Practical Mechanic

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How to Make Maple Syrup – The Easy Way!

Filtered maple syrup

Crystal Clear Maple Syrup!

Hi, I’m Richard Tomlinsen! One of my passions is harvesting and making Delicious Maple Syrup!

Making Maple Syrup is a great family activity to engage in as soon as Winter starts to come to an end and Spring begins to emerge! 

It’s not complicated and is loads of fun!

Where to Start?

Check out my free Making-Maple-Syrup-Quick-Guide-PDF “Cheat Sheet” to make harvesting and boiling maple syrup easy!

Easy Quick-Start Guide for how to make Delicious Maple Syrup!
Download the free PDF: Maple-Syrup-Making Cheat Sheet!

What Equipment do I Need?

Check out the Maple Syrup Resources Page for links to the equipment I use and recommend as well as a list of free eBooks and other resources related to making Delicious Maple Syrup!

Making Maple Syrup is Fun and Easy!

These are the 5 steps in Making Maple Syrup:

  1. Identify a Maple Tree and start tapping when the temperature is above freezing during the day, and below freezing at night
  2. Drill a small hole in the tree and tap in a spile; the tree will start dripping sap immediately!
  3. Once you have collected enough sap, boil 5-gallons at a time over a wood fire or propane burner
  4. Stop boiling when the sap reaches 219°F.
  5. Bottle the delicious Maple Syrup while still hot and seal with canning lids or caps!

Click the Pictures below for more details on each step:

How to Maple Trees
How to Boil Maple Sap
How to Finish Boil Maple Syrup

From the blog

Check out the Podcast!

Or listen in your browser:

What is the Maillard Reaction? And How Can I Use it to Make Better Tasting Maple Syrup? – How to Make Maple Syrup!

Have you ever wondered why Maple Syrup tastes so good? How about why Maple Syrup is golden brown?  In this episode of the How to Make Maple Syrup Podcast, we go in-depth into the chemistry of what reactions are occurring at the molecular level to give Maple Syrup its exquisite and unique taste! We start out talking about why no batch of Maple Syrup will ever taste exactly the same (and we're okay with that)! We then talk about what Maple Syrup and Self-Tanning lotion have in common. We wrap up by talking about steps you can take to affect the color of your own home-made Maple Syrup. Download a free printable PDF called “How to Make Maple Syrup Cheat Sheet” here: https://practicalmechanic.com/maplesyrup For links to the Maple syrup making equipment I use, visit: https://practicalmechanic.com/maplesyrupresources
  1. What is the Maillard Reaction? And How Can I Use it to Make Better Tasting Maple Syrup?
  2. Does Tapping Maple Trees Harm Them?
  3. How to Make Crystal Clear Maple Syrup
  4. The Million Dollar Maple Syrup Heist of 2021!
  5. What is the "Jones Rule of 86"? And how can you use it to make better Maple Syrup?

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Boiling Maple Sap to Make Maple Syrup

Happy Boiling!