Maple Syrup Making - Cheat Sheet

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Tapping Trees Boiling Sap

Sugar Concentration ● Boil sap outside
Type % Ratio (Sap/Syrup) over a fire
Sugar Maple 4.5 19:1 ● Skim off foam
Red Maple 4.1 21:1 and particulates
Silver Maple 3.4 26:1 ● Boil for ~4 hrs
Box Elder 2.5 35:1 for every 5 gallons of sap
● This will bring the sap down to about
When to Tap Maple Trees: 10:1 ratio
● Season typically
lasts 3 weeks
● Between
Finishing Boil
Feb-Apr (Usually ● Pre-Filter the syrup
March) through a mesh
● Temperature filter
must be below ● Finish boiling on a
freezing at night and above freezing stove to 215℉
during the day. ● Filter the syrup through a mesh filter
● Once the temperature stays above again
freezing at night or buds appear on the ● Continue boiling until to 219℉
trees, the tapping season is over. ● Use a refractometer to test the sugar
content
# of Taps Per Tree: ● Stop boiling
Diameter # Taps at 66%
10” 1 tap sugar
15” 2 taps content
20” 3 taps
25” 4 taps, and etc...
Bottling
Setting Taps Pour the syrup into
● Drill 5/16” holes and taps canning jars or bottles
● 2” deep (1.5” - 2.5”) while still hot.
Seal the canning jars or
Storing Sap bottles with a tight lid or
● Store in snowbank or refrigerator cap.
● Spoils after ~1 week (Toss out if ‘milky’)

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