Syruping Tips & Facts

• Sap runs best when temperatures are in the 40s during the day and below freezing at night for several days in a row.
• In Minnesota, maple syrup season usually runs from mid March to mid April depending on temperatures.
• On average, it takes 40 gallons of maple sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. One tap usually produces 10 gallons of sap, equaling approximately one quart of syrup.
• Maple trees are usually 30-40 years old when they are large enough to start tapping.
• Sap turns to syrup at 219 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Sap can spoil! Keep it in a cool place.
• Sap can become "off-flavored" due to many reasons. Tapping into stained/dark colored wood or collecting sap after a tree starts budding are a few of the many reasons syrup may taste "off-flavored."
• Permittee shall conduct all activities in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local law, regulations, and ordinances.
• Nothing is added to make pure maple syrup, only water is evaporated out to make the finished product. Maple sap is approximately 98% water and 2% sugar. Maple Syrup is 33% water and 67% sugar.
• One gallon of maple syrup weighs 11 pounds compared to 8 pounds for a gallon of water.

Diameter at Breast Height

DBH = Diameter at Breast Height is measured at 54" above the ground on the high side of the tree.