On a cold winter morning, fill your belly and warm yourself up with a hot serving of waffles or pancakes drizzled in . The earthy sweet taste (according to whfoods.com) adds a natural flavor to your breakfast. Plus, maple syrup is healthier than other sweet syrups (such as honey or corn syrup). Make your own maple syrup by following a few steps.
Choose a Proper Tree
The first step in making maple syrup is to find the right tree, then to tap that tree. According to the University of Maine, find a sugar maple tree or a red maple tree that is at least 10 inches in diameter (measured 4 1/2 feet from the ground). This will ensure that the tree is healthy and able to provide the sap necessary to make the syrup.
Once you have found a proper tree, use a drill with a 7/16 drill bit and drill into the tree 2 inches. The hole should be between 2 and 4 feet from the ground. Next, insert a collection tap (which you can find at many hardware stores or on the Internet, such at the site listed in the Resources section) by lightly hammering the tap into the hole you just drilled. Attach a small plastic bag or bucket to the collection spout so the sap will run into the bag or the bucket.
Boiling the Sap
After you have installed the collection tap, you need to wait for sap to accumulate in your collection bucket. The amount of sap collection varies according to the weather; but you can expect to have enough sap for one batch within two to three days. To make one quart of maple syrup, you need about 10 gallons of sap. Once you have the required amount of sap, use an outdoor gas range or an outdoor fire to boil the sap. Add enough sap to fill a greased pot about 1 1/2 inches and boil it until it . As the sap boils down, add more sap to the pot.
Checking Density and Temperature
Your maple syrup will be finished when, during the boiling process, the sugar content of the sap reaches between 66 and 67 percent and when the mixture boils at a temperature of 7 degrees above that which water boils at your elevation. If you are at sea level, water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, your maple syrup is finished if it is boiling at a temperature of 219 degrees Fahrenheit (at sea level). Use a candy or syrup thermometer to check the temperature.
Once the syrup has reached this temperature, filter it through a clean filter to remove debris and let it cool for at least 12 hours. Once cooled, reheat the mixture to 180 degrees and pour it into containers for storage.
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