The Official 2008 Maple Syrup Thread.

[Marilyn]

I think this is as good a place as any to publicly thank Ericjeepers for inviting us over earlier this month to "help" and watch as he collected and boiled. We weren't much help, but we had a heck of a good time. And then I got to do a short finishing boil last weekend for even more syrup. That stuff is SO good, Eric. I love the sweet-smokey flavor.

You were right, I did over-cook the first batch, it is crystallizing very quickly (but I think I can use it even more quickly!) The second batch is absolutely gorgeous. It looks like liquid amber. I am extremely fortunate.

Thank you, Eric.

[MELOC]

Originally Posted by Happy7Farm

How much would you sell your syrup for if you sold it? By the quart or half gallon. And how much would you be willing to pay for the same if you bought syrup?

i would prefer to fetch $40 per gallon, $12.50-$13.25 per quart and $7-$7.50 per pint. the cost of containers is terrible.

[sugarbush]

Originally Posted by MELOC

the cost of containers is terrible.

Here is a tip.... everything we bottle for ourselves we bottle in empty liquor bottles. The half gallon empty bottles for vodka and wiskey have a plastic seal in the lid that is reusable. We collect the bottles from friends and family members all year long. Then we rinse them well and bottle into them right off the rig while the syrup is hot. They are free and look nice too.

[seedspreader]

Originally Posted by sugarbush

Here is a tip.... everything we bottle for ourselves we bottle in empty liquor bottles. The half gallon empty bottles for vodka and wiskey have a plastic seal in the lid that is reusable. We collect the bottles from friends and family members all year long. Then we rinse them well and bottle into them right off the rig while the syrup is hot. They are free and look nice too.

LOL, but I don't imbibe, and I am not sure how they would look in the Mad Dog bottles that my family uses...

[sugarbush]

Oh... I almost forgot.....don't pack them in the carry on if your flying

[MELOC]

that will look just great on the country store shelves..."Melush's Maple (hiccup) Syrup".

[michiganfarmer]

Originally Posted by sugarbush

and keep the good stuff (grades B and C) for ourselves

thats my opinion too. the darker syrup is better

[michiganfarmer]

Originally Posted by Marilyn

I think this is as good a place as any to publicly thank Ericjeepers for inviting us over earlier this month to "help" and watch as he collected and boiled. We weren't much help, but we had a heck of a good time. And then I got to do a short finishing boil last weekend for even more syrup. That stuff is SO good, Eric. I love the sweet-smokey flavor.

You were right, I did over-cook the first batch, it is crystallizing very quickly (but I think I can use it even more quickly!) The second batch is absolutely gorgeous. It looks like liquid amber. I am extremely fortunate.

Thank you, Eric.

I love everything about syrup, and especially love seeing the enjoyment of people who have never done it bofore.

[Happy7Farm]

Had a banner day today!! We boiled 61 gallons of sap and came up with 1 gallon, 1 quart, and one pint of syrup. We are all tired and glad that we can take tomorrow off to get ready for what seems to be shaping up as another good run tomorrow. So far for the year we have 5 1/2 gallons of syrup.

I am amazed at the light color we are getting. I think this years is lighter than last years from Maine. If I ever get a chance I will post some pictures comparing the two.

[ericjeeper]

I had full bags of ice/sap/ I went out and poured the juices off of the bags then chunked the ice out onto the ground. I started out with about 8 gallons of sap and ended up with 1 full quart, 1 pint and a little bit . So the concentrate was considerably richer. And I did not have to wait all day for the ice to melt and that mostly water to evaporate.
Next year I am going to be setup on not so muddy ground.. It is a mess..

[sugarbush]

Originally Posted by Happy7Farm

Had a banner day today!! We boiled 61 gallons of sap and came up with 1 gallon, 1 quart, and one pint of syrup. We are all tired and glad that we can take tomorrow off to get ready for what seems to be shaping up as another good run tomorrow. So far for the year we have 5 1/2 gallons of syrup.

I am amazed at the light color we are getting. I think this years is lighter than last years from Maine. If I ever get a chance I will post some pictures comparing the two.

I am beginning to think that the sugar content of the sap is lower here in KY. Every thing that you have posted seems to be boiling down short of what it should. 61 gallons should have been real close to a gallon and a half.

