Collect sap daily if possible. It can be filtered through a clean cloth or paper filter to remove debris if desired. Sap can be stored in a clean tank a 30 gallon storage can works fine for more convenient processing. The storage vessel should be placed in the shade to keep the sap as fresh and cool as possible.
Because sap is a mixture of sugar and water, it is a perfect medium for bacterial growth. Therefore, it should be collected and processed as quickly as possible to ensure a higher quality product. Clean pails, one for each hand to offer better balance, may be used for collecting sap from the trees for transfer to the collection tank. When using buckets, make sure each bucket has a cover to keep rain water and other debris from contaminating the fresh sap Figure 4.
Usually about 40 gallons of sap are required to produce one gallon of finished syrup. Actually this figure can vary from 20 to 60 gallons or more depending primarily on sap sugar content. A large amount of water must be evaporated from the sap to produce the finished syrup of 66 to 67 percent sugar. Because the large amount of steam caused by evaporation of the sap could be damaging to interior wall surfaces, the bulk of the boiling should be done outside of the home.
For individuals with 50 or more taps, hobby-size continuous feed evaporators are commercially available. However, most hobbyists boil sap continuously in one pan over an open fire, camp stove, or discarded gas range.
Multiple pans sap is added to the first, concentrated sap from the first pan is added to the next, and so on offer more capacity with more efficiency and are often used by producers with more experience. If wood fuel is used, a support called an "arch" can be constructed with concrete blocks to support the boiling pan and provide a firebox. Dry good quality firewood is most desirable for a hot fire.
Before the fuel is ignited, fill the pan with several inches of sap. As sap is evaporated liquid level reduced , add more sap. The faster the sap boils, the greater the potential for producing a higher quality product. This "batch" method allows the sap to be processed to a point near the final stage of evaporation. The more concentrated sap can then be finished with more controlled heat on the kitchen range. The boiling point of water, which varies with elevation and daily changes in barometric pressure, is easily determined by noting the temperature in the raw sap when it is boiling vigorously.
Finished syrup will often "apron" or create a wide sheet or drip on the edge of a spoon when dipped in and quickly withdrawn above the boiling liquid. To maintain the experience of boiling sap an enjoyable one, always practice safety. Throughout the process, excess foam may be skimmed off the surface of the boiling sap and discarded. Many types of materials, such as butter or vegetable oil, have been used to reduce foaming.
However, a commercial defoaming agent available in small containers from maple equipment dealers is recommended. The defoamer should be fresh, and only a drop or two is needed. When used in small quantities, defoamers will evaporate without a noticeable trace in the syrup.
When syrup has reached its proper temperature and density, it should be filtered to remove a gritty material called "sugar sand" or "niter" before hot packing in containers. The syrup should be filtered while hot through clean filter material such as wool or orlon available from maple equipment dealers.
Syrup should be canned hot o F and stored in a cool dry location or under refrigeration. After a container has been opened for use, it must be refrigerated.
Should mold form on syrup that has been stored for several months, simply bring the syrup to near boiling o F , remove the mold by skimming, and repack the syrup in a clean container. The procedure above is intended for home manufacture of maple syrup.
If syrup is to be marketed, grading and labeling standards are required for retail sale in most maple producing states. Contact your Extension Office or state Department of Agriculture for regulations covering maple products.
After a period of warm weather, cloudy sap may appear in buckets or gathering equipment. This is caused by bacterial growth and can have a negative affect on syrup color and taste. A mixture of 1 part unscented household bleach to 20 parts clean water can be used with a cloth or brush to clean the inside surfaces of sap collection equipment. Follow the cleaning with a triple rinse of clean water to remove any hint of the bleach application. Sap boiling equipment can be cleaned with hot water, or the product recommended by the equipment manufacturer.
Do not use any other cleaning substances in any maple equipment. Household detergents cannot be completely rinsed from equipment and will contaminate sap and syrup with undersirable tastes and odors. When washing sap or syrup filters, use hot water only. At the end of the season after cleaning in the manner described above, store equipment and supplies in a dry place. Production supplies and materials are available from maple equipment dealers throughout the maple producing regions.
Many local hardware stores carry a small line of equipment such as buckets and spiles. Sap will fill the bucket as pressure builds in the tree from the alternating freeze and thaw temperatures. Boil the sap indoors on a stovetop or outdoors over a fire. At Heifer Farm, we use a large-scale evaporator in a sugar house.
Sap is officially maple syrup when it reads 66 percent sugar content on a hydrometer or degrees on a candy thermometer. Strain the hot syrup through felt or cheesecloth. Store at room temperature in a cool, dark location or in the refrigerator or freezer. Enjoy on pancakes, waffles and French toast. Real maple syrup is also great for sweetening beverages and flavoring salad dressing, vegetables, meat and baked goods. Lifestyle changes that are realistic and attainable can be more effective at fighting climate change than an overwhelming overhaul of your life.
Please enable Javascript in your browser. Some features of the site will not work without Javascript enabled. Learn how to enable it here. We use cookies to provide relevant content and ads, to enable certain donation functionality, and to analyze our traffic. As the season progresses, the sugar content usually decreases. Everything with maple sap is a guess. The weather determines if the season is a good one or a poor one.
Our arch that we boil syrup on is 5 feet wide x 14 feet long. Most of our handling equipment is stainless steel.
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