The Official 2008 Maple Syrup Thread.

SimplerTimez · #**201** 02/25/08, 07:29 PM

Are any of ya'll going to sell when the season is done? I'm almost out of my store-bought stash and would rather give my monetary units to a homesteader than a corporation. Would prefer the less processed B or C grade.

And if not, maybe you can recommend someone online that you know of that is a small family business or something?

Thanks,
~ST

MELOC · #**202** 02/25/08, 09:18 PM

things began to run again and i was able to make 1 quart and 3 half pints. we have rain coming, but if i still have sap, i will be boiling tomorrow.

michiganfarmer · #**203** 02/26/08, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MELOC

things began to run again and i was able to make 1 quart and 3 half pints. we have rain coming, but if i still have sap, i will be boiling tomorrow.

coolness

michiganfarmer · #**204** 02/26/08, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SimplerTimez

Are any of ya'll going to sell when the season is done? I'm almost out of my store-bought stash and would rather give my monetary units to a homesteader than a corporation. Would prefer the less processed B or C grade.

And if not, maybe you can recommend someone online that you know of that is a small family business or something?

Thanks,
~ST

yeah. I sell. $35 per gallon plush shiping, and shiping ususlly costs around $8

michiganfarmer · #**205** 02/27/08, 07:36 AM

Well, Im starting to get right into it.

Ive spent the last couple evenings in the woods puling tubing up out of the snow, and cutting branches that fell on tubing over the winter.

I bought more mainline last night.

My brother took his 4x4 tractor out through the deep snow in the valley and brought up a small plastic tank that I need to get cleaned up. IM going to use it as a gravity feed tank to feed my new evaporator. I have to get a platform built about shoulder high to sit this tank on, and it has to be sturdy because the 250 gallon tank will weigh 2000 lb.

I have to get 5 gallon buckets cleaned up to catch syrup commong off the evaporator.

Im having my book keeper for my sharpening business come in today at 1pm instead of her normal morning hours so I can go home and work in the woods this afternoon.

Im putting my new evaporator under the lean-to that I build for firewood, and I have to get the lean-to closed in to keep the wind off the evaporator.

It doesnt look like sap weather for a couple weeks, but I have lots to do to get ready.

IM excited

Happy7Farm · #**206** 02/27/08, 07:13 PM

Michigan: I'm glad you are having so much fun......wish we could come help, that way we could get two sugarin' seasons in one year!! Hey! what an idea......maybe I should buy some land in Maine then we could sugar twice every year.

Not much going on here in KY. It's actually snowing today.........I think I will get one more good run but then the 10 day forcast doesn't have any more freezing nights. Some of the taps have dried up as well but that is okay as we are all getting kind of tired. I have about 20 gallons to boil up tomorrow.

SimplerTimez · #**207** 02/28/08, 07:43 AM

How long will a gallon last please? Is there a proper way to store it so that it doesn't get mold or something on it? I've had store bought bottles do that before, so I thought I'd ask in advance

I don't usually refrigerate it, just keep it in the pantry.

It sure is fun watching ya'll talk about all this. I hope to see it in person some day, if not my own (not likely but...), at least to see how others do it. Thanks for sharing your ups and downs.

michiganfarmer · #**208** 02/28/08, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SimplerTimez

How long will a gallon last please? Is there a proper way to store it so that it doesn't get mold or something on it? I've had store bought bottles do that before, so I thought I'd ask in advance

I don't usually refrigerate it, just keep it in the pantry.

It sure is fun watching ya'll talk about all this. I hope to see it in person some day, if not my own (not likely but...), at least to see how others do it. Thanks for sharing your ups and downs.

if ti is canned, and kept sealed it wil stay good for at least a year. If it is open it needs to be refrigerated, or I dont think it will last more than a month.

MELOC · #**209** 02/28/08, 10:09 AM

i have maple syrup from my first attempt in 2006. it is canned in jars and is in perfect shape.

i made another quart and a half yesterday. i'm just not getting the sap i expected. i have already freshened over half of the taps and i plan to freshen the rest today as it has been close to a month since i first tapped some of them. i feel the pressure of the sap running downhill is just not great enough to overcome some of the level areas of the tapline. i used 1/2 inch as mainline. i have a "y" on the hill where one branch goes up a nice slope, but the other runs level in another direction. when i freshened the level line taps, i noticed pressure and sap probably coming from the uphill branch. i can't help but to wonder if i would have better luck with larger mainline after the "y"?

