Apologies for the delay in-between posts -- it seems that Mother Nature gave us a delay in-between winter and spring! Since our visit to Moose Meadows Farm we have been lingering in a month of sub-zero temperatures and snow and haven't been able to do any birch tapping at all. We did, in the meantime though, order tapping supplies from them so we could atleast be fully prepared to get started. We purchased 20 spiles, 40 feet of plastic tubing, filters, a hydrometer to measure the sugar content of the syrup, an assortment of glass bottles, plus we gathered together a healthy supply of 4L buckets. We also "test-tapped" one birch tree on our property ahead of time so we could gauge exactly when the sap will start flowing.

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Finally today, to our excitement, it was warm enough that we were able to tap all of our birch trees and begin sap collection. The rule of thumb to keep in mind when tapping is to make sure the trees you select are approximately fifty to seventy years old and have a large trunk diameter. Older trees generate the most sap, plus they can withstand having a hole drilled into their trunk much better than young saplings. Tapping for sap actually doesn't cause excessive or irreversible harm to the tree. The tree will naturally heal on its own, plus one can ensure their complete recovery by tapping different trees each season. This year we decided to tap a dozen mature trees from one particular area of our property, set up a 4-litre bucket at each one, and are now waiting for the sap to flow fast enough to fill a bucket a day. Once we have collected enough sap (it takes 100L of sap to make 1L of syrup!) we will begin boiling it down. The season is approximately three weeks long, beginning when the temperatures are averaging 10 degrees above in the daytime and dropping to zero overnight. The sap starts flowing at first in tiny occasional drips of crystal-clear nectar, then progresses into a steady flow -- at which time some trees can produce up to 12 litres a day! -- and eventually changes to a cloudy appearance, typically at the first sign of buds on the branches. This signals the end of the syrup season because at this point the sap is no longer suitable for use.

As for us, at the end of the day today, we had collected enough sap to fill only an inch at the bottom of each bucket! The daytime temperatures forecasted for this week are in the teens, though, so we imagine the sap will start flowing more quickly very soon. We'll keep you posted!