The days are getting warmer and the nights are still cool. We’ve collected our sap, gathered the firewood and fired up our cowboy cauldron. Now, begins our home boiling events to make syrup.
It’s amazing how the thought of fresh, warm syrup and a late-night breakfast will bring out friends from a Winter’s hibernation. I must admit, I have a tendency to hide during the cold days. Anything that relates to breakfast is motivation enough to get me moving.
Our family collects enough sap to make about 30 pints of syrup each year. This is enough for two families to enjoy until next season with plenty extra to share. For the small homesteader, all you need is a few gallons of maple sap or 5 gallons to make a pint of syrup. Even with 2 gallons, you’ll yield enough for a pancake meal. One tapped tree will probably produce more pints that you’d expect.
Start small and enjoy the process.
The process is simple. Basically boiling down the sap until it becomes colored syrup. I prefer doing this process outside, but then again, our family is boiling down 200 gallons or more. We’re also a family of frugal people and tend to avoid expensive equipment or fancy techniques. A few of our friends will take (sneak) a few gallons of sap to make syrup in their own kitchens.
There are many Internet sites with detailed information for those that like to dive into the depths of knowledge. I’ll share the basic steps we follow which you can modify according to the available maple sap you have.
Supplies
- heat source (stove, wood fire, or outside propane tank cooking tool)
- large heavy bottom stock pan(s) or cooking vessel(s)
- long handled metal spoon(s)
- hand gloves for hot equipment
- mesh filter / strainer
- cheesecloth
- candy thermometer or brix meter
- storage jars for finished product
- maple sap
Prepare
- Build your fire or start your stove.
- If making a small batch indoors, filter your sap through a fine mesh strainer with 2 to 3 layers of cheesecloth on top of strainer. Note: We filter sap twice when working with an outside heat source. Once before we start boiling to remove debris and tiny bugs (they like sap too) and second, when the syrup is complete.
Boil (many hours – 15 plus with 100 gallons of sap)
- Fill your cooking container with filtered sap. Use a fine mesh sieve/strainer with cheesecloth cover the top before you filter.
- Boil sap. We prefer medium to high heat. Sometimes high heat might cause sugars to crystalize and form at the bottom of the pan. This can create a cloudy syrup. If this should occur, no worries. The cloudy syrup will taste just as great.
- As the sap evaporates and boils down, add more sap.
- Skin off any foam on top. It doesn’t need to be perfect, some foam will remain.
- Continue adding sap and boiling.
- Eventually the consistency and color will start to change.
- Move indoors if boiling down outside when the sap is reduced to the point that it will fit in pot on top of your stove.
- Continue to boil on your stovetop, stirring every so often until the syrup reaches 219 degrees or 66 on a brix meter.
- Take it off the heat and allow it to cool.
- We do a finish filtering of our syrup before placing into jars. I usually use pint size canning jars or freezing containers.
- Enjoy. Store your syrup in the refrigerator for a few weeks or freeze for later use.