Making Syrup from Boxelder Trees with Lewis Legge

Herb' N Wisdom and Natural Living podcast

It's that time of year, syrup-making season, and so a curious group of us headed on over to the Legge farmstead, where not only grinding heritage corn happens, but also the tapping of Boxelders trees. Legge has been tapping boxelder trees since 2016 and has kept very detailed records each year to perfect the process and taste. Legge first started when a friend of his from Mandan, "who has just as many bad habits as I do, got curious about collecting and started. I said, 'this is going to happen here.'" Legge considers bad habits to be, tapping trees, making rhubarb wine, building a root cellar, and of course, working on his sawmill, among other things. What is a Boxelder Tree? boxelder tree "It's an easy-to-grow, very adaptable tree that is in the Acer family of trees which includes the maple. The wood of boxelder trees is soft and has no commercial value. Boxelder tree facts tell us that it usually grows on riverbanks or near water in the wild. These trees help to shelter wildlife and stabilize stream banks. However, in urban areas, they are considered a type of weed. Some boxelder maple trees are male, and some are female. The females bear blossoms that turn bright green when they pollinate." -Teo Spengler Most people do not care for a boxelder as the tree's wood is weak which does not hold up to the wind or ice storms. The seeds also germinate very easily and can become a nuisance to keep out of your flower beds or gardens. However, they are GREAT for making syrup! What you need to know to tap a boxelder tree, including supplies Tapping a tree is not difficult, but the entire process does take time and attention. Researching what type of product, for instance, plastic versus metal, also takes time. Speaking of plastic versus metal when tapping trees, in the northern country, plastic is preferred as it is cheaper and will not freeze, Legge explained. "You can order your supplies online or look for used. People often try to tap and find out the work involved so you can find taps for very cheap, and most times, they are brand new." Normal prices range from $.60-$2.00 per tap, depending on what type you get. The ones for $.60 work as well as any. Legge purchased some of his lines, which connect to the taps, from https://www.usplastic.com. Please make sure they are food-grade. The lines go into an ice-cream bucket with a lid and hole in the center. The bucket sits on the ground. When do you start tapping your boxelder trees? Legge starts tapping his boxelder trees about the second week in March as freezing temperatures are needed at night and warm temperatures are needed during the day to help the flowing or pumping process of the sap. Then once the buds start to come out, it's time to leave the tree be. When drilling into a boxelder tree, use a 5/16 bit and drill 1 1/2 inches deep and about 2 1/2 to 3 feet from the base's bottom. If you drill into the same tree the previous year, move your tap over 6 inches and continue the same method each year following. Tap into the tree until it bounces. This means you have a good seal. The tap stays in day and night. Once your tap is in, you need some kind of line where your syrup can go. If you plan on tapping over 50 trees, you may want to set up a system where the taps are connected and flow into one large tank or container. However, if you are tapping less than 50, Legge's method works well. Collecting the Sap and What it Looks Like boxelder tree sap Your sap will look clear when it comes out. If using buckets versus having your lines go into a tank or large container, you need to check them often to prevent overflowing. "If the tree is really running, I get about an ice cream bucket full each day," Legge stated. "Once you're in the throes of collecting sap, it's pretty hard to boil," so Legge created a clean place to store the sap using 55-gallon drums with a lid. You can use a screen to get large pieces of debris,