Preparation for maple syrup season already underway in Iowa

Maple syrup may not be harvested until late winter, but producers in Iowa are already getting ready for the coming season.

Emma Kerns, a forestry field specialist with Iowa State University Extension, told the KCRG news platform:

“Fall is a great time to identify maple trees while the leaves are still on them, especially for beginners. Producers really need to be ready and prepared before the sap starts flowing.”

The university has produced a new guide that takes would-be producers through each step of the process, beginning with choosing the right tree.

Among those preparing is Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids, which taps more than 100 maple trees each year. Its maple syrup programmes allow visitors to see the full process, from tapping trees and collecting sap to boiling it down into natural maple syrup.

Eric Hart, marketing manager at the centre, explained that as there isn’t an abundance of maple trees in Iowa, many people may not know how to tap them.

Sugar maple and black maple are the preferred species for producing high-quality syrup, although silver maple and boxelder can also be tapped. Trees should be at least 10 inches in diameter before they are tapped, with larger trees able to support up to four taps.

In Iowa, sap collection usually begins in late February or early March and lasts around three weeks. Since sap contains only around 2% sugar, it takes roughly 43 gallons of sap to produce a single gallon of pure maple syrup.