Maple syrup – make your own at home

If you plant the “right tree”, you no longer have to rely on products usually imported from America and Canada. Make your own maple syrup. It is easy. Well, you just have to wait few years before your tree grows enough…

First of all, you need to get a sugar maple tree (Acer saccharum). It’s not the usual tree you can buy in any garden store, so it is going to be a bit of a challenge. On the other hand once you get it, you can grow it easily, just like a regular acer that grows in our climate. But know that sugar maple is a big tree that can grow up to 30 meters high.

If you decide to grow sugar maple

If the size did not discourage you, then you should also know that sugar maple form a massive root system and needs a nutritious soil rich in humus. But if you have a larger piece of unused land and want to experiment a little, you should just go ahead.

In autumn you will be delighted to see all the beautifully coloured leaves. Fun fact: you can sugar maple from a seed.

Photo: Pixabay

You will have to wait for couple years first…

Unless someone has already planted a sugar maple years ago for you, you will have to wait for 4-6 years before you can make your own syrup. Until then, enjoy the beauty… Only when it gets strong enough, you may select few grafts and let them ooze a fine sweet sap. Do that in the spring of course, when the production of sap is greatest.

Making your own maple syrup

When you collect enough sap you need to cook it until it gets really thick. To give you an idea – for one litre of syrup you will need 40 litters of sap. An adult tree can produce up to 150 litres. Now you only boil it and that is it.

Use the syrup on pancakes, desserts or other snacks. It is a healthier substitute for sugar, and in terms of price, it is even cheaper than honey. We encourage you to make maple syrup at home, and even though it is challenging, it can be done. If you are not successful for the first time, try again… Well, next time you will be buying a bottle of maple syrup at the store, you will not think that maple syrup is expensive… right?

Preview photo: Pixabay