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Discover Nature: Maple Sugaring

Missouri Department of Conservation

As temperatures freeze and thaw in late winter, one of the sweetest harvests awaits in the Missouri woods.  This week on Discover Nature, tap a tree, and collect a treat.

Freezing and thawing temperatures causes increased sap-flow in living trees. By drilling a small hole in the side of the tree, you can harvest its sap, and cook that down to make syrup.

You can tap most any deciduous tree this time of year, but sap from sugar maples contains the highest sugar content.  A tap, or spile works like a spigot for taking sap from the tree and directing it into a bucket – you can buy them, or make them yourself.

With a bit that matches the size of your spile, drill a hole about 1.5 to 2 inches into the xylem, or water-carrying layer of wood on the tree.  Hang your bucket on the end of your tap.

When the bucket is full, bring home your harvest and heat the raw sap.  As water evaporates, sugar remains, and at about 219-degrees Fahrenheit, you’ve made maple syrup!

Run it through a cheesecloth or commercial filter to remove impurities, and then consider canning for a longer shelf life. 

Learn more about maple sugaring with the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) online activity guides>, and find places near you to get out and discover nature this week with the MDC online atlas.

Discover Nature is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Trevor serves as KBIA’s weekday morning host for classical music. He has been involved with local radio since 1990, when he began volunteering as a music and news programmer at KOPN, Columbia's community radio station. Before joining KBIA, Trevor studied social work at Mizzou and earned a masters degree in geography at the University of Alabama. He has worked in community development and in urban and bicycle/pedestrian planning, and recently served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia with his wife, Lisa Groshong. An avid bicycle commuter and jazz fan, Trevor has cycled as far as Colorado and pawed through record bins in three continents.
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