How to Make a Maple Syrup Evaporator

At one time, most every farm had a maple syrup evaporator to make maple syrup. Today, most people just buy their maple syrup in a bottle from the grocery store. But, if you have sugar maple trees and want to tap them for syrup, making an evaporator requires no special equipment. You can evaporate syrup outside over a fire like in the old days, or you can do it on your stovetop in smaller batches. In reality, a maple syrup evaporator is simply a vessel that can be heated to a simmering temperature so that the moisture in the maple sap can evaporate.

Things You'll Need

• Sugar Maple Sap
• Large stockpot with lid
• Long handled stainless or wooden spoon

Instructions

1. Pour maple syrup sap into a heavy stockpot and place the pot on the largest stove eye. If you're using a gas stove, any stove eye will work.

2. Turn the heat under the pot to medium-high.

3. Stir the syrup sap until the sap begins to boil. Turn down the heat until the sap cools to a slow simmer.

4. Place the lid on the stockpot, leaving it slightly ajar so that the moisture will evaporate as the syrup simmers.

5. Continue to simmer the sap until it is reduced in volume by at least 75 percent. Stir the sap every 15 minutes to insure that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan or crystallize the sugars in the syrup.

6. Begin stirring the sap constantly until the desired thickness of maple syrup is achieved.

Tips & Warnings

• Maple syrup will thicken as it cools. Test for consistency by placing a small amount of simmering syrup in a heatproof cup and letting it cool. When the syrup is thick enough, remove the stockpot from the heat and bottle before the mixture cools completely for easier cleanup of the stockpot. You can use a large charcoal grill or an open fire pit to evaporate maple syrup outdoors. Instead of using charcoal in the grill or fire pit, use maple or oak wood to build a slow fire. Set a heavy metal kettle over the fire and follow the steps above to evaporate the sap. Old timers had long metal tubs they would use over an open fire to evaporate huge amounts of maple sap to maple syrup. Making maple syrup was a family and sometimes community event.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish