As we “allegedly” approach “spring,” some of you might interested in trying your hand at tapping birch! If you didn’t know, northern birch can be tapped similar to maple trees, also allowing the tapper to produce birch syrup.
We’ve tried our hands at this, quite a few times. Enough, that we’ve been able to refine the “beginner” process quite a bit. We wrote up a full guide on the tapping process and processing effort, which you’ll find linked down in the comments.
The right time to tap those trees can be determined in a few different ways. Our general experience has shown it’s right as the snow recedes from the base of the tree. It’s important to be prepared for it as you only have a period of two or three weeks to get your tapping done!
The birch sap can certainly be consumed on its own, almost tasting like a lightly sweetened coconut water. But, a popular preparation is to boil that sap down to the point where you create birch syrup. It’s super rare, with only about 1,500 gallons produced world wide each year!
Unlike maple syrup, birch sap requires a significant reduction through boiling to achieve syrup. It can take a lot of time, so our guide also provides tips on how to do it in phases, making it manageable over a period of time.
We usually tap our birch once every 2 or 3 years, trying to make enough to last for several years. We’re due either this season or next for another tapping season, fortunately we have a few more weeks to figure it out!
