I'd Tap That

Did you know? You can tap into many trees for some tasty sap!

I dabbled with tapping Birch trees when we lived in the far north, and this year I’m trying my hand at Box Elders aka Manitoba Maples. Both make delicious sap/syrup and I hope that someday I'll be able to sample a few other kinds.

We just made a small amount of syrup for this video, normally it would be best to have more sap to work with.  And the initial boiling is best done outdoors.

If you are concerned about damaging the tree you can alternatively use the branch method, which involves clipping off a branch and tying a bottle over top. This can be done without damaging the main trunk, so it is less invasive but will produce less sap.  When finished, you may also choose to seal wounds with some beeswax to assist the tree in healing.

Nature has some pretty amazing ways of providing nutrition, and it's awesome when we can "tap" into them. ;)

Plus syrup provides tasty ways to top or flavour many dishes!