Non-maple tree sap and syrup
A tree with a tap and a bag for collecting sap
Most people know that sap is a sticky liquid that comes from trees and that it can be used to make maple syrup. But what many people don’t know is that other kinds of sap can be used to make syrup. In fact, syrup can be made using the sap of any tree, though not all trees can be used to make syrup that’s safe to eat. In general though, the sap of deciduous trees (not evergreens) can be used to make syrup.
Sap is essentially the blood of a tree. It’s a liquid which carries nutrients (sugar) throughout the body of a tree. The sugar is what makes it valuable. Once the small percentage of sugar in the sap is concentrated so that the liquid is much sweeter and more viscous, that’s syrup. In order to acquire sap from a tree, the tree must be tapped with a tap and a bucket or bag for collecting the sap.
In Maine, where I live, most trees should be tapped between mid-February and early April, though this depends a bit on the species of tree. The most popular tree for tapping is the sugar maple (or sometimes the closely related red maple). This is because sugar maples have a very high sap-sugar content compared to other species of trees. The average sugar maple has a sap-sugar content of 2-3%, which is a lot compared to the 1% you might get from a yellow birch. To get syrup of the same sugar content from a sugar maple and a yellow birch, you would need 2-3x more yellow birch sap than sugar maple sap. It’s easy to see why people don’t often try to make syrup from non-maple trees, but it is still done.
Non-maple tree species whose sap can be used for syrup include birch trees, alder trees, nut trees in the walnut family, sycamore trees, linden trees, ironwood trees, hickory trees, elm trees, and even palm trees. Early last spring, my dad and I tapped some white birch and yellow birch trees to determine their sap-sugar content. We didn’t get enough sap for syrup, but we’re considering trying to do it again this coming winter in order to make syrup.
The syrup-making process is fairly simple, but it is time-consuming. Sap is mostly made up of water with a small sugar percentage, so it just tastes like slightly sweet water. In order to make it into syrup, large amounts of it need to be boiled for a very long time until enough water has evaporated that the sugar concentration has reached 60-70%.
It’s certainly a long, long process to make syrup, but the results are worth it.
Sources:
Adamant, Ashley “27 Trees To Tap For Syrup.” Practical Self Reliance, 20 May 2021, practicalselfreliance.com/trees-species-tap-syrup/.
“Bulletin #7036, How to Tap Maple Trees and Make Maple Syrup - Cooperative Extension Publications - University of Maine Cooperative Extension.” Cooperative Extension Publications, extension.umaine.edu/publications/7036e/.
