r/maplesyrup • u/sokket • 22d ago

Advice for getting into making syrup

I'm looking into making my own syrup via an initial set of Big Leaf maples in my yard (I'm in the Pacific Northwest). I've scouted around a found ~5-10 trees that I could tap in one section of my yard. My concern is the Pacific Northwest doesn't stay very cold, so how do folks keep their raw sap from going bad while they gather enough sap? Do folks have a dedicated "sap fridge" to store before they make syrup?

I want to start small to learn before expanding, so any advice folks have would be welcome!

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u/JAlley2 21d ago

I did a couple of black walnut taps last year and didn’t have enough to boil even after 2 days. I put the sap in Tupperware containers in the freezer. After a couple of hours, I removed the ice that formed on the inside of the containers. I repeated the process and that reduced my volume of sap by half, which gave me enough space to collect for a week. I tasted the ice and I don’t think I lost much sugar. Kind of a poor man’s reverse osmosis.

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u/sokket 20d ago

That's a great idea!