HOW TO MAKE & MARKET MAPLE SYRUP
(Page 10 of 15)
TAPPING
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I've heard of people tapping all kinds of maples and even
non-maples . . . but for best results, we stick to the hard
maple trees. They differ from the soft maple by having a
darker, rougher bark. If in doubt about a tree, look up at
its branches . . . the limbs of the soft maple are light
gray and much smoother than those of the hard maple.
There are two advantages to tapping a tree on its south
side: (1) such a tap sometimes yields more sap and (2) the
sun will melt any ice that freezes in a south-facing spout.
Try to line the tapholes up with the main "arteries" of the
tree, above large roots or below large limbs. Make each
hole at whatever height feels comfortable and, before
drilling, use a hatchet or knife to smooth off an area on
the trunk for the bucket to hang against.
The sap flow is concentrated in the outer two inches of the
tree (not including the bark) so there's no need to drill
deeply. Put a scratch or a piece of tape about two inches
from the end of your bit. Using this as a guide, you'll
drill through the bark and into the wood about one inch,
which is far enough. (InTHE MAPLE SUGAR BOOK,
mention is made of a man in the maple syrup business who
has drilled up to six inches deep, though the Nearings
themselves tap only one or two inches deep.
—MOTHER.)
Next, slip the spout through its ring and into the taphole.
The spile should slide in easily at first. Then, as it
widens, the spout will need a gentle tap with a hammer to
firm it into place. Handle the spout carefully and don't
pound it out of shape. When it's firmly in position, hang a
bucket on the hook and add the protective cover (making
sure it doesn't touch the spout at any point).
COLLECTING AND STORING
Don't expect the sap to run on schedule. Some days there
won't be enough to collect and other days the buckets may
overflow. The fluid runs mainly in the daytime so the late
afternoon is a good time to collect the day's flow.
You will sometimes find frozen sap in the collecting
buckets. If there's just a layer of ice lift it off and
discard it, since the ice is mostly water and the sugar
will be left in the unfrozen sap. If the entire contents
are solidified, you might as well discard it and start over
because it's just too awkward to try to handle the big
chunks of ice.
Transfer the collected sap to your holding tank or tanks
but, before doing so, make absolutely sure that the
shut-off valve leading from the tanks to the pan is closed.
Otherwise, without realizing what's going on in the
sugarhouse, you could easily fill the pan to overflowing.
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