Making Maple Syrup

[Norton]

I have enjoyed wild camping for a while and have recently been making it more minimilist which has started to lead me into bushcraft and then onto this sight. I have been inspired by my lurking over the last week (I have almost managed to collect everything for my first Hobo Stove) and have a quick question.
I have a Maple tree in my garden and I was wondering if I could make my own syrup from it, or are there different types of Maple that are unpalatable, like the difference between Horse and Sweet Chestnut? Also how would I go about it, or am I completely barking up the wrong tree so to speak?

 

[Matthew.Passmore]

Welcome to the forum,

as far as I know all maples should be palatable,
as for getting the sap, you would need to "Tap" the tree in early spring; around March (search "Birch Tapping") collect the sap, when you have enough; and you need alot to make a decent amount of syrup you have to reduce it by simmering it until enough water has evaporated to get your desired consistency, if you keep reducing it eventually you will get maple sugar.

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along shortly.

Matt.

 

[British Red]

Totally the wrong time of year right now of course. You need to have a "sugar maple" to make proper maple syrup - not your common varieties. Plus you need a LOT of sap. I have enjoyed watching photos of a good friend of weavers doing the whole exercise (whilst standing in snow). Truly fascinating - but not easy without a large plantation of the right trees

Red

 

[Matthew.Passmore]

here is a good thread on "Tapping"

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39307&highlight=birch+tapping

Told you someone would be along shortly

 

[lostguide]

Just some info regarding why some trees are good to tap others not.

All trees make simple sugars (which includes glucose and fructose) and store it within their structure, however a few like birch and maple store additional secondary amounts in their sap, hence why the sap is good to tap.

For example: Maple 3- 10% glucose and fructose in sap, willow 2-5 % glucose and fructose in sap, oak negligible.

However before you try tapping willow the taste is determined by the amino acids in the sap. The combination in maple of amino acids makes for very good taste, heating the amino acids (i.e. sap) at low heat will stimulate enzymes giving enhanced flavors.

 

[VtBlackdog]

It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup, so you'll need more trees!

Like someone above said, it has to be done in the spring before the buds start to come out; once the buds come out the sap gains a "buddy" taste. Its done in early spring, around here the guys start work on "tapping out" in Feb. and boil in March. It takes cold nights and warm days to make the sap start to run and someone who has 500 or so taps can make a seaon of syrup in one or two good sap runs. Typically, a sugermaker has several hundred taps out, and boils sap in an a rig called an evaporator, which is a large (3 by 4 foot or bigger) pan that takes a huge amount of firewood to heat. A hydrometer is used to measure the specific density of the sap/syrup to mearsure when its done. The syrup is then graded from Fancy (light color, not much flavor) to Grade B (dark color, heavy taste) with Grade A Medium Amber being the best ( in my opinion) tasting. If you get maple candy (fudge like consistancy) be sure its pure maple and not "blended"....the blended type has cane sugar mixed in and its a poor substitute for the real thing.

Over here it was invented by American Indains, who would gather sap in birchbark buckets. They put hot stones into the buckets to heat the sap. They probably didn't get it boiled all the way to being syrup, they probably made it into more of a hard fudge-like consistancy, I think. From what I've read, it was a large part of thier late winter diet.