STANDARDS

CCSS: 3.MD.A.2, 4.MD.A.2, MP2, MP3, MP5

TEKS: 3.7D, 4.8C

Tapping Trees

This farmer makes maple syrup in Maine

November 2019

By Jeanette Ferrara

Sweet and sticky, maple syrup is the perfect topping for a stack of steaming pancakes. But did you know the thick, brown liquid you drizzle over your breakfast comes from deep inside trees?

“One maple tree produces about a pint of sap,” explains Kim Schmereif. She lives on a family farm in Maine that is almost 300 years old! The Schmereifs have hundreds of maple trees on their farm. They need that many in order to gather enough sap to make syrup. “It takes 40 gallons of sap to make just 1 gallon of maple syrup,” she explains.

Maple syrup is the perfect topping for a stack of steaming pancakes. But did you know this thick, brown liquid comes from deep inside trees?

“One maple tree produces about a pint of sap,” explains Kim Schmereif. She lives on a family farm in Maine. The farm is almost 300 years old! The Schmereifs have hundreds of maple trees on their farm. They need that many in order to gather enough sap to make syrup. “It takes 40 gallons of sap to make just 1 gallon of maple syrup,” she explains.

Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images (Maple Tree); iStockPhoto/Getty Images (Bucket)

Maple tree sap drips from a tap into a bucket. The sap will be boiled down into syrup.

The process of removing sap from the maple trees is called tapping. The trees should be tapped during a short time in early spring when the weather is just right. Temperatures must rise above freezing during the day but still fall below freezing at night, explains Schmereif.

Schmereif drills a hole in each tree, about 2 feet up from the ground. She hammers a metal spout, or tap, into the hole. The sap pours from the tap into a bucket. Then Schmereif boils down the sap to remove the excess water. This process increases the liquid’s viscosity, making it thicker and harder to pour. It takes 20 hours or more to boil down enough sap to make a single gallon of syrup!

“The most difficult part of tapping trees can be collecting the sap,” explains Schmereif. “It can be very time-consuming.”

After the sap has boiled down, Schmereif filters the syrup to remove any impurities. She pours it into clean jars. Once it cools, it is ready to eat!

“We love adding maple syrup to baked beans, or using it as a topper on vanilla ice cream,” says Schmereif.

The process of removing sap from the maple trees is called tapping. The trees should be tapped during a short time in early spring. That’s when the weather is just right. Temperatures must rise above freezing during the day. Then they must still fall below freezing at night.

Schmereif drills a hole in each tree. She places the hole about 2 feet up from the ground. She hammers a metal spout, or tap, into the hole. The sap pours from the tap into a bucket. Then she boils down the sap to remove the excess water. This process thickens the liquid. It takes 20 hours or more to boil down enough sap to make a single gallon of syrup!

“The most difficult part of tapping trees can be collecting the sap,” says Schmereif. “It can be very time-consuming.”

Next, Schmereif filters the syrup. This removes any impurities. She pours it into clean jars. Once it cools, it is ready to eat!

“We love adding maple syrup to baked beans. It also makes a great topper on vanilla ice cream,” she says.

MATH TALK

What is the thickest liquid you have encountered? How slow was it to pour?

MATH TALK

What is the thickest liquid you have encountered? How slow was it to pour?

Hands-on Math: Measurement

Syrup farms boil sap to make syrup. This increases the viscosity, or thickness, of the liquid. Estimate time and outcomes related to a “race” of liquids at different temperatures.

Materials

microwave • 3 small baby food jars • marker • masking tape • honey • molasses • maple syrup • measuring spoons • stopwatch • pot holders • cookie sheet • books (12-inch-tall stack)

Procedure

STEP 1
Put 3 tablespoons of honey into a jar. Label this jar “honey.”

STEP 2
Repeat step 2 for the molasses and maple syrup, making sure to label each jar correctly with the marker and tape.

STEP 3
Measure 1 tablespoon of honey and put it near one corner of the cookie sheet. Leave three inches of space (to the right or left) and put 1 tablespoon of molasses. Repeat with the syrup.

STEP 4
Ready the stopwatch to time how long it takes the liquids to reach the other end of the sheet.

STEP 5
Tilt the cookie sheet so the end with the liquids rests on top of the books. Start the stopwatch. Record your observations.

STEP 6
Microwave the jars of honey, molasses, and syrup for 30 seconds.

STEP 7
Using pot holders, remove the jars from the microwave. Repeat steps 3-5.