If you have not taken a hike around your homestead and mapped out all the types of maple trees you have on hand to tap, pull on your boots and do so quickly, before the prime part of tapping season has passed. A strong and healthy tree can be tapped multiple times over several seasons. The trees, maple and otherwise, that have average to above average sunlight exposure usually produce the most sap. The trees selected should be fully mature and measure a minimum of 12 inches in diameter – and of course, healthy. The Plateau Native American tribes often tapped the Rocky Mountain Maple tree for sugar and syrup. Rocky Mountain Maple – This tree grows in the region which bears its name.While the syrup is very tasty, the Red Maple tree creates less sap than either the Black or the Sugar Maple tree varieties. Red – Sap from this maple tree contains about a 1.7% sugar content.
The sweetness of the syrup produced from this tree is comparable to that of a Sugar Maple tree, even though it is churned out in less abundance. Big Tooth Maple – This sap producing maple tree grows primarily in the Rocky Mountains region and in Texas.Buds begin to appear on the Silver Maple tree early in the year, before prime tapping temperatures present and sustain themselves, in many regions. Typically, this variety of maple tree will have a more watery or thinner sap and a low sugar content. Silver – Although not ideal for tapping, the Silver Maple tree can be tapped.
This variety of maple tree does not produce as much sap as the Sugar Maple, but is often considered just as sweet.Ībove photo shows silver maple tree leaves Native American tribes who lived in this region often tapped the Big Leaf Maple tree for syrup and sugar making purposes. Big Leaf – These maple trees are routinely found growing abundantly from California all the way up to British Columbia.The sugar and syrup produced from this variety is incredibly sweet and delicious. The Sugar Maple grows in significant numbers in USDA zones 4 through 8. Sugar – This is the “go to” tree for tapping.The sap turned into syrup from this tree is typically deemed just as sweet as the sap created by the Sugar Maple tree – and there is usually about twice as much of it.Ībove photo shows a sugar maple tree leaf The sugar content of the Black Maple tree is approximately two percent. Black – This maple tree generally offers the highest production of sap each season.Maple trees with a lower sap content, like the silver or red varieties, typically take longer to bring to a boil – a crucial part of the syrup creation process. Hard maple tree varieties like the black, rocky, and sugar maple, typically produce the highest sap content. It is the combination of the chilly night time temperatures and the warm daytime temperatures that causes the sap to flow both easily and fairly rapidly, from the trees. The sweetest and best sap is usually produced during the early days and weeks of the season. The maple tree tapping season generally runs for approximately four to six weeks. The sap from maple and most other tappable trees begins to flow when the temperature during the daytime is consistently above freezing, and when evening temperatures still hover at or below 32 degrees. The exact time to start and stop tapping trees for maple syrup depends largely on where you live. Typically, trees are prime for tapping between the middle of February through mid-March.
It’s that time of year again, fellow homesteaders… tree tapping time! No maple trees on your homestead? No problem, there are more than one dozen other trees common to the United States that can also be tapped for syrup and sugar.