All that is required to Make Maple Syrup of your own is somebasic equipment, a little and effort, and the sap from a few maple trees of course. Here is a hobby the entire family can enjoy together, that is fun and satisfying .
Not very much equipment is necessary to make maple syrup. Much of the equipment you may already have on hand, and most of the rest can be acquired at your local store. Maple syrup equipment supply stores will have some of the items that are unique to Making Maple Syrup such as spiles (spouts), hydrometers, and maple syrup filters. You can also find a variety of websites online that carry all the equipment you will need.
Necessary Equipment
1. A portable drill and a 7/16 inch drill bit.
2. Each hole requiresone Spile (spout).
3. Metal and wood buckets, or plastic milk jugs can be used to collect the sap from the trees. The containers must have a hole in them on one side near the top that is large enough so they can be slipped over the spiles.
4. You can store the sap you collect in plastic or metal trash cans.
5. The evaporator pan which is necessary to boil the sap can be a metal pan, or large deep wash tub. It must be large enough to hold at least five gallons of sap.
6. Brick or cinder block outdoor fire pits that are large enough to place your boiling pan on are ideal for boiling the sap. Outdoor wood stoves also work well. The sap cannot be boiled in your kitchen and must be boiled outdoors.
7. The heat necessary for boiling the sap comes from fast burning and very dry wood.
8. Using a candy thermometer is the best way to tell when the syrup is done.
9. Filter the maple syrup through felt or flannel filters while it is still hot. Using a double flannel filter is best. Your maple syrup store has filters and special straining containers you can purchase
10. Canning jars or any clean glass jar that can be sealed tight should be used to store the finished maple syrup.
11. Finished maple syrup will weigh at least 11 pounds per gallon. You can also use a hydrometer (optional) to tell you when the syrup is done.
Making Your Maple Syrup
1. Not all maple trees are the same, and a hard maple tree is necessary to be a good sugar maple tree. Soft maple trees do not make good maple syrup and cannot be used.
At 4 ½ feet above the ground your tree will need to be at least 10 inches in diameter. The best rule of thumb would be 1 tap for trees[/spin between 10 inches and 20 inches, 2 taps for trees between 20 inches and 30 inches and 3 taps for trees that are over 30 inches. Trees with large crowns are the best producers.
2. Use your 7/16 inch drill bit to drill a hole about 2 feet over or under the old holes.
3. Drive the spile (spout) into the tree far enough so it cannot be pulled out, but not so hard that you might split the tree.
4. If you bought your spiles you can hang the container on the built in hook. Use a piece of wire to make a hook if you made your own spiles. Cover the buckets.
5. Each tap should produce 10 gallons of sap during the six week season, and will make approximately 1 quart of maple syrup.
6. Collect your sap and place it in your collection container until you have enough to start boiling. Start your fire and begin boiling. Be careful not to fill your boiling pan more than 2/3 full to prevent the sap from boiling over. To help prevent the sap from boiling over you should rub vegetable oil on the top rim of your boiling pan. Add more sap as the water boils out and do not let the level of the sap in the boiling pan reach lower than 2 inches. It takes a lot of time to make maple syrup, so keep your fire going and be patient. It is very important at this time that you never leave your fire unattended.
7. Sap left in the containers will sour if left in there, so collection buckets need to be cleaned after each use. You should always boil any collected sap as soon as possible.
8. The candy thermometer is a very good tool that will tell you when your maple syrup is finished. When the temperature reaches 7 degrees F above the boiling water temperature it has become maple syrup. This will give you about a 67 to 69 percent sugar content. Water boils at different temperatures. You need to determine what temperature your water boils at because at different elevations water boilsat different temperatures. Your hydrometer is another very good way of testing your maple syrup. Maple syrup will weigh 11 pounds when it has the proper 67% sugar content. Crystals can form on the bottom of your container if your maple syrup weighs more than 11 pounds.
9. After you pack your maple syrup in the containers you need to pour the hot syrup through a filter. Felt, flannel or specialty filters all work good for this process. Now its time to pour the hot syrup through a filter before you pack it in containers.
10. Your maple syrup needs to be 180 degrees F when you pack it into containers. The containers your going to pack your maple syrup into must be sterilized before you put the hot syrup in them. Lay them on there sides after filling the containers for a better seal.
11Your maple syrup needs to be stored in a cool place, and should be kept in the refrigerator after it is opened. You can also freeze your maple syrup if you do not have a cool place to store it.
12.Use a mild chlorine solution and hot water to clean your equipment. Soap and detergents leave a residue than can contaminate the flavor of your next batch, and should not be used.
To get more information, you can get complete instructions, along with a complete list of the equipment that is necessary at http://www.michiganmaplesyrup.net
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