Maple Syrup - Discover Nature (KRCG)

mdc.mo.gov

The Missouri Department of Conservation encourages you to discover nature and tap into a sweet treat under the bark of sugar maple trees.
From mid-January to the end of February sap within sugar maple trees begins to flow, ready to be tapped for making sugar and syrup.
Though you can tap a variety of trees, sugar maple sap has the highest sugar content—about three percent.
This time of year is prime maple sugaring season because it produces the right weather conditions.
Below freezing temperatures at night and above freezing temperatures during the day that causes the sap to 'flow'. The greater the night-to-day temperature difference, the more the sap flows.
Once you find your tree, make sure it's at least ten inches in diameter...any smaller, you could harm the tree.
Supplies needed include:
A tap or spile, to take sap from the tree and a bucket to collect the sap.
It takes forty gallons of sugar maple sap to yield one gallon of syrup.
Making syrup is easy...all you do is heat the sap and let evaporation do all the work!