How to Make Maple Syrup (from Manitoba Maples / Box Elder - Acer negundo)

It is again that time of year when our thoughts turn to that delicious liquid gold known as maple syrup. As Canadians, it is almost a rite of passage to tap a maple tree for sap and most of us don’t realize that we can tap more than just maples. Walnuts and birches also produce sap that we can boil into syrup. However, for this video, we stuck with what was most familiar, maples.

We followed these simple steps to make our own maple syrup (stovetop method)
1. Pour the sap into a pot. Use a stainless steel pot on high heat.
2. Use a candy thermometer to boil the sap until it reaches 105° to 106° Celsius.
3. Supervise your pot. The sap is sugar and burns easily.
4. Reduce sap. Continue boiling to reduce the sap into syrup.
5.Taste test your syrup. Make sure your syrup reaches your desired flavour and consistency.
6. Cool syrup. The syrup is hot and can burn.
7. Pour syrup into jars, seal, and enjoy!

Upon reflection, this was a fun and very Canadian DIY project. It took a bit of time, but it was a very easy and rewarding experience. If you have kids, friends, or family who enjoy being outdoors, make an adventure of it and go sugar tapping. We made amazing memories and even better-tasting syrup. In the end, one employee hoarded our syrup… you know who you are.

Syrup Facts

· We can tap Sugar, Silver, and Manitoba maples, white birch, black walnut for sap.
· Silver maple is similar in taste to sugar maple syrup.
· Many prairie and Atlantic provinces have commercial operations producing syrup.
· The sugar content can be 1 to 8% of the initially collected sap depending on the species, the season, and several other variables. Always test your syrup for desired sweetness and consistency.