Time to Make Maple Syrup!

As spring approaches and the days grow longer and warmer (above 40 degrees), and the nights remain cold (about 30 degrees), the sap stored in the roots of maple trees begins to flow upward into the trunk and the syrup-making season begins.  In Pennsylvania, trees are tapped toward mid-February and early March.  Maple sugar products are truly North American products.  Native Americans were perhaps the first people to make sugar and syrup from the maple tree.  Maple sugar often became a very important food source for many Native Americans.  Early white settlers learned how to make maple sugar from the natives and soon developed methods of their own.

For many woodlot owners today, the making of maple syrup in the early spring is an important part of their activities.  For some, it has become a major cash crop from their woodlands.  It is a unique crop in that it is often produced, processed, and sold entirely on the farm.

The Province of Quebec by far leads North America in maple syrup production.  Pennsylvania generally ranks 6^th or 7^th in production of syrup. Pennsylvania producers are hoping for a better season than in 2010. Other states producing syrup include Vermont, New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Ohio, Wisconsin, Maine, Michigan, West Virginia, Indiana, Iowa and Virginia.

The maple species most often tapped for maple sugar production are the sugar maple, black maple and red maple.  Sugar maple is by far the most commonly tapped tree in Pennsylvania. Tapping generally does little harm to the tree if correct guidelines are followed. Trees ten to 18 inches in diameter (at 4 1/2 feet above the ground) can have one tap. Trees larger than 18 inches can have two taps.  Tap holes are made by boring a 5/16 inch diameter hole at a slight upward angle into the tree to a depth of 1 ½ to 2 inches deep.  A spout or spile is then gently tapped into the hole until it fits snugly.  A stainless steel bucket, special plastic bag or a tubing system can be attached to collect the sap.

Eventually the sap is brought to the sugarhouse where an evaporator evaporates the water, concentrating the sugar and turning the sap into the amber-colored syrup.  The finished syrup is drained from the syrup pan at the end of the process.  The syrup is filtered to remove "sugar sand" (mineral substances found in the sap that collect in the boiling process). It is then graded as to color, light, medium or dark amber or commercial and then sealed in containers, completely sterile.

The amount of sap needed to make a gallon of syrup varies with the amount of sugar in the sap.  Sugar content of sap varies from tree to tree, from less than 1% to rarely 10%.  The normal is about 1.5% to 3%.  Approximately 40 gallons of sap with a 2% sugar content is needed to produce one gallon of syrup.  As spring approaches you should start to see steam rising from local sugarhouses, then you will know that syrup is being made. Producers will welcome you to their sugarhouse to watch them make this special product. The Potter-Tioga maple association “Maple Weekend” is March 26^th and 27^th. During this weekend sugar makers will make themselves available to answer your questions and be “extra sweet” during your visit. To find a producer who is participating in the Potter – Tioga weekend go to http://www.pamaple.com.