Maple Syrup

cbla · January 12, 2015, 06:46:32 PM

Anybody doing maple syrup in the East? I did some like 20 years ago and I now have some property with some big Sugar Maples. I cant remember last week let alone 20 years ago and was wondering when it should start which I know is weather dependent. end of February and can u wait to finish the last of the boil process? I have a camp at the property but no range hood. I will do the bulk of the boiling outside but to finish it off I am hoping to bring it back home. say the next day. can u do that?

Gearbox · January 12, 2015, 07:02:54 PM

Boil it down and can it or freeze it . then when you have enough do a finish batch . Just don't hold it without preserveing it . Don't hold the sap very long the bactiera starts to grow guickly { blue or purple color to sap ] and lowers quality . Gearbox

cbla · January 12, 2015, 07:21:45 PM

thanks gerarbox! I have a freezer at the camp, so boil it down throw it in the freezer and finish it off at home?

Chuck White · January 13, 2015, 08:54:25 PM

We'll be getting ready to start thinking about tapping near the end of February.

cbla · January 14, 2015, 06:13:54 AM

Chuck, how long is your season down there on average? 4-6 weeks?

Chuck White · January 14, 2015, 11:45:50 AM

Last year sugaring only lasted a month, but typically it will last 6-10 weeks!

Just depends on the weather!

mesquite buckeye · January 22, 2015, 01:26:44 PM

Mmmmmmmmm, Maple. digin_2

Chuck White · January 28, 2015, 05:18:45 PM

We got our evaporator set up today!

All we lack now is a little milder weather and lots of sap!

gspren · January 28, 2015, 07:55:41 PM

I've never made any maple syrup but just this morning I had some on pancakes with some venison sausage on the side, good way to start on a cold day.

cbla · January 29, 2015, 06:12:54 AM

Is this going be a early year for you Chuck?

Chuck White · January 29, 2015, 10:37:26 AM

Right now, we're tentatively looking at the end of Feb, 1st week in Mar for tapping the trees.

Once they're tapped, it's usually an everyday, all day thing until it's over, unless we get a cold spell where sap don't run (like last year), then we have to keep a fire in the sugarhouse wood-stove to keep everything from freezing up.

sawyerf250 · January 30, 2015, 11:56:30 AM

If you plan to be doing much finishing off inside the house on the stove be prepared to do some major cleaning of the ceiling! lol The last year that l did much with it l finished all of my syrup in the house as l had a little smaller and more of a back woods setup than l should have. It lead to a very expensive cleaning bill and many hours on ladder scrubbing the ceiling! l recommend using a propane burner and setting up outside, or even in the garage...

cbla · January 30, 2015, 04:14:07 PM

I think I have made up my mind to finish off outside.

thecfarm · January 30, 2015, 07:28:11 PM

The wife finished ours off inside. But we only did it small scale. The most we had was a quart at one time. Most times we only had a pint. We would bring it up to 212°outside,which is close,and than bring it inside for the finish part. Most times 15-20 minutes it was done. I posted pictures of my set up ouside. It was mighty rough,but worked.

GAB · January 30, 2015, 07:37:02 PM

I've used the turkey cooker with a 5 gallon stainless steel stock pot in the garage to get some close to finished and then finished it off on the kitchen stove.
Gerald

cbla · January 31, 2015, 12:32:06 PM

that's a nice set up the cfarm

OH Boy · January 31, 2015, 07:42:21 PM

we'll be tapping mid feb this year, which is usual for us. Had a few days that sap could have run but we're not tapped yet. really cold spell now so forecast is right for Valentines day.

Chuck White · February 23, 2015, 11:50:34 AM

We're anticipating tapping the week of 2-6 of March.

We have around 1,200 taps, all on pipe-line!

clww · February 23, 2015, 01:12:33 PM

Almost no tapping in Highland County yet this season. It's been way too cold. The previous three years were the complete opposite.

cbla · February 27, 2015, 05:47:49 AM

next week they are calling for temps of 32f-35f in the day and 23f in the night.

cbla · February 27, 2015, 05:51:30 AM

ok, I read that wrong that is the weather for the March 8-14 week

Chuck White · February 27, 2015, 07:42:33 AM

We will likely start tapping the Maples here within the next 10 days!

Brokermike · February 27, 2015, 10:47:59 AM

600 taps for us this year

Chuck White · February 27, 2015, 07:59:32 PM

We'll have 1,170 or so taps this year, all on pipeline!

Done some talking today and we may tap during the week of 2-6 March.

Raider · February 28, 2015, 07:56:52 AM

Last year I put out taps March 9th, trees still had frost in them. This morn. -27 , might be a while yet!

Chuck White · March 10, 2015, 09:40:52 PM

Got all of our line taps done yesterday, 1,150 of them!

Got all (31) line barrels in today!

