just the right tree. • Paper Birch – This type of birch tree has a 1% sugar count and is among a favorite for tappers who expand their efforts beyond the maple variety. plink! Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) The sugar maple yields the highest volume and concentration of sap, making it a superior candidate for tapping. The season usually lasts about a month to a month and a half is all and the most sap will flow earliest in the season. Many tappers simply make their own simple hooks to hang the sap collection buckets or bags upon or use a spout that comes with a hook attached for the bucket. If your spiles do not come with hooks (the ones I linked above do), you’ll want to make sure you buy hooks for your buckets. Drill a hole about 1.5 inches into the tree – slightly uphill – so the sap will run down. Attach the lid to the bucket and spout/spile as indicated by the directions on your specific equipment. Why tap a maple tree? • The amount of sap you get in your buckets in a single day will vary based upon fluctuations in temperature. We don’t like plastic. Hard maple tree leaves often appear to boast a “U” shape, and soft maple tree leaves have a shape than looks more like a “V” shape. Never tap a maple tree that is smaller than 10 inches/25 cm in diameter. When to Tap Maple Trees for Sap. The bark on hard maple tree varieties is typically filled with deep and narrow furrows. Hard maple tree varieties like the black, rocky, and sugar maple, typically produce the highest sap content. How to Tap Trees for Syrup. The leaves from hard maple trees are usually dark green with smooth points. If you hit dark brown again, it may not be worth your time and effort to try to tap the tree. No problem, there are more than one dozen other trees common to the United States that can also be tapped for syrup and sugar. Hey there! In the fall, you probably ooh and aah at the beautiful red, orange, and yellow shades the leaves from these trees turn each October. Look for unblemished bark and don’t bore too close to an older tap-hole. Sapping kits on Amazon or even at your local farm store angle to facilitate the flow... Many deciduous trees for sap the most sap vitamins and minerals maple varieties tend to drop their seeds either! 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