WEBSTER CITY, Iowa — Hamilton County Conservation is teaching people all about maple syrup, from the tree to the table.

Naturalist, John Laird, organized a fundraiser on Saturday at the Briggs Woods Golf Course Clubhouse in Webster City. Attendees got to enjoy breakfast consisting of pancakes, sausage, and scrambled eggs and learn how to make their own maple syrup.

Eggs were provided by a local family-owned business, the McMurray Hatchery. Laird said several other community groups also helped them by advertising the event.

The cost was $15 per person over the age of 10. Proceeds from the event went to support the local environmental education program, specifically funding new snowshoes and a snowshoe rack to enhance outdoor learning experiences.

The first step is to locate your maple tree and learn which type it is. There are five species of maple trees that are native to Iowa, including boxelder, mountain maple, black maple, sugar maple, and silver maple. Laird says it’s easiest to identify them in the fall so that you know which trees to tap in the spring.

Laird says to tap the tree, you will need a drill, a metal or plastic tap with a line, a mallet, and a bucket. Laird starts by drilling a hole in the lid of the bucket. He then turns his attention to the tree.

According to him, the best side of the tree to tap is the south or west side because they receive the most sunlight. If there are already other taps in the tree, he says to move two inches to the left or right and two inches up or down from the current tap. Then, Laird drills at an upward angle until the hole is about 1.5-inches deep. If drilled too deep, it will scorch the tree and it won’t drain the sap.

Then, Laird places the tap inside the hole and uses the mallet to tap it in. He then places the tap line through the hole in the lid of the container. Laird says it takes about 24 to 48 hours for the bucket to full with sap.

Maple syrup is made when the sap is evaporated. About 40 gallons of sap creates 1 gallon of syrup.

Laird cooks his sap on an evaporator for about 8 to 10 hours. During this time, he stirs the sap periodically and removes any foam that forms at the top. The clear/hazy colored sap eventually darkens as it evaporates.

Laird then cooks the syrup one final time on his stovetop. He uses a hydrometer to measure the density of the maple syrup. He says it’s completed once it reaches 67%.

Many families attended the event, including the Fisher family from Hamilton County. Beatrix said her favorite part was learning to tap the tree.

More events in all 99 counties can be found here.