Harvesting Maple Sap

Winters in Maine can be hard. Some years, it can feel as though they will never end. Collecting sap from maple trees and turning it into maple syrup is a bridge for me that helps pass the end of winter into the beginning of spring and the warmer, sunnier days ahead. Sap runs through the trees when the nighttime temps are below freezing, but the daytime temps start to get a bit melty and warm. The end of winter often seems nearer than it really is...a bright sunny day or two can lead you to believe that you've left those arctic days behind. But there's nearly always one or more last lingering surprise snow squall in store, and it can be hard on your psyche when you are looking forward to packing away winter for another year. I find sap season to be grounding....despite those cold, bitter, windy and snowy days, there is a steady march of daytime temps above freezing as the nights gradually work their way warmer also. When the overnight temps are no longer below 32 F, the sap stops. One can't help but forgive lingering cold temps at night when it means more of that delicious maple syrup to enjoy throughout the rest of the year. It's the sweetest consolation prize.

Once sap is collected, it must be boiled down. It takes approximately 40 parts of sap to produce 1 part of maple syrup. I use sap taps with a hook, and then hang a bucket with a lid from each one. I only have two maple trees, though. Many people now use tubing to direct to a bag or bucket on the ground, or for those with many trees, they might set up a network of tubing from each tree that converges and combines in one central location at the lowest elevation.

So, for the next few weeks, I will be watching the sap fill my buckets, then collecting them each evening and boiling them down. It will keep me distracted until the weather is mild and it's time to put those seedlings in the garden.