The Official Maple Syrup Thread 2011

[tallpines]

We just got back from DisneyWorld and still have 18 inches of snow on the ground.
I suspect we will get a few more storms before we are ready to tap~~~~~~~
Always a busy and fun time!

[MELOC]

there are trends but no specifics that say a silver maple has to have lower sugar content than any other maple. in general, sugar and black maples produce 3-4.5 percent sugar, red maples produce 1-2.5 percent sugar and silver maples produce .5-2 percent sugar.

however, fertilization and canopy size of the tree can lead to higher sugar content no matter what type of maple it is.

i have made syrup from nothing but silver maples and it was awesome. moreover, the one batch was a very light syrup which should be an indicator that the sap had a high sugar content...it didn't take as long to cook so it didn't turn dark.

the only downside i have noticed is that silver maples make lots more sediment than other types of maples do.

what silver maples may or may not lack in sugar content, they make up for with sap production. my experience tells me they give more sap than red maples do.

[Missy M]

This will be my first year. I'm hear in Kentucky. Not sure when to start? ? This past week it was warm for two days and then the weather is supposed to get cold again. The highs in the hight 20's to mid 30's. HELP WITH WHEN! ! ! Don't want to miss out. I've built my evaporator/fire area and everything.

[beaglebiz]

our local Agway sells the taps cheap, and I use plastic milk jugs to collect the sap

[michiganfarmer]

Originally Posted by beaglebiz

our local Agway sells the taps cheap, and I use plastic milk jugs to collect the sap

reaqlly? how much? are they plastic, stianless, or auminum. I might be interested in a couple hundred

[greg273]

Originally Posted by Heritagefarm

How well do silver maples work? I hear they give less, but still a good quantity.

We tap box elders here, and my friend taps silver maples. The only difference we found was in the color of the finished product, the silver maple syrup was darker, the syrup from the box elders was more of an golden/amber color. Other than that, they pretty much boiled down at the same ratios of sap to syrup, about 45-1.

[Missy M]

Anyone warm enough to tap yet? I'm in KY and it's getting close. One day it's 50 the next it's only 30, so I'm not quite sure how to time it. This is my first year. I'll be evaporating in 6" deep large stainless steam table pans.

[Heritagefarm]

Originally Posted by greg273

We tap box elders here, and my friend taps silver maples. The only difference we found was in the color of the finished product, the silver maple syrup was darker, the syrup from the box elders was more of an golden/amber color. Other than that, they pretty much boiled down at the same ratios of sap to syrup, about 45-1.

Great to know, thanks!

[greg273]

Originally Posted by Heritagefarm

Great to know, thanks!

Yeah, i wouldn't have thought to tap the box elders (acer negundo) until I read Euell Gibbons and his 'Stalking the wild asparagus' book.

I'm still looking for a bulk source of those 2.5 gallon plastic buckets.... I used a hodgepodge of plastic containers last year, would like to unify the operation a little bit.

I only ran about 20 taps last year, I'l probably double that this year.

Oh and I'd like to give a shout out to Willis Woods and his maple syrup/cider farm up by Springfield Vermont. We stopped by, he was generous with his time, gave us a little tour of the cider/syrup house and the rest of his farm. Been in their family since the late 1700's! It was great to see how the professionals do it!

[rabbitpatch]

Originally Posted by Missy M

Anyone warm enough to tap yet? I'm in KY and it's getting close. One day it's 50 the next it's only 30, so I'm not quite sure how to time it. This is my first year. I'll be evaporating in 6" deep large stainless steam table pans.

I'm in East Tn and I tapped my trees today. It was late afternoon before I got a chance to start on it and I only have 4 taps, but I got about a gallon of sap in roughly 2 1/2 hours. This is my first year so I don't know if that amount is good or bad....

Once it started getting dark, it pretty much quit, which is what I expected. We'll see how much I get tomorrow.....

I do have a question about cooking it down though.....I cooked down the gallon I got today but I messed it up (like I said, it's my first time!). It didn't burn, but I did end up making maple candy rather than maple syrup LOL. I know hot syrup is thinner and runnier than cool syrup so I was just guessing and obviously guessed wrong. How do you know when it has cooked long enough without overdoing it?

I did add a little water and dissolved the hard sugar and then cooked the water back out of it. Was just an experiment to see what would happen. I didn't overdo it the 2nd time, but I think it's still too thin.

