Steps to make syrup

Syrup is made from tree sap, and the best-tasting syrup is made from the sugar maple, however, syrup from any maple tree is edible. Along with the maple, you can make syrup from birch, boxelder, sycamore, ironwood, and walnut trees. This is beyond the scope of this text, but a good horticultural guide is useful to have if SHTF. [ Affliate Link ]

Additionally, the time to tap a tree for syrup is important. It is generally better to tap a tree when it is freezing at night, but gets warmer during the day. It is important to note, that when the trees begin to produce leaf buds, the sap will start to run dry. 

Items needed; 

• Drill 
• 3/8 inch drill bit 
• Hook
• Bucket with lid
• Hammer
• Spile or aluminum pipe that is 3/8 inch in diameter
• Hammer
• Hook to screw into the tree to hold your bucket
• Shallow pan
• Cheesecloth 

To tap a tree and make syrup, follow these steps;

1. Tap the tree by drilling a 2 – 2.5 inch hole in the tree with your drill bit. The hole will need to be on the South side of the tree, be 2 – 4 feet off the ground, and be either under a branch or above a large root.
2. Use a hammer to tap the spile or piece of aluminum pipe into the hole you drilled.
3. Insert a screw above the pipe or spile that will allow your bucket to hang below the pipe/spile.
4. Hang your bucket on the hook and place a lid on it. You will need to cut a hole in the bucket or lid to allow the spile/pipe to enter into the bucket. 
5. Check your bucket, it may take a few hours or a few days for the sap to fill the bucket. 
6. When you have enough sap to make syrup, you need to cook it. Place it in a shallow pan and place it over a fire. Bring your sap to a boil, which will remove all of the water. To make maple syrup, you need to boil it until it reaches 219 F. 
   1. If you want to make sugar, you can boil it until it reaches 234 F
7. Use a filter, if you want to prepare and buy a maple syrup filter, you can, but cheesecloth or coffee filters will work as well. Pour the syrup through the filter. 
   1. If you don’t have coffee filters or cheesecloth, you can use a handkerchief, muslin, cotton sheets, gauze, or even tea bags, and they will have a similar effect to cheesecloth.
8. Store the syrup in a sealed container.