Maple Tree Tapping Kit Review
Maple syrup is a delicious treat, and many of us couldn’t imagine eating pancakes without it. But where exactly does maple syrup come from, and how can we make our own tasty syrup? Maple syrup starts off as sap inside a maple tree, and when the weather is just right, maples trees are tapped, and the sap is collected to make syrup. The process is not complicated, and even a novice can do it right the first time when using the Maple Tree Tapping Kit. The kit is very reasonably priced, and requires a nominal financial investment to get started making your own maple syrup.
The Maple Tree Tapping Kit includes ten pre-assembled food grade maple taps, or spiles, and ten 3-foot long food grade tubes to run sap into your collection container. The spiles are 5/16 of an inch, which is smaller than traditional 7/16 of an inch taps, so there is 30-35% less damage to the maple trees. The tubing is made with a special blue coating that makes it more bacteria resistant than traditional clear tubing because it allows less sunlight to filter through. Plus, the blue tubes are easier to spot in the woods when you return to collect your sap. The extra long length of the tubes allows you to tap a single tree in multiple places, or run tubes from multiple trees into a single container. Both the heavy-duty spiles and tubes are constructed to meet the highest standards of quality, ensuring years of continuous use.
The Maple Tree Tapping Kit also includes a maple tapping instruction sheet, as well as a professionally written and fully illustrated “Guide to Maple Tapping” book. The book provides a complete breakdown of the art of maple tree tapping and making maple syrup.
The kit does not include a container for collecting the maple sap, but you can use any food grade container you like. Recycle an old milk jug or juice bottle, or purchase a food safe five gallon bucket. Just ensure the container is large enough to collect all of the sap without spillage.
The enclosed book will provide information about identifying the proper time to begin tapping for maple syrup. Maple syrup season, or sugaring season, as it’s commonly referred to, occurs as winter is ending, and spring is beginning. More specifically, sugaring season begins when temperatures rise into the 40s during the day and cool off into the 20s at night. Sugaring season varies by region, and lasts anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks, depending upon local weather conditions.
There are a couple of things you should take into consideration the first time you use the Maple Tree Tapping Kit:
1. Make sure not to place the taps too high on the maple tree, especially when there’s snow on the ground, because the snow will melt and your tubes will be too short to reach the collection container.
2. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to plug the hole in the maple tree after you have removed the spile. The tree will heal on it’s own. If you introduce a foreign object, the tree will not repair itself. If you are kind to your maple tree, your maple tree will be kind to you, and you will have fresh maple syrup for many years to come.
