Collecting Sap

Take sap from mature trees during the first two weeks of March. Bore a hole, the width of your tube, sloping upwards about 45 cm (18 in) from the ground, and insert a piece of plastic tubing to lead down into a collecting bottle through a bung made of tissue paper. Be sure to cork up the hole in the tree firmly after you have collected your sap so that the tree does not bleed to death.

Collection is much easier than it sounds. I collected over 2 litres in 24 hours. However, it is important to ensure a tight fit between the piping and the hole so that the sap all runs down into the jar and does not leak.