What is not commonly known (by non-botanists) is how the sap actually flows. Most tree tappers know that the sap flows best in the late winter, when the nights are below freezing and the days are above freezing. This sweet treat represents life-saving calories at one of the roughest times of the year for survival, but it’s also great for everyday culinary uses. Some of these trees can be sources of water if you get caught outside without anything safe to drink. Specific timing depends on the weather, latitude, elevation, and the tree species you are working with. Throughout the Northern Hemisphere, you’ll see trees with running sap between January and early March each year. It’s a common misconception that the only tree syrup comes from sugar maple and the only places it can be made are the American Northeast and Canada. For many centuries in fact, birch sap has been consumed fresh as drinking water, boiled down into a sugary syrup, and converted into a wine-like beverage in Russia, Scandinavia, Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, and several other European countries. The Arabian explorer Ahmad ibn Fadlān documented the Bolgar people collecting birch tree sap near the Volga River and fermenting it into an alcoholic beverage in 921. Tree sap was collected and used as a food and drink resource in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere for more than a thousand years (and not just in the boreal regions). While it seems likely Native Americans independently discovered that tree saps can be boiled down into syrup, the idea that tree tapping is a unique skill of the First People of the New World just isn’t accurate. After a little experimentation, maple syrup was born.
She gathered this water and prepared a soup – which turned out to be surprisingly sweet. After sticking the axe many times into a sugar maple tree in early spring, his wife noticed the water running out of the trunk. One of my favorites involves a Native warrior practicing with his tomahawk. There are many legends surrounding the discovery of maple syrup in the American Northeast. Here’s what you need to know about the history of tree tapping and the basics on how to tap trees for syrup. Most of us focus on how to make maple syrup during this window. There are windows of opportunity in nature, and one of my annual favorites is “sugaring time.” In late winter, tree sap begins to flow, and from the right trees, this sap can be collected and concentrated into a very special (and very delicious) caloric resource – sweet tree syrup. Maple syrup ready for pancakes and waffles.