just a little experiment for those of you with 5/16 tubing. i ran 5/16 @ 100 feet from my barrel to my pan. it has a few dips (as i didn't think this tube needed to be level to drain sap from my barrel to my pan). when the barrel has lots of sap, it has plenty of pressure to push the sap to my pan. if the barrel is low, the sap stays in place. so i tried to drain the line just to be able to purge all old sap. i decided to blow into the tube to push the sap out...LOL. yeah right! try to blow the sap out of a 100 foot 5/16 tube that has a few dips in it. the back pressure is incredible! this tells me that should try to remove any dips...especially on the level sections. it also suggests that perhaps 1/2 inch was not meant to be used like i am using it.

i have an idea for a homemae vaccuum pump that i may try next year. i have a creek right next to my house. i was thinking of using 4 inch plastic pipe 10-20 feet long and running a 1-2 inch "t" on the top in the middle. the water rushing through should cause a vaccuum in the smaller pipe. the vaccuum should be constant and i should be able to pipe it to my barrel area. i just need to find a way to plumb a container to accept the 1/2 inch mainline, the vaccuum pipe and a drain. i then need to find a way to drain the container into my barrel on a regular basis. a little bit of vaccuum may help move that sap through the lines.

SimplerTimez · #**210** 02/28/08, 10:31 AM

Thanks for the storage info. I don't know how to can yet :/ Maybe I'll just put it in sterlized jars in the back of the fridge once opened.

MELOC · #**211** 02/28/08, 10:38 AM

heat the jars in an oven or the microwave. i heat them in the oven at 200 F, or if i just need one jar to pack the end of a run, i heat it in the microwave for a minute and a half.

heat the syrup to at least 180 F and fill the hot jars. place on the lid and ring and screw it tight. then invert the jar for a few seconds so the hot syrup heats the lid. let them sit right side up until they cool and seal. enjoy years later if you need to.

one note...be sure the lid and ring is on tightly befor you invert the jar as the hot syrup can squirt out and burn you if the lid is loose.

SimplerTimez · #**212** 02/28/08, 10:44 AM

Thanks Meloc

At least when I buy it now I won't waste it. I'm the only one in the house that likes it. Mix it with marscapone cheese for icing, put it on cereal, and of course the obvious, on biscuits and pancakes and the like. I'm saving your instructions.

Happy7Farm · #**213** 02/28/08, 03:46 PM

[QUOTE=SimplerTimez;2901208]Thanks Meloc

I'm the only one in the house that likes it. (QUOTE)

Simplertimez: Could you explain to us all exactly what is wrong with the rest of your house!!!!

Also, if your syrup does get mold on it just scrape off the mold and heat the syrup to 180 degrees and scrape off any other scum on the top and you are good to go. (At least that is the instuctions on the maple syrup jugs!)

SimplerTimez · #**214** 02/28/08, 04:23 PM

They like that nasty store stuff, fakey thick syrup - everyone says the real deal is 'too thin'. I love the real deal

Thanks for the tip on reheating if I ever have that again.

ericjeeper · #**215** 03/01/08, 12:28 PM

It is just beginning to steam off in the pan now. Well most of it is.. I have to add the last 10-12 gallons once it makes some room in the pan. I should have over a gallon this batch as I left some ice clunkers in the sap saks. and only took the sugary sap. Give the deer something to lick on.Maple flavored frozen snacks.

Happy7Farm · #**216** 03/01/08, 05:53 PM

We collected 38 gallons of sap today and most of the big trees are still dripping pretty good. Most of our taps have dried up and the only ones running good are on the neighbors property. We are looking at one more big day of boiling tomorrow afternoon. Then we will probably pull most of the taps. I think I will leave the ones on the neighbors land in a few more days as we didn't tap them until about half way through our season, plus they are BIG producers compared to ours.

MELOC · #**217** 03/01/08, 06:19 PM

i had another little freeze. not much has happened this week. it started to trickle a bit today. i really wish i had some vaccuum to use with this tubing. i think it would help a lot. i refuse to run buckets, lol. i may tap a few as i have about a dozen taps left. i just need to find a way to haul it around.

seedspreader · #**218** 03/01/08, 06:44 PM

Still haven't tapped hear... waiting another week or so, then we should hit tappin' time.

Happy7Farm · #**219** 03/02/08, 03:51 PM

Well, I only had it me to boil 25 gallons this afternoon.........what a gorgeous day it is here in Kentucky! We got a little over a 1/2 gallon of syrup. I will probably boil 25 more gallons in the morning........maybe!

sugarbush · #**220** 03/03/08, 05:27 AM

Is the syrup getting darker yet? I think with the up coming weather things may start to dry up for you.

Although I did cut a maple down in May a couple years back and when the saw hit the sap wood so much sap came out I thought the chainsaw had a gas leak. Maybe it will flow that long for you!