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How to Collect Cloudy Maple Sap

Cloudy maple sap is usually collected after a period of warm weather and often indicates the presence of microorganisms in the sap collecting equipment. The refining process will kill any harmful microorganisms, and cloudy maple sap produces a darker, B-grade syrup. The resulting syrup will have a deeper taste reminiscent of molasses. Collecting cloudy maple sap is a process that is easy even for beginners.

Things You'll Need

Tapped maple trees
1 gallon or larger collection bucket
Cheesecloth
Rubber bands

Instructions

- 1
  Check the weather. Clear sap is usually collected in early spring when temperatures rise above freezing during the day but still remain below freezing at night. The warmer weather of later spring indicates a higher likelihood that tapped maple trees will produce cloudy sap.
- 2
  Check tapped trees. Existing taps and collection buckets will continue to produce sap throughout the spring. Sap collected in mid to late spring will likely be cloudy.
- 3
  Watch the trees. Blooming trees are an indicator of warmer weather and a higher likelihood of collecting cloudy maple sap from existing taps.
- 4
  Go to existing taps. Check inside of the drip buckets below the taps. If the sap collected has a whitish appearance, it is cloudy maple sap.
- 5
  Use a rubber band to firmly attach several layers of cheesecloth to the mouth of a collection bucket. Make sure there is a concave depression in the center of the cloth. Pour the contents of the drip buckets through the cheesecloth into your collection bucket so that any debris like leaves and twigs is filtered out.

Nature