January-February 2023 • Nebraskaland 31
because it warms under the sun.
Lightly hammer a spile into this hole
until it fi ts snugly. Sap should start
dripping almost immediately. Place a
milk jug onto the spile, and then move
on to the next tree.
Hejl collects sap daily, removing the
jug and pouring the sap through a fi ne
mesh strainer into a clean 5-gallon
bucket. This removes any bark or bugs
that may have gotten into it. Then
replace the jug.
"When I get home, I put the bucket
of sap into the fridge," Hejl said. "Treat
the sap as if it was milk."
Sap will last about 10 days in the
fridge, or you can freeze it until you
have time — and enough — to make
syrup.
You can tap trees until buds appear
on them and leaves are on the verge of
forming. This is the end of the season,
when you should remove your spiles.
According to tree experts, the tree
will then heal itself naturally over
time from the drilling. If you tap the
same tree again next year, drill about 6
inches away from previous holes.
Making the Syrup
It takes 10 to 15 gallons of sap to
make 1 quart of syrup and 40 to 62
gallons to produce 1 gallon. But once
you have enough, the process is simple.
Pour the sap into a stainless-steel
pot and boil it until the excess water
is gone and just sugary syrup remains.
Keep in mind, you can add sap
Hejl gathers black walnut tree sap in jugs and pours it through a strainer into 5-gallon buckets.