The light syrup you keep making tells me that you still have plenty of season left. As the sap starts to dry up the syrup will get darker. Your last boil will be almost black.

[sugarbush]

Originally Posted by michiganfarmer

I love everything about syrup, and especially love seeing the enjoyment of people who have never done it bofore.

I really miss it. In Vermont we start setting taps the last couple weeks of March usually. The snow in the sugar bush is so deep we are on snow shoes while tapping. When I was a kid it ment firing up the dozer and piling the bucket on the old manure spreader that we used as a sap collection trailer. We would push all the roads out in the Bush and start sinking taps in with hand augers....all 5000 of them. It would take us a full week to set all the taps and the minute that was done we would start collecting. We collecte with the old spreader behind a 9N with half tracks because it was not as likely to slide sideways down hills like the dozer. Washing and storing all the buckets at the end of the season would take the first two weeks of May.

Now days we have a gas auger and everything is lines. We have cut back to around 1000 taps, and the rest is tapped by another outfit that is barrowing the trees. The bush is in a land trust so it cannot be leased out for commercial intrests. Our taps probably will not be set this year unless somebody coughs up the cash to replace the pans. Maybe one day I will get back into it, but life and work has drug us off for now
At least I have the scars to remember the good times

[Happy7Farm]

Originally Posted by sugarbush

I am beginning to think that the sugar content of the sap is lower here in KY. Every thing that you have posted seems to be boiling down short of what it should. 61 gallons should have been real close to a gallon and a half.

The light syrup you keep making tells me that you still have plenty of season left. As the sap starts to dry up the syrup will get darker. Your last boil will be almost black.

I will say one thing, we don't have all sugar maples. The one neighbor has some reds tapped that we are boiling for him in exchange for syrup. And our trees aren't huge by any means, most barely big enough to tap. Maybe these things make up for the bad ratio.

Our other neighbor let us tap some of his trees as well and they are huge sugars, at least 3 tappers. We boiled 18 gallons of just sap from these trees and got 1/2 gallon and a cup. That is by far the best ratio we've ever had. I'm ready to pull all of our taps and just boil his sap as it was just pouring out of those taps yesterday.

Next year I need a bigger setup to boil faster.......9 1/2 hours is along time for what we got yesterday. I planned on making something bigger but wanted to make sure that we could sugar here in Kentucky before I spent a lot of money and time. But wait until next year!

[lisarichards]

We are joining the maple sugar bandwagon this year. It just seems wrong to have a farm in NH and not make maple syrup. We bought a 2 x 4 evaporator (Phaneuf) from www.mapleguys.com and just went to Bascom for tubing and pails.

We have 300 acres of woods, and marked out 50 taps within about 100 feet of the house. We hope to tap 100 this year.

We've been cutting trees madly for pasture, leaving the sugar maples for shade, but now I'm worried what the sheep will do to the bark. I might have to pen the sugar bush off separate and just put geese and ducks in there. Not sure!

Bascom was already putting out their taps, but the flow won't start here for another couple of weeks, I think.

[Happy7Farm]

I thought we were going to have the day off but it never froze last night and the trees kept running. Collected about 25 gallons today and we boiled about 18 which gave us just short of a 1/2 gallon of syrup. That puts us at 6 gallons for the year which far exceeded my expectations for Kentucky. Last year in Maine we made 7 gallons so I'm really excited.

[sugarbush]

The maple in my back yard is hemoraging sap right through the bark, my bees where out today collecting it off of the tree.

[michiganfarmer]

Originally Posted by lisarichards

We have 300 acres of woods, .

WOW!

I...I...

WOW! LOL

Where is the druling smiley?

[michiganfarmer]

Originally Posted by Happy7Farm

Next year I need a bigger setup to boil faster.......9 1/2 hours is along time for what we got yesterday. I planned on making something bigger but wanted to make sure that we could sugar here in Kentucky before I spent a lot of money and time. But wait until next year!

woohoo! Sounds like you got the bug! lol

I might be selling my 2x6 evaporator. Keep me in mind before you make one. Mine is made for up to 450 taps.

[legendaryliving]

Michiganfarmer - when does the syrup for sale start - (((drooling)))
We are SOOOOO looking forward to it!!

[seedspreader]

Originally Posted by michiganfarmer

WOW!

I...I...

WOW! LOL

Where is the druling smiley?

Easy Max... easy.