Good syrup year this year?

[twall]

I really hate winters like this.

I'm from WNY - about an hour from both Buffalo and Erie. Twenty more minutes either west or south, and I'd be in PA! Although "from NY" tends to make one think of strange dialects and city as far as the eye can see - I am not from that NY (I just pay for it). We're about as country as you can get.

That being said, we know maple syrup here. As you may or may not know, when we have autum, the sap 'runs down' for the winter. In the spring, it 'runs up'. The run up is what's critical. If it warms up, and it stays that way, the sap doesn't run well, and is weak. Every time it snaps cold, it runs back down. With each 'up', the sap gets a stronger flavor, and runs in more quantity.

Poor runs make for more expensive syrup, and what you get is yukky.

Last year, when 'global warming' was going on - we had a light winter, and a quick spring. The sap didn't run worth spit. Now that Al Gore is in hibernation, and we are having a normal winter for the first time in a long time - the sap should run like a fire hydrant.

I'm no expert, but that's what I've always been told about the cycle.

Here's to hoping for a good syrup year.

 

[JB4310]

Been a great year for my 2 tree operation :laughing:

This is the 3rd year doing it and the best so far, sap is flowing good, 10 gallons a day some days.

It takes 40 gallons of sap at 2.5% sugar to make 1 gallon of syrup. My sugar must be higher cause it's only taking ~8 gallons of sap to make a quart when it should be 10 gallons.

I've made almost 2 gallons of syrup so far and have 30 gallons of sap to boil now.

JB.

 

[Lloyd_E]

Will start this Sunday... and get back to ya. My children and I tap about 6 trees but we will probably increase to 12 this year.

Lots of fun... and work.

Best of luck!

 

[Jstpssng]

My neighbors are rapidly building a sugaring operation... every year they get a little bigger.
Last year was early; they started on Feb 23 and boiled for 25 days straight. This year they have a small part of their orchard tied into a vacuum pump; those are the only trees which have run so far.

We have a deep snow cover, which should help keep the temperatures moderate; but with no frost in the ground a few days of warm rain will change the picture drastically.

We still have wood to truck from frozen winter roads... plus I plan to make some syrup myself this year. As much as we'd all like spring I hope it comes in slowly instead of overnight, as it has done too often recently.

 

[JB4310]

I boiled 20 gallons of sap today and got 2.5 qts of syrup.

While I had the fire going, my wife got me a Salmon steak to cook. Grilled it just right and tried some maple syrup on it. It was great

JB.

 

[twall]

I gotta check with the syrup guy down the lane. Hope it's great! What's the quality like vs. last year? Last year, ours was terribly weak. I love a strong syrup, especially for sugar candy & maple cream.

 

[Jstpssng]

I gotta check with the syrup guy down the lane. Hope it's great! What's the quality like vs. last year? Last year, ours was terribly weak. I love a strong syrup, especially for sugar candy & maple cream.

Last year was an early run, and a lot of producers missed the first part. The darker syruo comes from adding cold sap; every time it stops boiling it will get a little darker. Also, toward the end of the season the sap changes with the same reusults.
Still, the sugar content of the syrup should be a constant.

 

[Jstpssng]

I boiled 20 gallons of sap today and got 2.5 qts of syrup.

While I had the fire going, my wife got me a Salmon steak to cook. Grilled it just right and tried some maple syrup on it. It was great

JB.

That's a good yield. :thumbsup:
Do you use a candy thermometer to tell when it's ready, or previous experience?

I'm just getting a new barrel set up for my evaporator, Hoping for a good run at the end of the week.

Enjoy.

 

[twall]

Last year was an early run, and a lot of producers missed the first part. The darker syruo comes from adding cold sap; every time it stops boiling it will get a little darker. Also, toward the end of the season the sap changes with the same reusults.
Still, the sugar content of the syrup should be a constant.

Last year, it warmed up around here once, and never really got cold again, making for a short run. It was an odd spring.

Like I said at the beginning, the stronger flavor comes from the up/down cycle caused by getting warmer/freezing. IMHO just darker syrup isn't necissarily stronger flavor.

 

[atgreene]

We're still tapping, fighting 2' of snow in the woods, last week it was 3' +.

