A lot of us had heard of it but never tried it! Tree Tapping is an ancient skill that has long been practiced by Northern nations. It is a way to extract the sap from a Birch Tree. The sap is renowned for it’s invigorating and rejuvenating effects on the body. Historically it was used to boost fertility and drunk as a tonic.
There is only a 2 week window to tap a Birch tree in the Spring, when the sap is rising. It is roughly the first 2 weeks in March but it is very weather dependent and if it is too cold it can be a bit later or earlier if you live in a mild area. After this period the sap has a bad taste and shouldn’t be consumed.
Silver Birch trees have long been a symbol of fertility and health. The sap can be drunk straight from the tree. It tastes very fresh and cold, a bit like slightly sweet mineral water. Everyone on the workshop got a taste and loved it! The tree can produce up to 5L of sap a day but it should only be tapped every couple of years. It is really important to plug the hole after you have taken the sap. Hazel wood is the recommended plug. If you have never tried the sap be aware of allergies and don’t over indulge! Some folk use it to make wine, others freeze it and use it as ice cubes. It won’t keep for more than a day or so, only take as much as you will use.
Take a small knife or electric drill with a 10mm bit. About 1 metre above ground gently drill into the bark. You only need to drill in a couple of centimetres and the sap should start to flow. As soon as it does, plug the hole with the small tap and attach the tubing. Make sure the sap is flowing and connect the tubing into the collecting vessel (we used recycled milk cartons). The sap will take a while so people often leave the tap in overnight and collect it next day. After you remove the tap make sure you plug the hole in the bark to stop the flow otherwise the tree may suffer die back. We took a slim hazel stem and pushed it into the hole in the bark then cut if off flush with the trunk.
It’s essential not to harm the tree so only tap larger trees and always plug the hole. Only make one hole in each tree. Always get the landowner’s permission before tapping the tree. A wonderful resource from nature!
