Maple Syrup Report

Frank_Pender · March 19, 2006, 09:17:29 PM

Well my $125 quart jar is now all gone. I used it up on my Oatmeale that last several days. :( Most expensive sweetner I ever purchased; aside from Alice. 8)

Dana · March 20, 2006, 06:43:52 AM

Frank, If you will pay me $125.00 per quart,

I can get that sap pan real quick.

breese · March 20, 2006, 07:20:05 AM

My father and I have about 250 taps out. Had a pretty good run in late February and made about 8 gallons. Couple other small runs here and there but nothing huge. First day of spring and we have about 4 inches of new snow and 18 degrees this morning. Warmer temps forecast for later in the week, fingers crossed.

Frank_Pender · March 20, 2006, 09:17:58 AM

Dana, I can't afford any more such things. Sorry. :'(

junkyard · March 20, 2006, 12:28:40 PM

Any body that wants to make maple syrup should check out the maple forum.
Lots of Ideas on home made rigs.
For several years I have used a 55 gallon drum laid on its side. Cutoff the top third as it lays on its side door in the end which was originaly the top. A smoke pipe hole on the other end. and two galvanized pans. Warning if you scorth the pan the zink will be in the syrup do not use it. as long as it dosen't scrortch the pan the syrup is good.
Late dark syrup is often buddy. The best is from a small operation that is in the middle of the season but because of there equipment th syrup is not finished as fast.
We are all tapped but no sap yet.
Junkyard in the middle of maple country Town of Croghan Lewis County New York

Dana · March 20, 2006, 12:30:53 PM

Frank, Maybe you can. ;) If thats really what its going for out there, you and I can both make some money and you can enjoy some "free syrup" as well. P.M. me if interested. Dana

Frank_Pender · March 20, 2006, 03:15:11 PM

Dana, the quart I purchased was one of the first items put on the block to support the Forum. I really gotcarried away. There was a ringer somewhere in the woodpile and I "bought" into the bidding by saying to myself, "They are not going to get the DanG syrup. Boy did it get the syrup. :'( :'( :'( :'(

beenthere · March 20, 2006, 04:43:12 PM

Frank kept some other poor bidder from getting that syrup. No matter what Frank, we won't feel sorry for you ;D
Glad you enjoyed it too.

You did good and it was all for the FF.

SwampDonkey · March 20, 2006, 04:46:17 PM

Gee Frank, you lapped that up as if it were the last drop. And just last week they announced and over supply of the stuff on the market. :D :D

Lenny_M · March 20, 2006, 08:23:54 PM

I wait until the last end of the run.
the darkest amber workes for me.

like near time to give up for the season and clean the pans. 8) 8) 8)
Dark and Flavor 8)

Dana · March 21, 2006, 07:41:54 AM

Frank, If that syrup was for the support of the forum, it was worth every penny spent. 8) It sure is nice to see how the members all chip in to make this forum what it is. 8) 8) 8)

Don_Papenburg · March 21, 2006, 08:08:49 AM

Swampy , They do that with all farm products to keep the price down and the producer poor .

junkyard · March 21, 2006, 12:02:12 PM

Talked with one of the big producers last night. ( 6000 + taps ) Maple weekend this week he has about 800 gallons of sap no new or old syrup . Even opened the last gallon of house syrup. Still to cold to run maybe this weekend it will warm up.
Junkyard

maple flats · March 21, 2006, 09:44:26 PM

I have 300 taps in and have only gotten 327 gal sap total. That is less than 1 good day, BUT I think it will start running tomorrow and then run everyday for about 10 days if the accuweather forcast becomes reality. This would give me a good year after the worst start ever. Most of my woods trees have not even run yet. These were tapped in the last week, my open trees were tapped about 3 weeks ago and the first 100 were tapped almost 4 weeks ago. I should have had about 75-80 gal of syrup with 300 taps. In my early years I made almost .35 gal/tap and my sugar % usually averages over 3% for the total season. 3% means it takes just over 28 gal sap for 1 gal syrup. What little I have gotten this year has averaged 2.75% sugar. I have only made 1 batch of syrup and it was dark amber. The color grades are: light amber (= Vermont Fancy)= very delicate maple flavor, medium amber= more full maple flavor and dark amber = robust maple flavor. Then comes grade b, dark for cooking, this is the strongest maple flavor and some people like it best of all of them. This is also the one used commercially on the imitation syrup that says is "contains real maple" meaning they put a few drops of the commercial dark in for taste and the rest is usually corn syrup or some other type syrup that needs a boost.
If the forcast is correct i will be boiling for at least 12-16 hrs a day for several days in a row on my little 2' x 6' evaporator. The faster it runs the more likely a smaller producer like myself is to make some light amber. Mine gets treated with UV which helps make lighter but I still need volumn to get it because I need to boil it very fast and longer boils and not have start ups and shut downs in order to get lighter grades. After the next week I will most likely have enough to sell all who want some and except what I told Jeff I would donate to the FF auction it is much more reasonable than what Frank paid in support of the forum. I'm not sure what I will be able to process after next Monday as my wife goes in for cancer surgery on Tuesday and my duties change instantly at that time.

