How to Make Maple Syrup
If you want to know how to make maple syrup, boy have you come to the right place!
Hi. I’m Michelle, I’m the admin of the Maple Syrup Making facebook group, and my family runs a small backyard maple syrup operation on our New England homestead.
Read the Rules
If you found this page but you’re NOT yet a member of the amazingly informative Maple Syrup Making facebook group, request to sign up right here.
THE RULES
1. Language, memes, and topics must be “G-rated.” This group is family friendly.
2. Attitudes must be “K-rated” (for kind).
3. Questions should pass the search test. Use the search bar before asking a question. If your question hasn’t been asked recently or you still need information, please ask away!
4. Advertising (and/or blog/youtube/website self-promotion) is prohibited. Please only share such links if they are an answer to a related thread, but not as a new post, in and of themselves.
For more explanation, read “The Fine Print” below.
Can I Really Make Maple Syrup?
If I could learn how to collect sap and boil it down to make amazing syrup, trust me you can too. To help you along, I’ve been writing about my learning experiences and teaching others for many years now.
While the best place to find all the most helpful information in one resource is my book, Sweet Maple, which you might be able to pick up at your local Barnes & Noble or local bookstore. If you can’t find it on local shelves, you can still support your local store by grabbing a copy of the book right here. Pretty cool, right? Or, of course, you can always order Sweet Maple on Amazon.
After you order your copy, btw, be sure to take advantage of a slew of great bonus offers you’ll find right here that come with your purchase.
I’ve also written gobs of info about our family’s mistakes learning experiences learning to make backyard maple syrup. I’ll link to some articles right here…
Click on any image for more info:
Enjoy these helpful links
For a sneak peak into my new book (aff link)–including a few delicious recipes– soulyrested.com/order
To download my conversion chart, for baking with maple syrup: https://soulyrested.com/2019/07/14/substituting-maple-syrup-for-sugar/
To download my comparison chart, comparing maple to refined sugar: https://soulyrested.com/maplesugar/
To sample the delicious maple treats I always recommend to my friends (this is the best maple cream, maple cotton candy, and maple popcorn I’ve tasted anywhere, guys!), you need to meet my friend, Tim. Use code SOULYRESTED and enjoy a free tub of cotton candy ($5.99 value) if you spend $50 or more. Sweet, right?
You might like these podcasts I recorded, all about backyard maple syrup
I host a podcast, Simple Doesn’t Mean Easy, where I often talk about all things maple. Follow on your favorite podcast player right here. Some episodes you’ll love:
Then I’ve been invited as a guest on numerous podcasts. Some of those include:
In this maple-infused episode of Jill Winger’s Old Fashioned On Purpose podcast Jill interviewed me, asking about my thoughts on why homesteading (and sugarmaking!) matters & why this sugarmaker initially had a difficult time with the transition from living in suburbia.
This short episode on Lehman’s Solutions for a Simpler Life podcast, you’ll find out how one sugarbush got started & what’s so great about maple syrup.
This Backyard Bounty podcast episode isn’t about maple, but how to make my favorite drink in the world–kombucha–including how to make it with maple syrup. so I had to include it here. 😊
Then Nicole, of Backyard Bounty, interviewed me about how to make maple syrup right here.
Check out our Maple Syrup Making “File” section
Go to the “Files” link on the left hand side of our group facebook page for some great resources, such as:
- a list of all alternative trees you can tap for syrup. (Some might really surprise you!)
- my free eBook, Maple Goodness, which you’re welcome to download. (Let me know if you try the maple scone recipe!)
- a scientific paper that gives some insight into what to do if your syrup has an off taste.
Sign up for my Resource Library
Here–on my site–I have a Resource Library.
There you’ll find these two books that you may download and print.–>
In the library you’ll also find links to articles that explain things like drilling your holes and which side of the tree you should tap on, to why maple is considered the next food trend, to a recipe for an electrolyte drink made from maple sap. (It’s a great alternative to soda, filled with living nutrients!)
Just take a second to sign up for my weekly-ish newsletter (here or at the end of this page) and you’ll receive a password right away for the Resource Library.
Snag some delicious maple cotton candy, single-serve maple packets, and more…
If I didn’t have my own sugarbush this is where I would be buying my syrup. This family-run maple business makes some amazing all-natural syrup. But Tim, the Maple Dude himself, doesn’t stop there.
It turns out he makes some amazing things I don’t make for myself. So I purchase maple cotton candy from him, as well as these fun single servings of maple-to-go and maple coffee.
As if the sheer maple deliciousness he makes wasn’t enough, Tim is one of the nicest guys I know.
If you’re looking for delicious maple syrup in bulk, so you can use it in all sorts of baking in your kitchen, try out Tim’s bulk-sized jar of syrup. Choose the XXL option, and you will be baking with a full gallon of maple syrup and loving it! (By the way, Tim’s prices are the best I’ve seen for 1 gallon of maple syrup!)
Use code SOULYRESTED and enjoy a free tub of cotton candy ($5.99 value) if you spend $50 or more.
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Pin a library of resources for later
Feel free to store away your own library of resources, via my Maple Syrup Pinterest board.
Join me
If you’d like to peek in, or follow along, on our family’s journey toward a more sustainable, more simple life join me in any of these areas that you like to hang out:
Facebook—link: facebook.com/soulyrested
Pinterest—link: https://www.pinterest.com/soulyrested/boards/
Instagram—link: https://www.instagram.com/souly.rested/
YouTube—link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOLRbLo4lnwJ2nPiL2xtB8g?view_as=subscriber
Click the picture below to see the 3 big difficulties homesteaders (and sugarmakers) have to face and why it’s totally worth it.
If you’ve found this page and you’re NOT yet a member of the amazingly informative Maple Syrup Making facebook group and you’d like to be, sign up right here.
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Feel free to PIN this page, for quick reference anytime. Just click the image below.
The “fine print”
If your post or comment on the Maple Syrup Making facebook page violates any of the 4 rules at the top of this page, admin may delete it. Sorry, but I don’t always have time to comment or justify why I’ve deleted things, but suffice it to say, if it was deleted it was in violation of one of the 4 group rules.
Violators of the 4 simple rules above will be given one warning then automatically banned from the group if they continue with their unacceptable behavior.
The group is not for continually posting syrup making supplies or maple products for sale, or for promoting a blog or business fb page.
If you’re an expert, your input is invaluable to our group, but we realize that even experts (maybe especially experts) will disagree on many things. But anytime you’re commenting in our group, please keep the #1 rule in mind. If you disagree with someone else’s way of processing and if you aren’t sure if your tone is respectful when you reply, then simply DON’T COMMENT.
Note to all backyard sugarmakers, feel welcome and please feel free to ask questions. We’re here to help. Please do use the search bar to see if your question has already been answered and then feel free to ask away!
It’s nice to “meet” you
In addition to being a maple addict, I’m a homesteader in rural New England. I’m an author and photographer, a fourth-generation gardener, mom to four daughters, and wife to my high school sweetheart.
In our 200-year-old farmhouse and on our 14 rocky tree-filled acres, my family often fails at makes an effort to live a little more simply by growing some of our own food, raising a few farm animals, and making our own all-natural maple syrup. But simple doesn’t mean easy. So I’m here as your simple living mentor, to encourage you.
–Michelle & my favorite sugarmaker
