And just like that, maple sugaring season is here again. It may seem like spring magic, but there’s plenty of science involved when it comes to tapping trees for some sweet rewards.
“Maple sugaring is the process of collecting sap from sugar maple trees and boiling it down to make maple syrup or sugar,” said Ryan DePauw, a naturalist at River Trail Nature Center in Northbrook. “It is one of the many benefits that we get from trees, and it is made from just one ingredient — maple sap — there are no additives or preservatives.”
However, it takes a fair bit of work to turn that sap into syrup.
“Maple sap contains sugar and a lot of water — the tree produced that sugar last summer using photosynthesis and stored that sugar in its roots all winter,” said Keith McClow, heritage experience manager at the DuPage Forest Preserve District. “Now that the days are getting longer and temperatures are getting above freezing, the tree starts to move that sap from its roots up to the branches so it can start growing the buds into leaves.”
If the tree is tapped properly, that sap can be collected as it moves up the trunk. The science is pretty simple — but also pretty specific.
“Maple sap is collected when the daytime temperatures reach between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime temperatures drop below freezing,” DePauw said. “The freezing and thawing of sap that occurs inside of sugar maple trees creates an internal pressure, and when a small hole is drilled into a tree, the sap will start dripping out of the tree.”
Time to bring out the buckets.
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“Sap from a sugar maple tree is roughly 98% water and 2% sugar — this is what fills the buckets that we attach to the tree after drilling a small hole and ‘tapping’ in a specialized spout called a spile that captures the sap surging upwards and directs it into our buckets,” said Jen Berlinghof, an environmental educator for Lake County Forest Preserves.
Now’s the time for more patience.
“We take this sap and boil it over a wood fire, reducing the water content by releasing steam and concentrating and caramelizing the sugars,” Berlinghof said. “It takes 40 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of real maple syrup.”
Cooking it down even further will give you crystallized maple sugar.
Like all good things, however, the sap doesn’t flow forever.
“Once the buds on the tree begin opening up, the upward flow of sap in the sapwood stops, and any sap collected is tainted with other compounds from the newly opening leaf buds that give it an unpleasant taste,” said Dave Brooks, manager of conservation services at Spring Valley Nature Center and Heritage Farm in Schaumburg.
Besides the cool science involved, maple sugaring remains a cultural tradition.
“Sugaring has a long history in the U.S. and gives us a unique connection to nature,” McClow said. “Most people are separated from their food supply.”
Luckily, Chicagoland offers plenty of places to experience maple sugaring firsthand.
Batavia
When: 9 a.m. to noon March 19 and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 20, with tours on the hour
Where: Red Oak Nature Center, 2343 S. River St.
Tickets: $3; everyone ages 3 and up must have a timed-entry ticket
Information: redoaknaturecenter.info/special-events/
“Our Maple Fest is fun because it is an all-family event with a sweet sample at the end of the tour,” said Renée Oakley, Red Oak’s facility manager. “We interpret the process of turning sap into syrup over time, and there is our own Sapwood Corner for younger guests to get to try some of the processes out themselves.”
Sapwood Corner features tapping, drilling, carrying and mock evaporating.
New this year are maple syrup flights ($10) for those who would like to test their palate and take the experience further. Doughnuts, sweet maple treats and hot beverages are available for sale.
“This is definitely a spring tradition — this event is over 30 years old, and sap running in the trees has often been a foretelling of spring weather right around the corner for centuries,” Oakley said. “This fest joins that history as guests of the fest often comment when outdoors they too can feel the Earth ‘waking up’ from winter.”
Deerfield
When: noon to 2 p.m. March 12, March 13, March 19 and March 20, with hikes every half-hour
Where: Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area, 21950 Riverwoods Road, Deerfield
Tickets: free under 3; $6 for all others, advance registration recommended
Information: 847-968-3320; lcfpd.org/ryerson/
Maple Syrup Hikes are a long-standing tradition at the Lake County Forest Preserves and have been going on at Ryerson Woods for more than 40 years.
“We have welcomed thousands of families over the years every March,” said Jen Berlinghof. “Since it happens in the early spring, everyone seems very ready to come out of their winter hibernations in their homes and enjoy the changing of the season and welcome spring.”
