How to Make Maple Syrup | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House landscape designer Jenn Nawada heads to Vermont to learn about making maple syrup commercially and at home. (See below for a shopping list, tools, and steps.) SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: http://bit.ly/SubscribeThisOldHouse Christopher Kimball from America s Test Kitchen leads a taste test of maple syrups with Kevin O Connor and Jenn Nawada. Shopping List for How to Make Maple Syrup: - Hookless aluminum spout - Aluminum bucket - Aluminum bucket lid - Large stainless-steel vat or cooking pot - Maple syrup hydrometer - Empty syrup bottle Tools for How to Make Maple Syrup: - Drill (power or hand) - 5/16-inch drill bit - Hammer - Coffee filters Steps for How to Make Maple Syrup: 1. Find a maple tree that has grown to an appropriate size. No smaller than 10 inches in diameter for one tap, 18 inches for two taps. 2. Using a drill and 5/16-inch drill bit, drill into the tree about 1_ inch deep at an angle so that the sap can flow out. 3. Take the hookless aluminum spout and tap it into the new hole until it’s secure. 4. Place the aluminum bucket onto the spout. 5. Place the aluminum bucket lid on top to keep out animals, rain, and snow. 6. When the sap is at its peak flow, empty the buckets once or twice a day. 7. When all the sap is collected, transfer it to your pot and boil it. 8. Put some of the syrup into a cup to test it using the hydrometer. 9. Immerse the thermometer into the test cup until it reaches the hot marking on the hydrometer. 10. Measurements may vary when using a hydrometer, so check instructions for your specific hydrometer. 11. Pour syrup through a filter (like a coffee filter) to get rid of niter (sediment) and collect it in a different pot or pan. 12. Pour syrup into a bottle and it is ready to use. Chris, Jenn, and Kevin taste pancake syrup, store-bought syrup, and fresh syrup from Shelburne Farms [https://shelburnefarms.org/]. About Ask This Old House TV: Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we re ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook. Looking for more step by step guidance on how to complete projects around the house? Join This Old House INSIDER to stream over 1,000 episodes commercial-free: https://bit.ly/2GPiYbH Plus, download our FREE app for full-episode streaming to your connected TV, phone or tablet: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/pages/streaming-app Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House: Facebook: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseFB Twitter: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTwitter http://bit.ly/AskTOHTwitter Pinterest: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHousePinterest Instagram: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseIG http://bit.ly/AskTOHIG For more on This Old House and Ask This Old House, visit us at: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseWebsite How to Make Maple Syrup | Ask This Old House https://www.youtube.com/user/thisoldhouse/