1. Home
  2. Gardening

Can you grow maple trees for homemade maple syrup? How to take care of them and harvest the sap

Caring for a maple tree to make maple syrup

By Cayla Leonard

Drizzled over pancakes or used to sweeten baked goods, maple syrup is a delicious treat. While it’s easy to find in stores, you can also make it at home! The process takes patience, but growing maple trees, harvesting the sap, and turning it into sweet maple syrup is definitely possible. If you’d like to get started, here’s what you need to know.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Moderate

Duration

1 hour 30 minutes

What You Need

  • Nitrogen-rich fertilizer

  • Drill

  • Spile

  • Hammer

  • Bucket with a cover

  • Outdoor fire or burner

  • Large pot

  • Pot holder

  • Spoon

  • Bottle

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Choosing the right variety of maple tree

Any variety of maple trees can produce maple syrup, but some are better than others. Sugar maples are one of the most commonly used maple tree varieties, as their sap has a higher sugar content. Black, red, and silver maples are also commonly used. Smaller maple trees, such as the Japanese maple, are less commonly used.

HeungSoon / Pixabay

Caring for maple trees

Here's how to care for your maple trees:

Step 1: Plant them in full sun.

Step 2: Make sure you use well-draining soil.

Related

Step 3: Feed the maple trees nitrogen-rich fertilizer or compost.

Step 4: Water your maple trees semi-regularly.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Harvesting the sap

This is how and when to harvest the sap:

Step 1: Begin harvesting in early spring, when the nights are below freezing, but the days are above freezing.

Step 2: Harvest from healthy trees that are at least 10 inches in diameter.

Step 3: Drill a 2-inch hole angled upward into the sunnier side of the tree.

Step 4: Place the spile in the hole.

Step 5: Tap it in with a hammer.

Step 6: Hang your sap collection bucket.

A bucket with a cover is ideal to keep debris out.

Step 7: Collect the sap at the end of each day.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Turning sap into syrup

You can turn any amount of sap into syrup, but the more sap you have the better. It takes roughly 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. When you’ve got all your sap, here’s how to turn it into syrup:

Step 1: Set up a fire or burner outdoors.

Making maple syrup indoors isn’t advisable, as it will cover your walls with steam.

Step 2: Fill your largest pot with maple sap.

Step 3: Boil the sap until it is dark and thick.

If it changes color very quickly or begins to smell bad, remove it from the heat immediately as it's starting to burn. Use a pot holder when moving the pot, as it will be hot.

Step 4: Take a spoonful of the syrup and let it cool, then pour it back into the pot.

If the syrup flows quickly and is watery, let it boil longer. If the syrup is thick and falls slowly, it’s ready. If it is too thick to pour, then you’ve made maple candy instead of syrup.

Be careful not to touch the syrup! It will still be hot, and since it's sticky, it will be difficult to get off your skin before it burns you.

Step 5: Pour the syrup into a bottle.

If the bottle is not heat resistant, let the syrup cool first.

You may notice sugar crystals in the bottom of your syrup. This is called sugar sand. It’s edible, although the texture can be unpleasant for some. It will settle to the bottom of the bottle and stay there, or you can filter it out. Now you’re ready to enjoy your maple syrup!

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Cayla Leonard
Contributor
Cayla Leonard is a writer from North Carolina who is passionate about plants.  She enjoys reading and writing fiction and…
Can you leave beets in the ground over winter? Here’s your guide on how to store beets for the winter
Find out if you should overwinter your beets

As winter approaches, there’s sometimes a rush to get all your vegetables harvested and stored in time. Produce left out in the garden during winter can rot or develop frost damage quickly, but is that true of all vegetables? Some gardeners choose to leave beets, as well as other vegetables, in the garden through winter. Is this a wise decision? What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of overwintering your beets like this? Here's everything you need to know about how to store beets for the winter.

Can you leave beets in the ground over winter?
Yes, beets can stay underground through winter. Several other root vegetable plants, including parsnips, turnips, and carrots, can also be left underground. In most cases, they will last just fine without significant damage. However, there's still a slight risk of rot or frost damage. Leaving beets underground during winter, also known as overwintering, is better suited for vegetables planted in the fall.

Read more
How to store dried fruit so you can enjoy it for months to come
Dried fruit storage: Follow these tips for a tasty treat

Drying fresh fruit is an excellent way to preserve your harvest from your backyard garden and make delicious snacks. Unlike frozen fruit, jams, and preserves, dried fruit is a convenient take-along snack that stays in prime condition for months. And it’s easy to make — simply clean and slice the fresh fruit and pop it into a countertop dehydrator for a few hours. Making high-quality dried fruit with a long shelf life requires proper preparation and favorable storage conditions. Here's everything you need to know about how to store dried fruit.

Read more
Can you grow a bird of paradise from a cutting? Here’s what you need to know to grow your dream plant
Tips and tricks for successfully propagating a bird of paradise plant

Whether they're found in their natural habitats in the wild or as the centerpiece in an indoor garden, bird of paradise plants are eye-catching and perfect for adding some color and tropical flair to your home. This plant is native to South Africa and is well-known for its lush foliage and attractive tropical blooms with vividly colored flowers. The plant gets its name from the stunning flower's resemblance to a colorful bird in flight.

With how stunning this plant is, it's no wonder that so many gardeners want to grow their own. However, growing one from seed can take a long time, and mature plants can be expensive if you want more than one. For most plants like this, propagation is the fastest and most cost effective way of adding them to your garden. So can you grow a bird of paradise from a cutting? Yes, and this guide will tell you how!

Read more