Multiple generations of a family can attend together, making it a favorite community event.
“These hourlong programs consist of a brief overview of maple tree identification as well as an explanation of what is happening, beneath the bark, each season of the year in the sugar maple trees,” Berlinghof said.
Participants learn about sap production and the science behind how sap gets turned into syrup.
“There is a short hike into the woods where participants can test out tapping a tree at our drilling stations and check the buckets for any sap flow,” Berlinghof said. “Then we hike to the farm area to view the large evaporator where we have a demonstration of how we cook the sap into syrup.”
And then there’s the sampling.
“The most fun and unique thing about our program is by far the opportunity to taste real maple syrup made from the trees that participants visit during the hike at Ryerson Woods,” Berlinghof said.
The forest preserve is continuing its new tradition of offering a Self-guided Maple Syrup Trail to the public from March 21-31. Informational signs will be placed along a designated trail at Ryerson Woods. Open from 6:30 a.m. to sunset, this program is free, with no registration required.
“This is a great opportunity for folks if they happened to miss out on our guided programs or are looking for something fun to do over spring break,” Berlinghof said.
Northbrook
Sap’s Rising
When: 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through March 19
Maple Syrup Festival
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When: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. March 20
Where: River Trail Nature Center, 3120 Milwaukee Ave.
Tickets: Free
Information: 847-824-8360; fpdcc.com/places/locations/river-trail-nature-center/
While Cook County Forest Preserve’s River Trail Nature Center offers Sap’s Rising maple syrup walks with tree tapping demonstrations every Saturday and Sunday through March 19, the celebration spring’s arrival really ramps up at the Maple Syrup Festival March 20, with crafts, games, tree tapping and maple syrup history.
“It’s a great time for families to get out and enjoy the warmer weather and look forward to spring’s arrival,” said Ryan DePauw. “The process of making maple syrup requires many helping hands and a lot of work in a short window of time.”
Hard work, but with sweet rewards.
“It involves a lot of work including chopping wood for fires, collecting and transporting sap to a sugar shack, boiling down the sap to make maple syrup and bottling the syrup,” DePauw said. “Many sugar-makers would enlist the help of friends and family to make maple syrup and would even make maple candy by pouring the heated sap in the snow.”
Schaumburg
When: 9 a.m. to noon March 19 and March 20
Where: Spring Valley Nature Center and Heritage Farm, 1111 E. Schaumburg Road
Tickets: While the fair and activities are free, advanced registration ($6) is recommended for the pancake breakfast. The pancake breakfast is $8 at the door
Information: 847-985-2100; parkfun.com/event/sugar-bush-fair-2022
For more that 35 years, the Sugar Bush Fair has been one of Spring Valley’s longest running events.
“It celebrates the unique American tradition of maple syrup harvesting/making,” said Dave Brooks. “This seasonal milestone coincides with the end of winter, which makes it even more celebratory.”
The main attraction is the pancake breakfast — featuring real maple syrup, of course — served under a big tent near Spring Valley’s log cabin. The cabin is a 10-minute walk from the parking areas, or you can hitch a ride on a wagon.
The fair offers maple syruping demonstrations and sampling as well as maple syrup sales.
“Maple syruping has historically been a community endeavor, starting with eastern Native American tribes and continuing with European settlers in America,” Brooks said. “We celebrate that community at our event.”
West Chicago
When: 1-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays in March
Where: Kline Creek Farm, 1N600 County Farm Road
Tickets: Free, Those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult
Information: 630-876-5900; dupageforest.org/kline-creek-farm
For a take on maple sugaring 1890s style, visit Kline Creek Farm, the DuPage Forest Preserve’s living-history farm.
“Staff and volunteers will guide visitors through the process of tapping trees, collecting sap and boiling the sap into syrup,” said Keith McClow. “There are three stations that visitors can learn from, and this is a hands-on demonstration so visitors will be able to use the tools to drill a hole in a log and set the tap.”
McClow enjoys helping visitors with the old tools at the tapping station.
“I like when a young person discovers that they have an aptitude for using a hammer,” McClow said. “We do not often have the chance in our modern world to use hand tools.”
If you’d like to try tapping your own maple tree at home, the Timber Ridge Visitor Center sells supplies.
Jen Banowetz is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.