I have a large Japanese Maple tree (about twenty feet tall) in my yard and am wondering if it can be tapped for sap to be made into syrup. Is this possible or would it just be a waste or taste bad? If it is possible, can you please provide any pointers that could help me get a good yield and not permanently damage the tree?
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5 Answers
The simple answer is yes, all maples can be tapped for syrup. Some, such as Acer palmatum are a waste of time to try if you expect great taste and volume. This site lists the top 22 trees for the best syrup. Plenty of maples but Japanese Maple is not listed. You most certainly could try. If you follow directions you will not hurt your tree at all. Sterilize with alcohol.
22 best syrup trees
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2Although this answer is 100% correct, I would like to add a comment that Sugar Maples and Black Maples really are your best syrup choices. Sugar Maples produce a higher quality syrup than black maples, and the two combined produce MAGNITUDES more quantity and quality of syrup than #3 in the list.– EscoceCommented Dec 12, 2017 at 18:22
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Silver maple makes excellent syrup compared to "maple flavored" syrup. I did not compare it to commercial syrup. Commented Dec 15, 2017 at 20:10
I made maple syrup from 2 silver maples long ago . The syrup is made from 'juice" that flows when the tree is dormant. When the buds swell and the tree starts to grow, the juice stops flowing and sap flows. Sap flows all summer and of course you can't make syrup from it or they would make syrup all year long. This switch from juice to sap happens in early march in the Chicago IL area. A friend said he could not make syrup from his large Norway maples; as I think back this friend was always late, I expect he tried to get juice too late in the season and got sap - it did not make syrup . So, I think Stormy's answer is correct , all maples make some level of syrup but be sure you are early enough to get juice, not sap. PS ; 20 ft tall is not much of a tree for syrup.
answered Dec 15, 2017 at 21:14
be aware that it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. One tree would only produce a couple of gallons, depending on weather and size of the tree. You would be lucky to get a few ounces of syrup. Japanese maples not usually used for sap as they are small and sugar content not high.
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1Actually 16 :1 makes fine syrup; one cup / gallon of juice ( it is not "sap") . Commented Dec 15, 2017 at 20:08
I have tapped may Japanese Maples for making syrup. Interestingly, there is a distinct soy flavor to the syrup, and we like it for dumpling sauce.
It looks like you can tap Japanese Maple for syrup: http://japanhomestead.blogspot.com/2011/02/japanese-maple-syrup.html