Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Bob Waelde taps maple and walnut trees from mid February to get enough sap to make maple and walnut syrup.

•March 6, 2019•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

The bitter cold of February sends most of us scurrying to the warmth of our homes, but Bob Waelde ventures forth to collect buckets of sap from maple and walnut trees to make maple syrup.
Why does he do it?
“My grandfather used to make maple syrup and, as a child, I would follow him around as he collected his buckets,” Waelde recalled. “About five years ago I decided to try making my own.”
The process of making maple syrup today is the same as it was hundreds of years ago when Native Americans introduced it to early immigrants. Waelde took me through his particular process.
Collecting the sap usually begins in February and runs six weeks into March. The flow is best when below freezing nights are followed by above freezing, sunny days. When the nightly freezes end and the trees begin to bud, the season is over.
Maple and walnut trees are the best, Waelde explained. You may also use birch, but the sap flow isn’t as good. According to articles found on the internet the tree should be about 40 years old and 15” in diameter (not circumference). The larger the tree the more taps may be inserted but usually no more than three. A healthy tree can produce a gallon a day on a good day. Read More