Making Maple Syrup - Part Two
The sap flow was a little slow this year, mostly due to the varying weather. Regardless, over the course of about two weeks, I got what I needed. In total, I collected about 8 gallons of Silver Maple sap. Your sap should be refrigerated or stored in a cool place until you're ready to boil it. I stored mine outside, out of direct sunlight.
Plugging your taps
Now that we have collected our maple sap it can be tempting to move straight into the boiling process. But first, we need to plug the taps to preserve the health of the tree. I like to cut a piece of wood slightly larger in diameter than the tap hole, and taper one end.
Next, I pound the plug into the hole until it fits very tightly and no sap is visibly leaking out.
Next up... Boiling!
Alright, now that we've made sure to take care of our tree, stay tuned for Part 3 when we'll boil down our sap and finally get some syrup!