For all of you would-be maple tappers out there...here is a step by step guide on tapping your trees. It's not rocket science, but there are some tips and tricks to make sure that you get the most sap from a single hole.
Wondering if your tree is big enough to tap? Here's a bit of information on measuring your tree. While the producers up north recommend at least 12 inches in diameter, that's primarily for sugar maples. Down in southern New Jersey, we are tapping red maples. Generally, you want red maple trees that are 10 inches or more in diameter at breast height. But if you aren't terribly concerned with optimal tree growth, you can tap trees as low as 8 inches in diameter.
Help yourself track sap from individual trees! This will allow you to know which trees produce the most - and the least - sap each season. It will also be VERY helpful to the research team at Stockton University! The platform is simple to use and works on any device.
Just a quick video tutorial on how to use the sap track platform on your smartphone. This is very useful because it allows you to automatically fill in the GPS coordinates of your trees!
How does the evaporator work? How do you go from sap to syrup? How do you know when you have syrup? What if a bit of dirt gets in there? How do I filter it? Watch for some answers to key boiling questions!