Tapping Maple Trees for Making Maple Syrup

Don't forget to watch the video!! :)

Step 1: Assembling the Materials

Tapping trees is pretty simple. Let me show you how. We are going to use tapping hose (Here's a link: Maple Syrup Tree Tapping Kit) and some 5 gallon buckets you can get at the hardware store for 5 bucks. Make sure to get lids for the buckets.

Step 2: Tapping

When you tap into the tree drill up at a slight angle so the sap will flow faster. If the tree is big enough you can drill two taps on opposite side of the trees so you can get more sap from the trees. You want to tap the trees when the temperature goes from 50 to 25 and back to 50 that is when the sap flows. So when it goes from freezing to above freezing tap those trees!!

Step 3: Firewood

Boiling sap will use a lot of wood. If you bought wood it would get expensive fast!! The most simple and cost effective way to get firewood is to cut up all the fallen trees and brush in to smaller pieces so you can burn them quickly and easily!!

Step 4: Boiling

To boil the sap we are using a old ringer washer with the bottom welded closed. Pour all the syrup into the the pot and start a fire under it. Sit back have some friends over and let it boil off the water. This normally takes about one day to boil off all the water depending on how much sap you have.

Step 5: Finished

With all of the sap we got, we boiled it down to two mason jars. Real maple syrup like this is about 50 bucks for one gallon!! This stuff is different then the stuff you buy at the store. It is thinner, like thick water, not like the stuff at the store. It takes about forty gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup!! Hope you enjoyed this instructable!! If you have any questions leave a comment below!! :) Don't forget to watch the video!! :)