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How Is Maple Syrup Made?
From Wisconsin’s Driftless Area to your table, discover how maple syrup is made.
01
It starts with a tap.
The beginning of the process.
Every batch of maple syrup starts in the woods. As maple season approaches, we carefully tap our maple trees, creating a small opening that allows sap to flow. It's the first step in turning something straight from nature into pure maple syrup.
Tappers facts: A properly tapped maple tree can continue producing sap for many years when managed responsibly.
02
Timing is everything.
The short maple season
Maple season doesn't last long! In Wisconsin, it typically runs from late February into April, when freezing nights and warmer days create the right conditions for sap to flow. Mother Nature sets the schedule, and we follow her lead.
Tappers facts: Maple sap flows best when temperatures drop below freezing at night and rise above freezing during the day.
03
Let the sap flow.
Once the sap starts flowing, it's collected through a network of tubing connected to the trees. A vacuum system helps move the sap efficiently from the woods to collection tanks, where it's gathered for processing.
04
How Sweet Is It?
Measuring Sugar
Not all maple sap is equally sweet! Our sap typically contains just 1.75–3.25% sugar when collected. By carefully measuring the sugar content, we can track its transformation from fresh sap into the rich, sweet syrup we love.
Tappers facts: Finished maple syrup contains approximately 66–67% sugar, compared to just 1.75–3.25% in Tappers' freshly collected sap. That's pretty sweet!
05
From sap to syrup
Making maple syrup.
Here's where the transformation happens! We process and boil our freshly collected sap daily during maple season, removing water and concentrating its natural sugars. The result is pure, handcrafted maple syrup, made right here in Wisconsin.
Tappers facts: It takes roughly 40 gallons of maple sap to make just one gallon of maple syrup!
