Do all maples produce drinkable sap?

[BobFromHolland]

There are really a lot of (sub-)species of maple. Can you harvest and drink the sap of all of them??

I have one in my garden, but am not sure what sort it is.

I would love to have a go at tapping it, especially since I don't have easy access to birch trees here.

Bob

 

[Don'tkillbill]

Black and sugar maple give off a nice syrup.

You could always try and then find out..

The only thing is that you need cold and cool weather.

Minus 2 to plus 5 works well for my trees.

Good luck.. You'll only get a few liters from a tree but its better thatn nothing!

7/16 bit 4-5 cm's deep should do it nicely.....

 

[BobFromHolland]

Thanks Don'tkillbill :You_Rock_

Weather conditions were like you mentioned and I've tapped a good cup full of sap (doesn't have much taste to it though). It is only a very small tree (5 meters high and trunk diameter of 15 cm), so I am glad I got something at all.

I had a 6mm peice of hose that I trimmed at the top to make it into a little gutter. I've pried that into the 6mm hole I've drilled. I'd guess that a bigger hole would be better, but I thought 'better a fitting hose than a leaking hole'

I am now thinking of drinking the cupfull or reducing it to a (spoonfull) sirup.

 

[pierre girard]

Thanks Don'tkillbill :You_Rock_

Weather conditions were like you mentioned and I've tapped a good cup full of sap (doesn't have much taste to it though). It is only a very small tree (5 meters high and trunk diameter of 15 cm), so I am glad I got something at all.

I had a 6mm peice of hose that I trimmed at the top to make it into a little gutter. I've pried that into the 6mm hole I've drilled. I'd guess that a bigger hole would be better, but I thought 'better a fitting hose than a leaking hole'

I am now thinking of drinking the cupfull or reducing it to a (spoonfull) sirup.

I've been told all maples produce sap that will make syrup, even box elder. The common wisdom in the USA is 5/16 hole.

PG

 

[hollowdweller]

I've been told all maples produce sap that will make syrup, even box elder. The common wisdom in the USA is 5/16 hole.

PG

That's what I was told in college by my forestry professor. However he said stuff like box Elder and Silver Maple for instance don't really have enough sugar content to make making syrup out of them worth all the fuel spent.

 

[BobFromHolland]

I decided to drink the first half and reduce the second. This was since I found that licking the dried up cup from the day before tasted really sweet.

Almost lost the lot, because I thought it was getting thicker in the process of reducing it, but that wasn't really happening. I ended up with not more than a spoonfull, but I was quite chuffed with the result.

Now it's up to waiting for next year I guess.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Bob

 

[Ryan Woods]

Bob,
You tried the idea of using the sap to make ice cubes to cool your Single Malt? - On recommendation of RM!