Looking to learn something new? My how-to guides provide practical, step-by-step instruction on nature-based skills, gardening, food preservation, nature journaling, outdoor exploration, and sustainable living. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced learner, these guides are designed to make learning approachable, hands-on, and rewarding.
Maple Syrup Tapping
Maple Tapping Supplies
- Drill and drill bit to drill a hole into your tree. You’ll need to reference the size of the spile that you are using but ours is a 5/16-inch drill bit.
- Spile(s) with hooks to insert into the hole in your tree. This will direct the flow of the sap into your collection pail/bag. A hammer would assist in gently tapping the spile into place as well.
- Collection pail/bag to collect your sap (must be food grade). Collection devices with lids help keep debris out, but are not necessary.
- Food-grade 5-gallon buckets with lids to pour the collected sap from the bag/pails into. .
- Sap processing set up (outdoor propane/pot or indoor over a stove); gloves and protective equipment for processing. Hot sap and syrup can cause serious burns.
- Cheesecloth or syrup straining bag. The sap and syrup will be strained a couple times throughout the process for clarity.
When To Tap Maple Trees
Generally the sap starts to flow between mid-February and mid-March. The exact time of year depends upon where you live and weather conditions. Sap flows when daytime temperatures rise above freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit / 0 Celsius) and nighttime temperatures fall below freezing. The rising temperature creates pressure in the tree generating the sap flow. This is basically a transfer of the sap from the tree above the ground and the root system below the ground. The sap generally flows for 4 to 6 weeks, with the best sap produced early on in the sap-flowing season.
Identifying & Select Maple Trees to Tap
The recommended order in selecting your maple trees to yield a higher sugar content is: Sugar, Black, Red, Silver. Select trees that are mature (at least 12 inches in diameter) and healthy. Additionally, select trees with the greatest exposure to sunlight. If you have a limited number of maples available, you can tap a particular tree two or three times, depending upon its size.
Using these guidelines, a healthy tree will support multiple taps:
12-20 inches = 1 Tap
21-27 inches = 2 Taps
Greater than 27 inches = 3 Taps
Gather & Clean Equipment
Clean spiles, bucket (food grade plastic only; metal preferred), and lids prior to use each season. With a mixture of 1 part unscented household bleach (such as Clorox® Regular-Bleach) to 20 parts clean water, use a brush or cloth to scrub your supplies. Triple rinse all with hot water.
Tap the Tree
The height of the tap hole should be at a height that is convenient for you and allows easy collection. A height of about 3 feet is recommended. If the tree has been tapped in previous seasons, do not tap within 6 inches of the former tap hole. Ideally, the tap hole should be above a large root or below a large branch on the south side of the tree. If more than one tap is to be placed in the same tree, distribute the tap holes around the circumference of the tree. Be sure to avoid any damaged area of the tree.
Drill the tap hole:
The size of the drill bit to be used is dependent on the type of spile you are using. Most spiles require either a 7/16 or 5/16 bit. Drill a hole 2 to 2 ½ inches deep. It may be helpful to wrap a piece of tape around the drill bit 2 ½ inches from the tip to use as a guide. Drill at a slight upward angle to facilitate downward flow of sap from the hole. The shavings from the drilled tap hole should be light brown, indicating healthy sapwood. If the shavings are dark brown, drill another hole in a different location.
Inserting the Spile:
Clear any wood shavings from the edge of the hole. Insert the spile into the loop on the hook (hook facing outward), and then insert the spile into the tap hole. Gently tap the spile into the tree with a hammer (do not pound the spile into the tree, as this may cause the wood to split). If the sap is flowing, you should immediately see sap dripping from the spile.
Hang the bucket and attach lid
Hang the bucket by inserting the hook into the hole on the rim of the bucket. Attach the lid to the spile by inserting the metal wire into the double holes on the spile.
Sap to Syrup
The ratio of sap to syrup for maple syrup is generally 40 gallons of sap to 1 gallon of syrup.
