Maple Syrup Time

[Jim Timber]

Fresh cut stumps are still dry at my place. Only the top couple inches of bare dirt is getting soft in the sun. I don't think we'll get much flow until more frost comes out.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Fresh cut stumps are still dry at my place. Only the top couple inches of bare dirt is getting soft in the sun. I don't think we'll get much flow until more frost comes out.

Same here in western Mass. We had a crazy winter...the kid you hear old-timers talk about "back in the day." Too much snow for even my snowmobile to get out to my sugarbush. I think the season will be delayed this year by several weeks. Then we'll get a short window of sap flow before rising temps. shut it back down again.

 

[dipper]

You don't have to hinge everything, leave the better quality desirable trees. A hinge select cut

 

[Terrific_tom]

You don't have to hinge everything, leave the better quality desirable trees. A hinge select cut

???? Started drinking early today? lol

 

[Jim Timber]

Stumps are slightly moist today. Or they're just not into me after I cut them down. :D

 

[shawnv]

Two of my large maples just started and I got about a gallon and a half today, should get quite a bit this weekend.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

Stumps are slightly moist today. Or they're just not into me after I cut them down. :D

I don't care who you are...that's funny right there!

 

[tooln]

Talking to the neighbors it's slow in my hood.

 

[SD51555]

Who's gonna be the first to post a pic of the finished product?

 

[SD51555]

When I lived in Duluth, I toured this place: http://www.simplegiftssyrupandsalmon.com/index.htm

If you ever want to see an insanely huge and modernized maple syrup operation, this one is close (vs Vermont at least). Their entire tapping area is networked by hose and they run milk house pumps to up the yield. They've also got a couple 5000 gallon stainless bulk tanks to hold the sap. Before they boil, they run the sap through a reverse osmosis filtration system to bring it down to a 7 to 1 sap to syrup ratio. I wanted to drink the "waste" water. They wouldn't let me.

They'll put out 65-75 gallons of syrup each day when the gettin is good.

 

[shawnv]

Boiled down 22oz. from 7 gallons and change of sap yesterday which surprised me coming from a red maple that it had that high of a sugar content. The only mistake I made was adding a touch too much of whipping cream to keep it from boiling over at the end.

 

[shawnv]

Still tastes really good btw!

 

[SD51555]

No pictures yet. The prize is still up for grabs...

 

[shawnv]

I would have posted a pic but the whipping cream I added to keep it from boiling over my pot was too much so it's not "pure". Of course my wife said that is a fallacy to do that so the next batch will not have any added and I will just get a deeper pot to finish it off in.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

I think we are on year 10 and I have never heard of adding anything Shawn. Not that what your saying is wrong but it is news to me.
So far we have next to nothing and will not be cooking anything this year. I think we have more moths than anything. They are all over our buckets for some reason this year.

 

[shawnv]

I think we are on year 10 and I have never heard of adding anything Shawn. Not that what your saying is wrong but it is news to me.
So far we have next to nothing and will not be cooking anything this year. I think we have more moths than anything. They are all over our buckets for some reason this year.

Well I got that "tip" from a youtube video on controlling the boil but as I said it was my first time and I won't do it again even though what I made tastes very good.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Well I got that "tip" from a youtube video on controlling the boil but as I said it was my first time and I won't do it again even though what I made tastes very good.

You didn't do anything wrong. People use all kinds of things as a defoamer….milk, butter, cream, oil. The big maple supply companies sell commercial defoamers that producers add for just the purpose you mentioned. I heard that in the old days they would even hang a piece of pig fat over the side of the pan to reduce the foam in the boil.

 

[SD51555]

Trophy is still out there...

 

[Natty Bumppo]

My father inlaw used to drop a few hot dogs in the evaporator to cook. Not sure if it was for foam reduction but, they were a good snack while waiting. He did not sell his syrup. Just gave away as gifts.

Yup, we do the same. Mostly it's fun for he kids to throw some dogs in the boil while we are sitting around the sugar house. I'm sure it does have some defaming effect as well. Sure do taste good!

 

[Natty Bumppo]

View attachment 4384
Trophy is still out there...

Any other year and I'd have some bottled already and take that dang trophy! With the freak amounts of snowfall we had this year I still have 2 to 2 and a half feet of snowpack. My trees are still not running yet. By the time the snow melts and the trees "wake up" the temps. will be all wrong for sap flow. Terrible year for sugaring' so far here for me. Took my snowmobile out on Monday to try to tap some trees..got it burried good within 5 minutes.