How to Make Maple Syrup | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House landscape designer Jenn Nawada heads to Vermont to learn about making maple syrup commercially and at home. (See below for a shopping list, tools, and steps.)

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Christopher Kimball from America's Test Kitchen leads a taste test of maple syrups with Kevin O'Connor and Jenn Nawada.

Shopping List for How to Make Maple Syrup:
- Hookless aluminum spout
- Aluminum bucket
- Aluminum bucket lid
- Large stainless-steel vat or cooking pot
- Maple syrup hydrometer
- Empty syrup bottle

Tools for How to Make Maple Syrup:
- Drill (power or hand)
- 5/16-inch drill bit
- Hammer
- Coffee filters

Steps for How to Make Maple Syrup:
1. Find a maple tree that has grown to an appropriate size. No smaller than 10 inches in diameter for one tap, 18 inches for two taps.
2. Using a drill and 5/16-inch drill bit, drill into the tree about 1_ inch deep at an angle so that the sap can flow out.
3. Take the hookless aluminum spout and tap it into the new hole until it’s secure.
4. Place the aluminum bucket onto the spout.
5. Place the aluminum bucket lid on top to keep out animals, rain, and snow.
6. When the sap is at its peak flow, empty the buckets once or twice a day.
7. When all the sap is collected, transfer it to your pot and boil it.
8. Put some of the syrup into a cup to test it using the hydrometer.
9. Immerse the thermometer into the test cup until it reaches the hot marking on the hydrometer.
10. Measurements may vary when using a hydrometer, so check instructions for your specific hydrometer.
11. Pour syrup through a filter (like a coffee filter) to get rid of niter (sediment) and collect it in a different pot or pan.
12. Pour syrup into a bottle and it is ready to use.

Chris, Jenn, and Kevin taste pancake syrup, store-bought syrup, and fresh syrup from Shelburne Farms [shelburnefarms.org/].

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How to Make Maple Syrup | Ask This Old House
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