However, the amount of sap needed to produce syrup depends on the sugar concentration of the sap, which can vary from 1–5%:
- Sugar maple: The ratio of sap to syrup for sugar maple is 40:1.
- Boxelder: The ratio of sap to syrup for boxelder is 60:1.
- Silver maple: The ratio of sap to syrup for silver maple is higher because it has a lower sugar concentration of 1.5–1.75%.
To estimate the amount of sap needed to produce a gallon of syrup, you can use the Jones “Rule of 86”. This rule states that you can divide 86 by the sugar content of the sap to get the approximate amount of sap needed. For example, if the sap has a sugar content of 2%, you would need 43 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of syrup.
The sugar concentration of sap can also vary throughout the season, with lower concentrations as the season progresses.
Source: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/f-36
Microgreens
While there are a wide variety of microgreens that you can buy (or grow at home), the names of these miniature plants should sound familiar: beets, Swiss chard, broccoli, mustard, arugula, amaranth, and peas among others. Microgreens are simply the versions of these vegetables and herbs when they are in their tiny sprout form.
What Are the Health Benefits of Microgreens?
Microgreens have become increasingly popular in the past handful of years, and a great deal of ongoing research seeks to understand all the health benefits these tiny plants offer.
Early research has indicated that microgreens contain up to 40% more phytochemicals (beneficial nutrients and components) than their full-grown counterparts.
Though these little greens are small in stature, they contain extremely high levels of powerful vitamins, minerals, and health-supporting components.
Microgreens can lower blood pressure. Foods that are high in fiber and vitamin K can be helpful in maintaining a healthy blood pressure, and microgreens are high in both of these important elements as well as other vitamins and minerals.
Microgreens might help fight cancer. Research is ongoing into this subject, but some early evidence suggests that sulforaphane — a compound found at especially high levels in broccoli sprouts — may help fight cancer.
Some microgreens can help lower cholesterol. A study found that red cabbage microgreens lower levels of LDL cholesterol, liver cholesterol, and inflammatory cytokines — all factors that can increase your risk for heart disease.
Microgreens can support gut health. Foods that are high in dietary fiber, like microgreens, can ease constipation or other gastro-intestinal distress when eaten as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Research also indicates that dietary fiber serves as a ” prebiotic,” or material that provides an ideal environment for the “good” bacteria in the human microbiome to flourish.
How To Grow and Use Microgreens
Microgreens, which are very similar to sprouts, are easy to grow at home on a small scale. They don’t take very long to grow (typically around a week) and can be grown all year round in a windowsill or other sunny spot.
Simply plant some seeds of the kind of microgreens or sprouts that you’d like to cultivate, and water accordingly. There are plentiful guides and videos online for how to sprout or grow a wide variety of microgreen.
These superfoods are easy to grow and a great way to get kids involved in growing their own food on a small scale. Kids enjoy sprinkling these little kid-sized leaves onto their own salads or sandwiches. Some microgreens boast bolder flavors than their full-sized counterparts, so be sure to taste before adding a whole handful. A little may go a long way.
Since microgreens are small and tender, it’s easy to add them to recipes to take full advantage of their nutritional power. Given their small size and high water content, it’s not recommended to cook microgreens, but don’t forget to wash them before eating them.
How to use microgreens:
- Toss in a salad
- Sprinkle on top of grilled fish or meat
- Mix into scrambled eggs or omelets
- Blend into a smoothie
- Use as topping on soup or pasta
- Add to a sandwich for extra texture
- Garnish hummus or other dips
What Kinds of Microgreens Are There?
With over 60 varieties of microgreens and microgreen blends available, there is no shortage of tasty and healthy choices when it comes to what to explore.
Some of the most popular varieties of microgreens include:
- Beets
- Chard
- Quinoa
- Spinach
- Chives
- Garlic
- Leeks
- Onions
- Carrots
- Celery
- Dill
- Fennel
- Chicory
- Endive
- Lettuce
- Radicchio
- Arugula
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Radish
- Watercress
- Beans
- Peas
- Chickpeas
- Lentils
- Herbs
Source: 6 health benefits of microgreens. Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-microgreens
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