It’s that time of year again when the days begin to stay above freezing and the night-time temperatures fall below 32 degrees.  We’ve been looking forward to tapping our beautiful maple trees for weeks now!

The health benefits of this nutrient-filled water are numerous and it’s something I just discovered last year. Phil and I began with five mature maples back in our woods and gathered nearly 100 gallons of maple water that we either drank right out of the tree, heated for tea, or boiled down for syrup. It was such a joy to walk back into the woods, sometimes several times a day when the sap was running at its highest, listen to the birds sing, and gather jugs of this precious liquid.

It takes 40 gallons of maple water to produce one gallon of syrup. We enjoyed the refreshing, slightly-sweet taste of the raw maple water so much that we drank more than half of the entire sap harvest! The maple syrup was delicious and we ended up with a gallon, divided up into smaller jars.

After learning the health benefits of drinking the maple water straight from the tree, and the cost to buy maple water online ($30/gallon plus), we gained a new appreciation for our maple trees!

• Maple water… improves symptoms of osteoporosis
• Prevents gastric ulcer formation
• Lowers blood pressure
• Prevents hangovers
• Supports a healthy immune system
• Contains antioxidants

If you find yourself craving this refreshingly cold sap from the tree, check in your yard or woodlot for the stately maple and invest a few bucks in some tap lines, roughly $30 for ten taps with tubing as seen in the “tap lines” link. The investment will be paid for with the first gallon of maple water!

A tree should be at least 10 inches in diameter, measured at 4 1/2 feet above the ground, before tapping. Trees between 10 and 20 inches in diameter should have no more than one tap per tree. A second tap may be added to trees between 20 and 25 inches in diameter.

Signing off for now… the delicious aroma of maple water boiling on the wood stove is spreading its sweet fragrance of maple syrup throughout the entire house. Who wants a stack of blueberry pancakes?? YUM!!! 😀

Please comment below if you have any questions and feel free to add your own experiences with the benefits of maple water or syrup. Cheers to good health!

SAVE THE TREES!