Sap actually ran a little today!

bhall · March 10, 2015, 11:27:56 PM

Cbla, wish I had seen your thread here on the food, but did not and started a thread on the general board, I stuck some photo's there today & will provide a few more as the season progresses. My set up is just small time, do it for the family and the shear enjoyment of doing it. A friend of mine does it big time, not quite like Chuck but he is getting there. Makes me happy when I convert the folks that used to buy the corn syrup at the super market. Once they find out what real syrup taste like they are hooked and buy it from my friend. I use it for baking, if a recipe calls for a cup of oil, use a cup of syrup instead. Makes loafs & cookies more moist and taste better. Good luck & hope you have a good season.
Bob

cbla · March 11, 2015, 12:59:07 PM

bhall, I saw your pics on the other thread looks good. I managed to find a guy that bought some sugar stuff ( buckets and spiles) last year and never used it.

cbla · March 11, 2015, 05:51:01 PM

Chuck White · March 11, 2015, 09:33:59 PM

Quote from: bhall on March 10, 2015, 11:27:56 PM
Cbla, wish I had seen your thread here on the food, but did not and started a thread on the general board, I stuck some photo's there today & will provide a few more as the season progresses. My set up is just small time, do it for the family and the shear enjoyment of doing it. A friend of mine does it big time, not quite like Chuck but he is getting there. Makes me happy when I convert the folks that used to buy the corn syrup at the super market. Once they find out what real syrup taste like they are hooked and buy it from my friend. I use it for baking, if a recipe calls for a cup of oil, use a cup of syrup instead. Makes loafs & cookies more moist and taste better. Good luck & hope you have a good season.
Bob

We are not "Big Time" by any means.

The evaporator my brother has is only 3'wide x 8'long.

The Big Time guys will use a 4' x 16' or larger.

cbla · March 12, 2015, 06:14:42 AM

I worked for a guy 20 years ago that had one of those big evaporators. I can still remember how hard it was getting it in to the sugar shack, it weight a ton.

thecfarm · March 12, 2015, 06:20:03 AM

Small time or Big time,it all taste the same. ;D The small time just have to work more than the big time. Kinda like a manual mill and a hyd mill. ;D
I will miss the smell of boiling this year. I have to work on Maple Sunday too.

21incher · March 12, 2015, 08:07:34 AM

I also will miss the smell of boiling sap this year. We have enough leftover from last year to make it through another year and there is just to much snow in my back yard to mess with it. I hope everyone has a good run this year.

bhall · March 12, 2015, 10:05:00 PM

Chuck, sorry about the implication. There is a man near here that is big time, has the reverse osmosis; a big filter press and some one told me he now has a centrifuge, I did not know they were used for syrup. That friend of mine has aspirations of being that big, I never had the desire. It would be more like a job and I would not have as much fun.
thecfarm, very well said, I like that (manual vs. hydraulic) and the smell of the boiling sap is truly a pleasure. Many years ago when I first boiled sap I think I enjoyed the smell more than the taste of the syrup, just something special and soothing about it.
Bob

bhall · March 14, 2015, 01:24:56 PM

cbla, I posted some more pic's on my thread under General Board. The season is starting out slow but it will get better. Wish you luck with yours.
Bob

cbla · March 14, 2015, 05:12:55 PM

Same to you Bob! Nothing happening here until probably week after next as temps are still too cold

Chuck White · March 14, 2015, 05:50:43 PM

It's ready to break loose in this area.

We'll gather around 300 gallons tomorrow, we think!

bhall · March 16, 2015, 09:36:44 PM

cbla, how are the temperatures doing way up yonder ? Hope you get some of that sap soon, sure look forward to hearing that you did good.
Bob

cbla · March 17, 2015, 06:06:18 AM

Still too cold here Bob. 15F here last night and its supposed to stay around 26 - 27 F day time for the rest of the week. Next week they are calling for 37 - 39 F as daytime temps so hopefully next week something will happen.

cbla · March 17, 2015, 06:07:30 AM

calling for another 6 inches of the white stuff again tonight.

cbla · March 18, 2015, 08:09:50 PM

ok the 6 inches turned out to be 26 inches. I am a little tired of winter!! :'(

bhall · March 18, 2015, 08:19:19 PM

cbla, that is crazy, I really feel bad for you folks up that way, we had high winds and cold air but at least no more of the white stuff
Bob

cbla · March 18, 2015, 08:27:29 PM

thanks Bob! I had 3 ft of snow on the ground at the camp last week now with these last 2 storms add another 40 inches to that.

cbla · March 28, 2015, 02:33:36 PM

Sap is finally starting to drip hopefully things will pick up soon.

bhall · March 28, 2015, 07:15:14 PM

cbla this is about the strangest March weather that I can remember having in a long time. Maybe everything will turn to the better, it has to doesn't it. Bob

Chuck White · March 28, 2015, 09:21:37 PM

According to the "weather guessers" the sap should break loose tomorrow and should be good runs through Friday.

Could end up with several thousand gallons of sap! Here's hopin'!

cbla · March 29, 2015, 11:58:12 AM

Bob it sure is! 8 inches of the white stuff came down last night. It is calling for highs of around 45 later this week so hopefully that is a good sign

Chuck White · March 29, 2015, 01:40:47 PM

Weather forcast changed, (imagine that) it's not supposed to get very warm this week, just above freezing.

So...... there won't be a lot of sap.

cbla · March 29, 2015, 05:22:10 PM

Chuck, that's what happened to us last week. I am holding my fingers crossed that the forecast does not change this week.

Chuck White · March 29, 2015, 10:56:23 PM

We had a couple of lines that RAN today, but the rest just dripped.

Right now we have about 150 gallons in the barrels, so we'll gather tomorrow afternoon!

By then, we should have around 300-400 gallons, depends a lot on the wind.

Sponsors:

Maple Syrup

Thank You Sponsors!