It's Early February & That Means Maple Sap Season!

It is February, bringing a late winter tradition, the tapping of Maple Trees. This is my seventh season tapping Sugar Maple Trees. Unlike last year when I tapped them late, I started this year in the first week of February. However, this year makes the first time I didn't tap the big Sugar Maples out front. Last year I didn't tap one of them because it had limbs cut out and the second, next to it, didn't produce. Because of a late start and lack of production early on I needed more to make syrup last year. The tree that was produced was one of the younger ones and because of this, I tapped two of the smaller ones. First I tapped the second of the twin tree (I did the other half last year) and the other was a virgin tree about 10 feet from the first tap tree. 

(Above) Drilling the sap hole. (Below) The two trees I tapped.

The earlier start plus cold temperatures have brought an early bounty of sap. However, with 70-degree temperatures, sap production has ground to a halt. Here's hoping colder weather this weekend will translate to more sap. When it is time to cook sap I will have a blog on the all-day event that cooking is...