Time for Some Syrup – Tap My Trees Review

Have your kids ever wondered how they get the syrup from a tree? Mine have.

When I first told them that maple syrup was from a tree, they were perplexed on how to get it out. I mean, it is covered in a hard bark, right? So I thought having the opportunity to review the Tap My Trees and their Starter Kit with Aluminum Buckets would be a really fun way to see how it’s done and get a better idea where that syrup comes from and what these great trees offer us.

What is Tap My Trees?

Tap My Trees is the leading supplier for hobbyists and at home maple sugarers. The site provides supplies and step-by-step instructions on how to collect maple sugar on your own at home or in an educational environment. From preparation to cleanup, the Tap My Trees website gives you everything you need to get started and be successful with collecting maple sugar on your own trees.

What we Received

We received a Starter Kit with Aluminum Buckets from Tap My Trees for review purposes. This Starter Kit includes:

• 3 Aluminum (2 gallon) Buckets: Bucket is used to collect the sap as it drips from the spile. Made from aluminum with reinforced hole to hang bucket.
• 3 Metal Lids: Lids prevent rain, snow, and foreign material from entering the bucket.
• 3 Spiles: Stainless steel spile (tap) is inserted into drilled hole to transfer sap into the bucket
• 3 Hooks: Hooks are attached to spile and used to hang the bucket.
• Maple Sugaring at Home book: This guide provides step-by-step instruction (complete with pictures) to tap your maple trees. Includes information on how to identify your maple trees, how to tap trees, collection and storage of sap, uses for maple sap including how to make maple syrup, and frequently asked questions.
• 1 Drill Bit: 7/16 drill bit with 3/8 shank used to drill tap hole into your maple tree.
• Cheesecloth: Used to filter any solids (such as pieces of bark) when transferring sap from the collection bucket to a storage container.

What we Did

We got started by reading the Maple Sugaring at Home book that came with our Starter Kit. This is fascinating and full of information. I read it myself and read parts to the kids. They were very excited that we would be trying this at home. It gives very thorough information on finding the right trees, supplies you need and how to prepare, tap, prepare and store the

Next we got out all the supplies and checked them out. Again, the kids were fascinated and chomping at the bit to get started.

There are some great how-to videos available on the Tap My Trees website that are helpful. We watched them before we got ready to head out. The kids liked the videos too and they were very helpful to me.

We then discussed how the sugaring season is typically February and March; therefore, tapping our trees now would not

The kit states that you can tap Maple tress as well as Walnut and Birch trees. We have Maple, Walnut and Birch trees on our property and the kids were excited to identify the trees that would be good for tapping. We read up a little on the process and our trees and identified which trees we would want to tap. The exact time of year that is best to tap your trees is dependent upon the weather in the region you live in. Here is Indiana, mid-February is the best time to begin tapping for maple sugaring success.

It was explained that sap flows best when daytime temperatures rise ABOVE freezing and nighttime temperature are BELOW freezing. The rising and falling of temperatures causes a pressure in the tree that generates the best conditions for the sap to flow. This process generally takes 4 to 6 weeks for the sap to be collected.

Mapping our yard and finding our trees was fun. We figured out what trees we had and what trees we wanted to tap. This is the maple tree we will be tapping this year.

Since we are not to prime tapping season, we are preparing for tapping in mid-February and the kids are very much looking forward to it. I think this will be a great experience and a fun one for the family as well. All the kids are excited.

What We Think of the Kit

The Kit is amazing! It is very complete, the directions and book are helpful, and the online materials is an additional help with videos and step-by-step instructions. Though the process seemed somewhat intimidating upon thinking about it, the kit and instructions make it look easy.

The materials are very good quality. Hard steel and sturdy rubber and plastic. The hooks and drill bits that are included are helpful to make the process easy.

I was really impressed with the kit and every that is included seems to make the process easy. I’m SO looking forward to trying this, probably almost as much as the kids are.

Have you tapped your trees before?

 

Check Tap My Trees out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and their YouTube Channel. And click below to see what some of the other TOS Review Crew thought of Tap My Trees.  And I can’t wait to update this with our outcome from tapping our trees this year!