Maple Syrup

Land Department staff harvest sap from Sugar Maple trees for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. We tapped 21 Sugar Maples this year and harvested 100 gallons of sap which produced 2 ½ gallons of maple syrup. Sap flow was late and short occurring for a few days at the end of March into April. This may be due to irregular spring weather. Most sap flows from mid-February to the end of March. As harvesting continues, we boil portions of the sap to remove water. The sap is placed in a container once it is boiled down to the viscosity of syrup.

Silver Maple, Red Maple, and Boxelder can also be tapped but you will likely have to harvest more sap to make syrup. Sugar Maples are tapped most frequently because you don’t have to harvest as much sap, the syrup is more sweet, and sugar maples are very abundant. For Sugar Maples, it usually takes 40 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of syrup. In the other Maples, it can take up to 60 gallons or more per 1 gallon of syrup.