[MELOC]

it will be thin. real maple syrup never gets thick like king syrup and such.

if you don't monitor the boil with a thermometer or test the syrup with a hydrometer, about the only way to know when it is in the ballpark is to watch the bubbles. i have noticed that the boil will start to "climb the pan" when it gets close. watch the size of the bubbles. when the bubbles grow from @ the size of peas to the size of a dime or nickel, the syrup is about ready.

[rabbitpatch]

Originally Posted by MELOC

it will be thin. real maple syrup never gets thick like king syrup and such.

if you don't monitor the boil with a thermometer or test the syrup with a hydrometer, about the only way to know when it is in the ballpark is to watch the bubbles. i have noticed that the boil will start to "climb the pan" when it gets close. watch the size of the bubbles. when the bubbles grow from @ the size of peas to the size of a dime or nickel, the syrup is about ready.

That's basically what I did the 2nd time...when I "fixed" it LOL. So what I ended up with is probably about right I guess. I got about 1/2 cup of syrup out of a gallon of sap. Does that sound about right?

[sugarspinner]

Originally Posted by Missy M

This will be my first year. I'm hear in Kentucky. Not sure when to start? ? This past week it was warm for two days and then the weather is supposed to get cold again. The highs in the hight 20's to mid 30's. HELP WITH WHEN! ! ! Don't want to miss out. I've built my evaporator/fire area and everything.

The "old wives tale" system was to tap when the snow went soft on the north side of the barn. However, a good translation of this is when the days are in the 40s or so and the nights are freezing or below. Then the sap will run. You need a freeze every couple of days to keep the sap flowing and you need the warming to draw the sap up into the trunk, toward the branches. With all the ice we have, we're wondering how our year will go.
Good luck.

[nobodyUknow]

Originally Posted by akaRach

I can't wait!!

This is going to be my second year sugaring and I've changed things around a wee bit from last year.

Our second year as well. Last year I only did 2 trees but was pleased with the results. I will do more this year. I also bought a new large stainless steel pan for evaporating. It should hold more than the silly stock pot I used last year.

I think I will start tapping on Wednesday.

[Tad]

I am washing up my 4 buckets tonight and going to tap in the am. Only 31 tomorrow but mid to upper 40's the rest of the week. This is kind of early for us but looks like a good little run. Temps back down to low 30's for the weekend but I should have enough sap to work with if we get some cold days, a stock pot on the wood stove isn't the fastest way of going!

[MELOC]

Originally Posted by rabbitpatch

That's basically what I did the 2nd time...when I "fixed" it LOL. So what I ended up with is probably about right I guess. I got about 1/2 cup of syrup out of a gallon of sap. Does that sound about right?

i usually end with closer to one pint from 5 gallons of sap. i would say that you probably need to finish it longer or get a proper thermometer to help you along. a cheap candy thermometer will work fine.

one problem with making small amounts is that when you get to the finishing stage, you may not have enough to cover the bottom of the pan...or at least not enough to allow you to properly finish it. it will burn really quick if you are not careful. i wouldn't even consider making syrup without at least 5 gallons of sap.

another hint...something i THINK i have noticed, lol, is that if you shake the syrup in a jar and you notice swirlies, you probably need to cook it a bit more.

[michiganfarmer]

Its prety warm here too, but there is soooooo much snow it wont let the trees warm up anyway. The temps are suppose to drop back down to freezing for next week again.

IM still not gonna tap till around March 10th. ..maybe the weekend before. Gotta see how much snow is still up against the trees.

Right now Im just organising in the sap house.

[Our Little Farm]

Our temps have not been good this year at all. Unusually mild winter. Already day time temps are high, and this is the first night below freezing for a while. Not sure its even going to get below again.

[Fae]

I want to buy some maple syrup this year and I seem to remember that someone was taking orders from other members last year. Am I right? Michiganfarmer would that be you? If so I would really like to buy some and if I'm wrong I'm sorry and maybe one of you could guide me in the right direction.

[MELOC]

i should be sugaring right now, but i just don't have the energy to do it myself this year. my work schedule won't allow for work, sugaring and sleep, lol.

we had a good warm-up, but i think it is going to get a bit too warm towards the end of the week. typical story for my part of the world. but if you live in the south central pa, maryland and wv areas, now might be a good time to tap.