Wisconsin’s natural maple syrup comes from our state tree, the SUGAR MAPLE TREE and that syrup does not have added maple flavoring or artificial coloring that is found in most store-bought syrup. Wisconsin produces 15 million gallons each year, putting the badger state in the top 5 for maple syrup production in the nation. One thing most people do not know is true maple syrup is not thick like the kind you buy in stores.

Why is late winter/early spring the best time to start processing syrup? Because this is the time of year when the tree sap starts to flow. Here’s my best explanation on this operation. Trees don’t grow in the winter, and the sap is stored in their roots. Then when the days are above freezing (LOW 40’s) the sap starts to move up to the branches. Come night, when temperatures fall back below freezing, the sap recedes back to the roots.

Here’s something many people do not know. Even though this would be a good time to start processing maple syrup, the amount of snow on the ground makes it difficult to walk around tapping a tree and not every tree can be tapped.  The maple tree must be at least 12 inches in diameter and in order to avoid stressing the tree, there is a limit of 4 spouts per tree that can be used.

The holes are drilled around 4 feet above ground at a slight upward angle 1-1/2 to 2 inches deep and the spouts are tapped into the tree.
The amount of sap dripping into buckets can vary year to year depending on the spring temperatures and all this happens in a 5-to-6-week period. Each tree can produce 10 gallons of sap and because sap is 90% water, it takes close to 40 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of syrup.

Although new techniques and equipment are used today, the process is basically still the same.  The old school way is a long process (AROUND 5 HOURS FOR 5 GALLONS) of boiling, skimming, straining and the constant checking of temperature so the sap doesn’t boil for long or scorch. When the syrup reaches a few degrees over the boiling point, it’s removed from the heat and cooled to around 180 or 190 degrees. Then this is strained one more time to remove any remaining impurities and bottled.

Believe me when I tell you, the flavor of the pure maple syrup is so much better than store bought. So, the next time you buy syrup, look for all-natural pure maple syrup with no preservatives, coloring or additives and you will definitely taste the difference.