All you need to Make Maple Syrup of your own is some simple equipment, a little and effort, and the sap from a few maple trees of course. Here is a hobby your entire family can enjoy together, that is fun and rewarding.

Very little equipment is necessary to make maple syrup. Much of the equipment you may already have on hand, and most of the rest can be purchased at your local store. Maple syrup equipment supply stores will carry 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 online shopping sites that carry all the equipment you will need.

Necessary Equipment

1. A 7/16 inch drill bit and a portable drill.

2. Each hole requireswill requireone Spile (spout).

3. Metal and wood buckets, or plastic milk jugs can be used to catch 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 keep the sap you collect in plastic or metal trash cans.

5. The evaporator pan you will need to boil the sap can be a metal pan, or very deep wash tub. It must be large enough to hold the five gallons of sap you will collect.

6. Brick or cinder block outdoor fire pits that are large enough to sit your boiling pan on are ideal for boiling the sap. Outdoor wood stoves also work well. The sap must be boiled outdoors, and not in your kitchen.

7. The heat necessary for boiling the sap comes from fast burning and very dry wood.

8. The best way to tell when the syrup is done is to use a candy thermometer.

9. Filter the maple syrup through felt or flannel filters while it is still hot. 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 can be used to store the finished maple syrup.

11. Finished maple syrup should weigh at least 11 pounds per gallon. You can also use a hydrometer (optional) to determine when the syrup is done.

Making Your Maple Syrup

1. Not all maple trees are the same, and your tree will need to be a hard maple tree to be a good sugar maple tree. Soft maple trees do not make good maple syrup and should not be used.

At 4 ½ feet above the ground your tree will need to be at least 10 inches in diameter. A good 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 at a height that is easy to reach and about 3 inches deep. For trees with multiple holes keep the holes not any closer than 2 feet over or under the old holes.

3. Drive the spile (spout) hard enough that you might split the tree.

4. If you purchased 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. After collecting your sap 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. As the water boils out you should add more sap and do not let the level of the sap in the boiling pan reach lower than 2 inches. It takes a great deal 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. Remember to always boil any collected sap as soon as possible.

8. The candy thermometer is a very good tool to tell you when your maple syrup is finished. When the temperature reaches 7 degrees F above the boiling water temperature it has turned into 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 excellent way of testing your maple syrup. Maple syrup will weigh 11 pounds when it has the proper 67% sugar content. If your maple weighs more than 11 ¼ pounds crystals can form on the bottom of your container.

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. The maple syrup needs to be at least 180 degrees F when you pack it into containers. The containers you intend to pack your maple syrup into need to be sterilized before you put the hot syrup in them. For a better seal you should lay the containers on their sides.

11Maple syrup must 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.When cleaning your equipment use hot water and a mild chlorine solution. Soap and detergents leave a residue than will contaminate the flavor of your next batch, and should not be used.

To get more information, you will find complete instructions, along with a complete list of the equipment that is necessary at http://www.michiganmaplesyrup.net

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