There are a number of suppliers to purchase maple syrup equipment. This data is very useful! Step 3 – Purchase Your Equipment Many hobbyists start with buckets and bags, which allows us to collect data on individual tree production. Step 2 – Choose Your SetupĪre you going to be using buckets and bags to collect sap from trees individually? Or are you going to go for a tubing system that drains all the trees into a single container? Both have advantages and disadvantages. Step 1 – Learn How to TapĪre you new to tapping? If yes, watch this introductory webinar to get an idea of what’s involved and see if you want to try it for yourself. This will guide our understanding of best practices and assist the development of a sustainable bigleaf maple syrup market in the Pacific Northwest.Īre you interested in joining the Sapsucker program? See the steps below. Data from hobbyists and syrup producers can help us gain a better understanding of how things like site, tree, and weather characteristics influence sap yield and quality over a broader geographic area. We need your help! Bigleaf maple sugaring is catching on at both the hobby and commercial scale. Sapsuckers is a community-based science program that sources on-the-ground data from individuals who are actively tapping bigleaf maples in western Washington and Oregon. I ran out of propane twice which delayed the process and the trees were producing faster than I could keep up.CAHNRS Network > Extension Forestry > Sapsuckers – A Community Science Program for Bigleaf Maple Sugaring Sapsuckers – A Community Science Program for Bigleaf Maple SugaringĪre you tapping maples on your property? If yes, we’re interested in learning from you! Whether you are using wood, propane, natural gas or other, make sure you have plenty on hand. This in turn means it takes a lot of fuel. Have Plenty of Fuel on HandĪs noted above, it takes a lot of time to boil off the water, probably more than you are anticipating. I suppose you could use coolers with ice, a refrigerator if you have them available, or your Homestead Cold Room. I stored the sap in the snow bank until I had time to boil it down. Luckily I piled snow on the north face of my house where it is out of the sun this time of year. It was hard for me to find the time to boil it down before the sap had a chance to spoil. I was amazed how long it takes to boil off the water. Make sure to drill a hole in the top of the bucket that is not too large, allowing the hose to fit snugly otherwise ants will get in through the hole. When using a bucket that sets on the ground you should connect a rubber hose from the spile to the bucket. Also, when I didn’t use a sealed lid, curious or hungry critters knocked over the buckets and ants got in the buckets. I found that during peak flow times, smaller buckets filled faster than I had time to collect the sap, resulting in wasted sap. I recommend using large buckets that sit on the ground and have a sealed lid for collecting the sap. Simple to use, drill a 7/16″ hole 1-1/2″ to 1-3/4″ into the tree at a slight upward angle, about as high as your waist, insert spout firmly in the hole and hang a bucket from the S-hook. Tap a new hole, no closer than 6” from other holes, then you are likely to improve your results. Don’t leave the slow producing tap, hoping that it will improve its flow it won’t. If you have a tap that is producing less sap than other taps, re-tap it right away. Tapping beneath a large branch or above a large root will typically provide the best flow. You want to tap the south face of the tree, however, be willing to vary from due south. Trying to determine which trees are maples from the bark or from memory will almost certainly lead to tapping non-maples, which will produce a small fraction of the sap the maples will provide. Mark the trees you wish to tap in the summer when they still have leaves. Available at 10 Maple Syrup Tips for Rookies Mark Maple Trees in the Summer Our maple sugaring starter kit has everything you need to collect sap from 3 mature maple trees (sugar maples are best, but you can also tap black, big leaf or red maples).
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