Tap a maple tree

“Toronto life didn’t prepare me for tapping maple trees, I didn’t even own a good drill capable of driving the bit into a tree. When tapping maple trees for sap, a drill more powerful than one for used hanging picture frames is required. After all, the tree is solid maple and not thin Toronto apartment drywall.”

“I decided to tap three maples behind my house this year. I figured since my kids can’t do without syrup on their waffles, why not put their little hands to work making it? [...] The directions in the starter kit were straightforward. Even so, my gut curled with uncertainty in the weeks since New Year’s as the kids ran around celebrating their backyard syrup before it was tapped. I had to deliver. Resolved to figure it out, I laid aside my doubts, grabbed my power drill, and called in my six-year-old, Andy.”

“I am also a first year, up to 8 taps for this first try and 2 5 gallon boils on a gas burner also. tasting our own hand made maple syrup flipped a switch and I am now hooked as well.”