As spring approaches many of us will get out to start our Maple Syrup operations. Wisconsin is ranked fourth in the nation for Maple Syrup production, trailing Vermont, New York, and Massachusetts. Our state produced 458,000 gallons in 2024, up 1,000 gallons from 2023, according to the USDA Wisconsin Ag News – Maple Syrup. The USDA also reports that in the last 5 years, 2022 had the highest number of gallons produced with 611,000. Wisconsin has a variety of trees that are idea for maple syrup production, but the sugar maple is at the very top of that list. Sugar Maples have higher sugar content than other maple trees, like Red Maple and Black Maple. Wisconsin’s climate, with the cold winters and warm springs, create perfect conditions for sap flow. When the temperature starts to fluctuate between freezing at night and warming up to above freezing during the day, the sap begins to run from the maple trees. The reason for this is because at night with the cold, sap leaves the roots and travels up within the tree. Then in the day the sap flows back down towards the roots due to gravity and the pressure within the tree. To process the maple sap, there are a series of steps before it becomes maple syrup. Tapping the trees is the first step, and holes are drilled into the trunks of the trees. Spouts or taps are then put into those holes, which allows the sap to flow out of the tree into a bucket. Some producers have tubing systems that transfer the sap back to the sugar shack. Once back to the sugar shack, it is boiled down. Sap is mostly water, so the boiling process can take a while, but when it starts to thicken and get to the right amount of sugar content (66-67%), then it is filtered and bottled for our enjoyment. A general rule of thumb is than on average it talks 40 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of maple syrup. Early-season syrup tends to be lighter in color and milder in taste, while late-season syrup can be darker and have a stronger, richer flavor. It is estimated that Wisconsin has 3.7 million acres of maple forests, and only a small fraction of those are currently being used for maple syrup production. With the weather we are having, it will not be long before our maple syrup producers in our county are out there tapping trees, if they are not already!
For more information contact Kayla Littleton, Forest County Land Conservation and Land Information Director at 715-478-1387 or by e-mail at .