The Official 2010 Maple Syrup Thread.

BrightBay · #**181** 03/25/10, 08:57 AM

Max has wonderful syrup. Much better than any we'd had before. I've even taken to making my salad dressing with it. Olive oil, vinegar and maple syrup with whatever I want to flavor it, like garlic or mustard.

michiganfarmer · #**182** 03/25/10, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gilberte

What method do you use to filter your syrup? I've tried everything from coffee filters to old t-shirts but they all quickly clod with niter and become useless. My best method now is to let it sit until most of the sugar sand settles to the bottom and then pour off into another jug. Curious to know what others do?

I used to use t-shirts, and rinse them out when they got clogged. It was a lot of work, and a lot of time, but I just dealt with it. Once I learned about letting the niter settle, I had much less filtering trouble.

I bought a filter press, and it deals with the niter very well, but it isnt priced for someone making just a few gallons. Even using the filter press, I still let the syrup sit so the niter can settle. That makes the filter elements last much longer between cleanings. If I just filter niter and all I can only get about 20 gallons through the press before cleaning. If I let it sit for a few days, I can filter 50 gallons at a time

lonelyfarmgirl · #**183** 03/25/10, 08:01 PM

the weather has been suddenly excellent, so we are getting a very good run. I let our jars settle, then poured off to get rid of the sludge. then I boiled for finishing, and poured it boiling through a milk filter that fits on top of a mason jar, then sealed it. one filter will do a quart before clogging. kind of slow and painful, but it worked.

Happy7Farm · #**184** 03/28/10, 07:55 PM

MN Gardener,

If you are looking for a good book for a gift I would suggest: Backyard Sugarin' 3rd Edition by Rick Mann. It has alot of great tips for someone just getting the "bug" of Maple surgarin'. I have had the book for about 4 years and read it every year while I sit by the evaporator!

MN Gardener · #**185** 03/29/10, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy7Farm

MN Gardener,

If you are looking for a good book for a gift I would suggest: Backyard Sugarin' 3rd Edition by Rick Mann. It has alot of great tips for someone just getting the "bug" of Maple surgarin'. I have had the book for about 4 years and read it every year while I sit by the evaporator!

Thanks for the suggestion I will check it out. We just got finished with our 2nd batch of syrup. Had the whole family over for pancakes and syrup on Sunday! Sap is really running now, we are going to have to boil again.

michiganfarmer · #**186** 03/29/10, 12:51 PM

well Im done collecting sap. Got a little buddy syrup. I should end up with about 180 gallons. I need to put up more firewood for next year, and Im gona put more trees on tubing. I need to build lots of shelving in the sap house. I want to build a stand for the filter press.

MN Gardener · #**187** 03/29/10, 02:13 PM

180 gallons of syrup??!?!!?? WOW, do you just do syrup or do you do maple cream, sugar and candy too?

seedspreader · #**188** 03/29/10, 10:00 PM

Max,

I assume you're going to consider reviewing the price of your syrup with the shortage that New England has experienced?

michiganfarmer · #**189** 03/29/10, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seedspreader

Max,

I assume you're going to consider reviewing the price of your syrup with the shortage that New England has experienced?

yeah. Im gonna get $45 a gallon this year. if I see the prices skyrocketing I MIGHT go up to $49, but I sure hate to charge that much. I really want low income homesteaders to be able to afford it.

michiganfarmer · #**190** 03/29/10, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MN Gardener

180 gallons of syrup??!?!!?? WOW, do you just do syrup or do you do maple cream, sugar and candy too?

just syrup for now. I have more demand for syrup than I can keep up with. My goal is to make 1000 gallons of syrup per year by the time im 50. Ill be 41 this summer. Id like to make a yearly income selling syrup.

I dont know if I CAN make 1000 gasllons. I have enough trees to make mabey 450 gallons. I either have to buy more woods, or hopefully and preferably, lots of people sell me sap.

MN Gardener · #**191** 03/30/10, 08:13 AM

Geez, I thought it was good that we have done 7 gallons! LOL I have learned that the proper equipment makes it go a lot faster. We have more sap to boil tonight, I think when all is said and done we will end up with 20 gallons. Maybe I will be up to 100 gallons by the time I am 50 (I am 41 too). Although, I think I will keep it more of a hobby then for profit. We'll see how it goes, once we get all the equipment, we might actually be able to make a profit from it.

michiganfarmer · #**192** 03/30/10, 08:28 AM

its an awful lot of fun no matter how much a person makes

**Kris in MI** · #**193** 03/30/10, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michiganfarmer

its an awful lot of fun no matter how much a person makes

Yep, I'm hooked. Two trees, about 15 gallons of sap, and not quite 3 pints of syrup and I am definitely planning an expansion for next year! I find myself suddenly noticing which neigbors have maple trees in their yards and thinking "I must talk to him", "I really should ask her if I can tap her trees next year". . .

This year I boiled down in my turkey fryer. Could have made myself a proper set-up, but couldn't find a pan. Guess what's on my Christmas list now. . . a sap pan!

michiganfarmer · #**194** 03/30/10, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kris in MI

Yep, I'm hooked. Two trees, about 15 gallons of sap, and not quite 3 pints of syrup and I am definitely planning an expansion for next year! I find myself suddenly noticing which neigbors have maple trees in their yards and thinking "I must talk to him", "I really should ask her if I can tap her trees next year". . .

This year I boiled down in my turkey fryer. Could have made myself a proper set-up, but couldn't find a pan. Guess what's on my Christmas list now. . . a sap pan!

Another addict. Fantastic!

Jerngen · #**195** 03/30/10, 01:17 PM

Definitely talk to your neighbors. We took a "country drive" a couple weeks ago and in one area/community we noticed that every group of trees for miles around had taps with lines all going into white food grade barrels which were scattered amongst them every so often.
I have no idea who the people were that were doing all that tapping but they must get a LOT of sap to boil considering how many barrels we saw everywhere we drove in that area.

We've bought from MichiganFarmer the last two years and like his syrup. Will likely order more after our move and we get some funds built up again.