How to Make Maple Syrup - Start to Finish

Tap a maple tree using a 5/16-inch drill bit to create a hole about 1.5 to 2 inches deep.

Insert a spile into the hole to collect sap into a food-safe vessel.

Collect sap daily, storing it at 40 degrees Fahrenheit for no more than a week before boiling.

Boil about 5 gallons of sap outdoors over a propane burner for 3 to 4 hours until reduced to half a gallon.

Bring the sap inside and filter it through a mesh filter.

Finish boiling the sap on the stove, monitoring the temperature with a candy thermometer until it reaches 7 degrees above the boiling point of water in your area.

Check the sugar content with a refractometer until it hits 66 brix.

Let it cool to 190 degrees Fahrenheit, then pour it through an Orlon filter into clean jars or bottles.

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary