Uploaded February 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
This year we are learning a new skill! We have several maple trees on our property. The majority are silver maples...these have a lower sugar content which results in a finished maple syrup that isn't as sweet as what you would get from a sugar maple (normally used for making maple syrup you would find in the store).
Maple sap collecting season will be different for each region, but a general rule of thumb is that maple sap will begin running when temperatures are below freezing at night and above freezing during the day. In zone 5b, our season began about a week ago, and normally runs mid-February to mid-March.
You can add one tap for every 12 inches of diameter your tree is. Some of our larger trees could have three taps added, but we opted for just one for each tree this first year.
It will take 40 gallons of maple sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. Keep this in mind if you are wanting to try your hand at this new skill. There is a lot of work involved and you'll want an outdoor space to do the majority of work of boiling the water out of your sap...far too sticky for the indoors.
This year we are learning a new skill! We have several maple trees on our property. The majority are silver maples...these have a lower sugar content which results in a finished maple syrup that isn't as sweet as what you would get from a sugar maple (normally used for making maple syrup you would find in the store).
Maple sap collecting season will be different for each region, but a general rule of thumb is that maple sap will begin running when temperatures are below freezing at night and above freezing during the day. In zone 5b, our season began about a week ago, and normally runs mid-February to mid-March.
You can add one tap for every 12 inches of diameter your tree is. Some of our larger trees could have three taps added, but we opted for just one for each tree this first year.
It will take 40 gallons of maple sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. Keep this in mind if you are wanting to try your hand at this new skill. There is a lot of work involved and you'll want an outdoor space to do the majority of work of boiling the water out of your sap...far too sticky for the indoors.
