From sap to syrup at Kane County Forest Preserve

Tim Fuller has been tapping the sugar maples on his Elburn property since February, collecting the clear sap and slowly boiling it down to delicious maple syrup.

On Sunday, he volunteered to give area residents tips for making their own syrup during the Kane County Forest Preserve’s Maple Sugaring Days at Johnson’s Mound in Elburn.

“It’s a lot of work,” Fuller said. “A lot of boiling. But anyone can do it.”

Fuller was one of several volunteers and forest preserve employees on hand to teach people about the evolution of tapping trees and the changing tools of the trade. Wooden spiles guiding the sap flow switched to metal and later to plastic, and hand drills have been set aside for power tools to create the first hole in the tree.

Jessica Mashal’s kids particularly enjoyed the chance to hand drill their own hole in a downed trunk. Mashal, of St. Charles, said her children — ages 10, 5, 3 and 1 — had fun during their first visit to Maple Sugaring Days.

“I’m always on the hunt for something free that’s educational,” Mashal said.

The family planned to return to their own trees and find out if they have any sugar maples — the type that boast sap with the highest sugar content.

Sap flows for up to six weeks in late winter and early spring, and ideal conditions are freezing nights followed by warm days. When the leaves start to grow, sap production ends.

With this year’s mild winter, Fuller said he expects the tapping season to be cut short. In the meantime, he is collecting 40 gallons of sap each day from his 10 trees — enough for one gallon of syrup.

Valerie Blaine, nature programs manager for the Kane County Forest Preserve District, said this is the first year the demonstrations have been the second week in March, rather than the first — a move that was rewarded with warm temperatures and clear skies.

Blaine led tours during the event, which ran Saturday and Sunday afternoons for its 16th year. She and other guides pointed out the distinctive traits of sugar maples compared to other trees — opposite branches, sharp buds, parallel seeds.

The signs of life in the changing forest make for an exciting time of year, she said.

“Spring is really happening,” Blaine added. “When the sap starts running, you know it’s going to be spring.”