Rhode Island Couple Tapping Trees for Syrup

A Rhode Island couple has figured out how to tap the trees in their own backyard and make maple syrup.

You can Google how to do just about anything, but it took some real gumption for Kathy and Toby Baker to figure out how to tap into some of the trees in their own yard and turn the sap into edible syrup they could pour on their pancakes.

Now don't get any ideas about the trees in your backyard; the Bakers got lucky and happen to have some sugar maples on their property.

They did some research and needed to buy a few items to make it all work. They said they invested about $500 in items like a wood fire evaporator and few other items to drain and store the sap.

"We will collect sap and when we get about 40 gallons, we will start boiling it down to evaporate two to four gallons an hour. When the sap reaches 219 degrees, you've got maple syrup," Toby said.

They started this process in the winter, as you can tell by the photos with snow on the ground.

It sounds easy, but it takes weeks of preparation and lots of patience in waiting for the right environment for tapping the trees and harvesting the sap.

It's pretty awesome to be able to turn sap to syrup. I'm still waiting on my taste test.

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Growing fruits, vegetables and seasonings in your yard is becoming more common to save money on groceries, but this takes takes it to a whole new level.