Sap on tap at Ryerson

The journey from sap to syrup once again begins Saturday at Ryerson Conversation Area.

Maple syrup hikes will be offered every weekend through March 16 at the forest preserve, 21950 N. Riverwoods Road, Deerfield.

The hikes begin every half-hour starting at 12:30 p.m. The last hike begins each day at 2:30 p.m.

The program begins indoors at the Brushwood Visitors Center where staff will explain how to identify a sugar maple tree and how syrup is made.

In early spring, sap made the previous summer and stored in the tree's roots moves to the branches. The sap is made up of 97 percent water, 2 percent sugar, and 1 percent other minerals. The sap is extracted by tapping into the tree and using spouts and buckets.

The temperature outside determines how much sap can be extracted. For the sap to flow, the temperature must be below freezing at night and above freezing during the day with much sun and little wind. This condition creates pressure to pull the sap from the roots to the branches.

Hikers can then come outside to get a closer look at the process. They will see a maple sugar bush, visit a drilling site, practice hand drilling and, depending on the temperature, see sap flow.

At the end of each hike, everyone can taste the maple syrup made in Lake County.

The hikes are the only chance the public gets to taste the syrup, as the forest preserve does not sell it.

The cost is $7 or $5 for Lake County residents. Registration is required. For more information, call (847) 968-3321.