Michigan Maple Syrup
Making maple syrup is an easy, fun, and rewarding activity for
the entire family. All you need are a few maple trees, some
basic simple equipment, and the willingness to put in a little
effort making maple syrup for yourself.
Making maple syrup is
as simple as collecting maple sap and boiling it into syrup. The
process of making maple syrup is an age-old tradition of the
North American Indians, who used it both as a food and as a
medicine.
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Michigan Pure Maple Syrup
The most popular
maple syrup comes from the maple sugar trees found in Michigan,
Vermont and much of Canada.
Michigan maple syrup
has been a Midwestern treat for many years now, and is made
from the groves of sugar maple trees that abound in
Michigan.
Not much has changed since the American Indian
first discovered how to tap maple trees and get its sweet sap.
The process of making maple syrup is the same today as it was
then. You boil the sap to remove the water and get maple
syrup. Late winter and early spring is when the maple trees are
tapped. The sap is then collected and boiled down to make
maple syrup. Making maple
syrup is a slow labor intensive process that requires
evaporating about 40 gallons of sap in order to produce 1 gallon
of syrup. The secret to making maple syrup is heat, lots and
lots of heat. The groves of maple trees that cover the
Northeastern United States and Canada are referred to as the sugarbush, and the process of making maple syrup is known as
sugaring. Making maple syrup is one of Agriculture's oldest
natural commodities.
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Equipment
You can make
maple syrup with very little equipment, and you may already have
many of these items. Most of the equipment can be purchased at
your local store, and the items that are unique to making maple
syrup such as spiles, (spouts) hydrometers, and finishing
filters can be found at maple syrup equipment suppliers, or even
online.
1.) A drill
(portable) with a 7/16 inch drill bit.
2.) Spiles
(spouts). One for each hole.
3.) One container
per tap hole to catch the sap. You can use any wooden, metal,
or plastic bucket. Containers can be made from plastic milk
jugs as well. Cut a hole large enough so that it can be slipped
over the spile at the top of one side of the jug.
4.) Large plastic
or metal trash can to store the collected sap in.
5.) A large deep
wash tub or metal pan that will hold at least five gallons of
sap to be used as an evaporator pan for boiling the sap.
6.) An outdoor fire
pit made of brick or cinder block that your boiling pan will
fit on. A wood stove set up out of doors is also suitable. Do
not boil maple sap in your kitchen.
7.) Dry,
fast-burning wood is needed to provide the heat necessary for
boiling.
8.) A candy
thermometer for testing to see when the syrup is done.
9.) Felt,
flannel, or wool filter to filter the maple syrup while hot.
Filters and special straining containers can be purchased from
maple syrup equipment suppliers. A double layer of flannel can
be used.
10.) Clean glass
jars that can be sealed tight to store the finished maple
syrup. Canning jars are ideal.
11.) Hydrometer
(optional) which will tell you when the syrup is done. Maple
syrup should weigh at least 11 pounds per gallon.
Making Maple
Syrup
1.) Not all maple
trees are good for making maple syrup. Your trees need to
be hard maple to be a good sugar maple tree. Do not use
soft maple trees. A tree needs to be at least 10" in
diameter measuring 4 1/2 feet above the ground. For
trees between 10" and 20" you should only put 1 tap per tree.
Trees between 20" and 30" can sustain 2 taps, and trees over 30"
can support 3 taps per tree. Trees with large crowns (a
lot of branches) usually are the best producers.
2.) The hole
should be drilled at a convenient height and needs to be
7/16" in diameter and 3" deep. Look for
unblemished bark and do not drill holes closer that 2 feet under
or over old holes.
3.) The spile
(spout) should be driven in tight enough so it cannot be pulled
out by hand, but be careful not hard enough to split the tree.
4.) Hang your
bucket or container on the hook of the spout if it is a
purchased one: or, if you have made your own, fashion a length
of wire to serve as a hanger. Be sure to cover the bucket to
keep out rain, snow and foreign material.
5.) Hook your
bucket on the spile. If the spile does not have a hook on
it you can use a piece of wire to secure the bucket to the spile.
Cover the bucket to keep out foreign materials. It is a
general rule-of-thumb that each tap will yield 10 gallons of sap
throughout an approximate six week season, producing 1 quart of
maple syrup.
6.) As the sap
fills your buckets it should be collected and placed in your
collection container until you have enough to start boiling.
Fill your boiling pan about 2/3 full to prevent boiling over,
and start your fire. Rubbing vegetable oil on the top rim
of the boiling pan can help prevent boiling over. Keep
adding more sap to the boiling pan as the water boils out, and
never let the level of sap in the boiling pan drop below 2
inches, or it may burn down. It takes a lot of
boiling time to make maple syrup, so keep your fire going, and
never leave it unattended.
7.) Clean your
collection buckets after each use, because left over sap will
sour if left in the buckets. Boil the collected sap as
soon as possible, but if you need to store some it must me
stored as cold as possible.
8.) Your candy
thermometer will tell you when your maple syrup is finished.
It becomes maple syrup when its temperature reaches 7 degrees F. above the temperature of boiling
water, which will give you about a 67 to 69 percent sugar
content.. Water boils at different temperatures according
to your elevation, so you need to determine what temperature
water will boil at your elevation. Hydrometers are another
way of testing your maple syrup. Maple syrup with the
proper 67% sugar content will weigh 11 pounds per gallon.
Crystals may form on the bottom of your container if your syrup
weighs more than 11 !/4 pounds per gallon.
9.) Now its time
to pour the hot syrup through a filter before you pack it in
containers. You can use a felt, flannel, or wool filter,
or purchase a special strainer at your equipment supplier.
Another method is to pour the syrup in another container and let
it cool for 12 hours. Sediment will settle to the bottom
and you can carefully pour the clear syrup off the top.
You will need to reheat this syrup to at least 180 degrees F.
before packing it in individual containers.
10.) Maple syrup
needs to be packed hot (180 degrees F.). Sterilize
all jars, cans or jugs before pouring the hot syrup into them.
Fill to the top allowing very little air in, and lay on their
sides to attain a better seal.
11.)Store your
maple syrup in a cool place or put it in your freezer. It should
be stored in the refrigerator once opened.
12.)Clean your
equipment with hot water and a mild chlorine solution. Do
not use soap or detergents as they can leave a residue that can
contaminate the flavor of your next batch of syrup.
