Usually, at this time of year, we are enjoying the sunshine in Florida. With circumstances calling for us to stay in town until mid-February, we decided to forgo our visit to the Sunshine State. Rather than bumming out over this decision to remain home, we looked at the silver lining to our situation and decided to get a jump on crafting some Maple syrup.

Usually, we don't start to tap the Sugar Maple trees until the second week in March. Never before have we tapped our trees this early and we were not sure if we were jumping the gun. That question was answered as we sat on our front porch. We saw Timmy, our neighbor, and Maple Syrup-making master, go up the road with at least 150 gallons of sap swishing back and forth in his truck. Timmy produces hundreds of gallons of Maple Syrup every year and is my go-to guy when I have a question. Here are just a few of the trees he taps. His setup is off of the charts.

We need about 4 cords of wood to keep the house heated and to make syrup. Usually, we are basking in the sun from the last week of January until the first week of March. Because we would be home during this period and burning wood all along, we were running low on firewood and didn't even have enough to heat the house never mind make syrup. It's a good thing that Ash trees can be felled and used immediately. Ash is the only hardwood that doesn't need to be seasoned before burning it. After spending a day in the woods and splitting what I had cut into rounds, we were good to go.

Early on the morning of the 13th of February we started to gather all of the items necessary for tapping the trees and for collecting the sweet sap produced by #mothernature.

This huge Sugar Maple tree is located on the corner of our property and is the sap-producing king, a great place to start putting in the 1st of 21 taps.

With the conditions being perfect, the sap was dripping from the tree within seconds.

Drill a 1 3/4 inch deep hole in the tree,
let the sap wash out any residue from drilling,
hammer in the tap,
and then place the other end of the tube into a one-gallon milk jug.

Trees that have at least a diameter of 18 inches can handle two tapes without any adverse effects on the tree.

Trees with a diameter of fewer than 18 inches should only be tapped once.

Here are four different trees that could handle double taps.

I was able to put two tapes in seven trees and one tap in seven other trees for a total of 21 taps. By 2 PM the tapping was completed and the constant drip, drip, drip had me smiling.

After five days I had gathered 37 gallons of sap. With our son and his family coming to the farm for the weekend we'd make the boiling process a family affair. When it's time to make the syrup you can never have too many hands.

Drinking maple sap has many health benefits. From the research that I've done in the past, I've learned that sap is the purest water that one can drink.

• Hydrates Faster than Plain Water
• Full of Plant-Powered Nutrients, having 46 bioactive compounds and strong antioxidants
• Boosts Aerobic Performance
• Naturally Low in Calories and Sugar (and no sweeteners!)
• Stabilizes Blood Sugar
• Maple water contains Prebiotics which are essential for a healthy digestive system.
• Supports a Healthy Immune System
• Strong Bone Health, Maple water contains minerals such as manganese and calcium.
• Decreases Oxidative Stress and May Enhance Quality of Life
  https://drinksimple.com/blogs/wellness/top-ten-benefits-of-maple-water

When we collect this gift from nature we always keep several gallons of sap in the frig. This form of drinking water has been enjoyed by our ancestors for more than 300 years. You may even see it on the shelves of your favorite grocery store.

https://drinksimple.com/

Stayed tuned for the big boil down!