Tapping maple trees
Last winter I tapped our maple trees for the first time. Now I’m getting ready to do it again.
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Several folks have told me that it’s not possible to tap maple trees in North Carolina. They claim our climate doesn’t allow for the sap flow needed to harvest the sap. However, I stay fairly in tune with the weather for my bees and the garden, and I’ve seen the conditions needed for a sap flow happen here. I also purchase (in bulk) maple syrup from one of the southernmost producers of maple syrup—in North Carolina. Waterfall Farm sits at a higher elevation in the northwestern part of the state than where I live in the Piedmont, however, we can get similar weather patterns in the Piedmont. They just may not sustain for as long as they do at higher elevations.
Those maple sap-friendly weather conditions include consistent nights below freezing and days above freezing. Over the past few years, I’ve noticed that Waterfall Farm’s cycle remains similar to the timing that I experience in my own yard. The time to shoot for here is usually late January through early March. The length of the sap flow varies each year and can be just a few days or last several weeks. Last year it spanned about two weeks in the Piedmont.
I shared in an earlier post about trees for bees that one of the things I like about sugar season is that it ends because the maples start to leaf out. As a beekeeper, you can’t ask for a better sign that the maple pollen is about to hit. That pollen is one of the first food sources of the year here, and one that kickstarts queens laying cycles for the year.
Not only is that a time of year when the bees begin to demand more attention (swarm control, swarm traps, etc.), but it’s also seed starting time and transplanting time for some seedlings. Last year I harvested one gallon of maple sap as an experiment. With all of the hive and garden needs, I didn’t have time to get the equipment that I need to boil the sap down to syrup. Generally, you want to have a separate structure or outdoor space to boil the sap. I read some horror stories of people trying to do it indoors, and the volume of evaporation caused one person’s ceilings and Sheetrock to fall down. That’s not something I need to experience.
In talking with hobby maple syrup makers, a few suggested purchasing a turkey fryer and repurposing it to boil off the sap. That’s where they started before they invested in proper equipment. That’s what I plan to start with too.
As part of my experiment last year, I tapped trees both at home and at my mountain apiary in Western North Carolina. I thought the mountain apiary would have more production because of the higher elevation and more dramatic changes in temperature, but I actually had better results at home in the Piedmont. The other challenge with the mountain site is that I’m not there daily to collect the sap and swap out collection containers.
…a single maple tree produces 10-to-20 gallons of sap per tap…during the sap flow a maple tree produces 1-to-3 gallons of sap daily.
According to the New York State Maple Syrup Producers Association, depending on the conditions, a single maple tree produces 10-to-20 gallons of sap per tap. One gallon of maple syrup requires 40 gallons of sap. If we do some basic math, I’ll need to tap about 5 maple trees to produce enough sap that will render approximately 1 gallon of syrup. During the sap flow, a maple tree produces 1-to-3 gallons of sap daily. Based on this same math, I would need to collect sap for a few days to just over a week. It’s not a terribly long commitment, it’s just one that you can’t schedule.
I would love to have the experience of producing our own maple syrup. Tasting the terroir of our area through the bees’ honey is one of my favorite things each year. Having the opportunity to taste our maples’ terroir thrills me. According to Traditional Maple Farmers, the flavor of maple syrup is influenced by tree genetics, soil, weather, climate, and processing methods. In my earlier post about honey nutrition comparing honey with other sweeteners, I shared that maple syrup contains manganese, zinc, and potassium. Maple syrup also has 20 times more calcium than honey, and fewer carbohydrates.
A few basics if you’re curious to try tapping maples too:
Face south. Tap the southern side of the maple tree. It will have the longest sun exposure. The warmth from the sun helps encourage sap flow.
Choose the right size. Choose maples with a diameter of at least 10 inches for a single tap. If you’re lucky to have maples with a diameter of 20 inches or more, add 2 taps.
Start early. Sugar content is highest at the beginning of the sap flow. Keep your eye on the 10-day forecast and tap as soon as you start to see consistent nights below freezing and days above freezing. Don’t tap in advance of the weather pattern though. If the sap flow hasn’t started yet, you run the risk of the tree “healing” the tap hole and you’ll need to re-tap in a new spot (a few inches over).
Any variety of maple works. I have a challenging time identifying trees in the winter, so I scout the maples out in other seasons. I’m uncertain if I’m tapping sugar, silver, sycamore, red, or other types of maples, but I know they’re maple (Acer genus).
Collect collection materials. I ordered these (paid link) tree taps, also called spiles. For my experiment last year, I repurposed a 1-gallon water jug that we hooked to the tree tap with zip ties. This year I plan to repurpose my 2-gallon, food-grade honey buckets and connect the taps to the buckets with food grade tubing. I’m ordering this (paid link) maple syrup kit, which comes with taps, tubes, and filters. I know that I’m physically unable to carry a 5-gallon bucket of water, which means I can’t carry a 5-gallon bucket of sap. I can definitely manage carrying 2 gallons since I carry these buckets of honey each year. I also have dozens of buckets, so I’ll be able to swap them out as I collect.
I don’t intend to sell this maple syrup. Given the small volume that it will produce, it will just be for our own enjoyment. I’ll share a sap flow post when I see it start in our region, and I’ll share updates on Instagram @taralynne0 then too.
I had an uncle and cousin who had a maple syrup business in CT! So tasty!