Dana · March 22, 2006, 06:03:04 AM

Maple Flats, Let your wife know we are all wishing her the best.

Russ · March 22, 2006, 08:33:15 PM

I tapped in January ? Been checking 85 buckets for two months. Burnt a couple gals, and bottled about 5 gals. Only had one real good run, hope for another before the seasons done. This forum is still the best on the web!!

Dana · March 23, 2006, 07:00:37 AM

Russ is that photo to the left of your dog? We have a Dalmation who has been a great dog with the kids.

blueox · March 23, 2006, 10:53:01 AM

I have a question....I have a jug of maple syrup in my fridge, we use it occassionally, but its been there about 6 months. I realized that it had a funny odor, when I looked in the jug it was "thick"...I didn't think maple syrup spoiled, but this obviously has. Can it be re-boiled or should it be dumped??

Thanks Laurel

SwampDonkey · March 23, 2006, 10:59:23 AM

Some time maple syrup will get a pennicilium (sp) mold on the top when you open it and aren't using out of it. That won't hurt ya unless your alergic. If it has gone cloudy or something the jar might not have been sterilized and I'de toss it, especially if it stinks. It might have even been late buddy sap too.

junkyard · March 23, 2006, 04:15:25 PM

Running today!!! South side of the hill is running, We can dump ice tonight.For you guys that dont know the ice is just water the sap in the bucket didn't freeze as hard and melts before the water. It is a lot sweeter and makes syrup faster. Should have syrup tomorrow, then pancakes , jonny cake, sweet sap coffee, maple walnut ice cream with syrup on it, sugar cakes and all the rest. Just woke up from heven here on earth ( in the sugar shanty ) Can,t have that good stuff no more Diabetes. Well I can dream any way, and so far the smell dosen't affect the sugar count.
Junkyard

Russ · March 23, 2006, 06:54:47 PM

Yes Dana, this is our dog Oreo. She's good with the kids also. Had to get a barking collar for her. She barked so much my neighbor had to go to church and pray about it, his words not mine. I was going to have to give her up when someone at petco told me about a barking collar. Worth every penny, and my neighbor don't have to go to church any more!!!

wiam · March 23, 2006, 09:50:20 PM

Blueox just heat it up to boiling and skim off any gunk on top. Then it will be fine. Syrup will keep for a lot longer in the freezer.

Will

Vermonter · March 23, 2006, 11:28:28 PM

Another half gallon tonight. Heading south tomorrow, hope I have enough capacity to store sap while I'm gone. I don't need the lighter grades now that I filled the gift packages. I shop for the thinnest, widest bottles. My grammy taught me that trick.

Coon · March 24, 2006, 01:24:10 AM

Well, I guess it's time for an update of what I have got going here. So far this year it has been pretty slack and not much happenin until the past two days, where all h&!! has broken loose. I have a total of 168 taps out all of which I now have in the white birch. I pulled the taps out of the maple because they weren't producing the sap a well as the birch. During the last two days run I have ran approximately 300 gallons of sap through my hillbilly setup. The syrup is in the medium amber class of which I am getting 1 gallon from about 78 gallons of sap. I do not know what the sugar % would be. I have burnt almost 6 cords of slabwood and dry spruce and aspen woods. The two evaporator pans average about 6 gallons of sap/hr and I must keep a close watch on the liquid in the pans and keep stoking the fire at the same time. Got a friend coming to help me in the morning collecting the sap and am going to show him how the evaporating works.
A 15 hr day is a little too long for me with my back so, the bed is already calling my name.

Bidders get ready. Once the sugaring season comes to a close be prepared for a bidding frenzy of the finest syrup you ever did taste. Once you try the birch syrup you'll never go back to maple.

:D

Brad.