Looks like a promising year, but after 7 generations of doing this, every year we say it looks promising. lol:confused2:

We still have 500+ taps to get out, last year we boiled 3 or 4 days, year before we did 18 consecutive days boiling, so you never know.

 

[JB4310]

That's a good yield. :thumbsup:
Do you use a candy thermometer to tell when it's ready, or previous experience?

I'm just getting a new barrel set up for my evaporator, Hoping for a good run at the end of the week.

Enjoy.

I have a thermometer, but it doesn't help me. I'm just winging it

I know I probably shouldn't be getting that much, but if I boil it longer it gets to thick and has suspended sugar. I'm getting pretty comfortable with knowing when these small batchs are ready. Seems to really froth up when it's ready.

JB.

 

[atgreene]

I have a thermometer, but it doesn't help me. I'm just winging it

I know I probably shouldn't be getting that much, but if I boil it longer it gets to thick and has suspended sugar. I'm getting pretty comfortable with knowing when these small batchs are ready. Seems to really froth up when it's ready.

JB.

Best test for syrup to see if it ready: Dip a large spoon or dipper in the syrup while it is boiling. If the syrup drips off it isn't done yet. If it sheets off it's syrup. You'll know when it does it.:thumbsup:

 

[JB4310]

Best test for syrup to see if it ready: Dip a large spoon or dipper in the syrup while it is boiling. If the syrup drips off it isn't done yet. If it sheets off it's syrup. You'll know when it does it.:thumbsup:

Thanks,
I've heard of the spoon test, I try it with a ladle, But I'm not sure how to do it. So you don't scoop it up with the spoon? just dip it?

I've been scooping a small ladle full and just pouring it out, it does act differently when it's thicker, but nothing I can say is definitive.

Last year I started way to late, this year I didn't miss a day. We're getting to the end of season already, last 2-3 nights didn't drop below freezing so the taps are dry. Supposed to be more freezing nights this coming week.

JB.

 

[Bradlyk]

We have 800 trees tapped and went collecting yesterday and so far so good

 

[atgreene]

Almost done. We've got another 70 or so to do today, then 100+ buckets to put out.

Here's a couple pics from yesterday. We found a "bridge" so we could cross the brook. Not easy to do on snowshoes.

 

[atgreene]

A couple pics. First one, 3% sugar. Not bad, gives us a ratio of 27 gallons of sap to 1 gallon of syrup.

Second pic, 7% sugar! :licking::thumbsup: That gives us a 12 to 1 ratio!

And one of my father, generation #5, with my son and neice, generation # 7, during our first boil yesterday.

 

[JB4310]

Second pic, 7% sugar! :licking::thumbsup: That gives us a 12 to 1 ratio!

Wow, that tree water is more valuable than premium gasoline or diesel fuel

JB.

 

[atgreene]

Thanks,
I've heard of the spoon test, I try it with a ladle, But I'm not sure how to do it. So you don't scoop it up with the spoon? just dip it?

I've been scooping a small ladle full and just pouring it out, it does act differently when it's thicker, but nothing I can say is definitive.

Last year I started way to late, this year I didn't miss a day. We're getting to the end of season already, last 2-3 nights didn't drop below freezing so the taps are dry. Supposed to be more freezing nights this coming week.

JB.

Here's as close to an example as I could get. Took me about 30 pics to catch this, lol, camera didn't want to click when I wanted the pic.:laughing:

Good season thus far, good weather all week, 3-6" of snow coming tomorrow and cold every night for the foreseeable future.

 

[JB4310]

Here's as close to an example as I could get. Took me about 30 pics to catch this, lol, camera didn't want to click when I wanted the pic.:laughing:

Good season thus far, good weather all week, 3-6" of snow coming tomorrow and cold every night for the foreseeable future.

Hey thanks for trying so hard, I see what you're talking about.

My operation is crude but works.
I got close to 3 gallons of syrup out of 2 trees this year so I'm happy. Just made 3 quarts on Thursday from 23 gallons of sap, darkest batch yet.

But that's it for us as the trees are budding now. still have a few just below freezing nights but the taps have been dry the last few days.

JB.

 

[atgreene]

Glad you had a good season. We've got a few weeks left, long way from budding yet. Even the soft maples aren't looking like their budding right off.