One of my Ohio bucket list items was tapping a maple tree. Today was the day!

The small village of Burton had a maple tapping festival today to hit off the season. All who wanted could tap a tree, and watch as it was made into syrup, while enjoying donuts and hot chocolate. The Burton chamber of commerce uses it’s sugar house and public owned maple trees to help meet the village’s needs. 

Getting the “water” – the sap doesn’t taste like much.

Warming up by the fire- unfortunately, it was so cold our tree didn’t “run” when we tapped it. 

The sap has to be cooked to 219 degrees. The attendant waits and tests the color and thickness to make sure it is just right. There are a series of tests they perform before they drain the maple into a bucket. Then it is sent through several filtration systems. You get approximately one gallon of syrup for every 50 gallons of sap, though it all depends on the sugar content of your sap from year to year. 

I’m not quite sure why this whole process enthralled me so much. After watching, waiting, and learning about the process of boiling down sap the time came and they pulled the yellow lever. Unable to contain my excitement I exclaimed: “It’s coming! It’s coming!” The two older gentlemen, who have been doing this for years, laughed; but clearly appreciated my enthusiasm. 

Tap a maple tree- CHECK!