Sugaring

Vermont has nothing on us!!Lines are all run,taps are all set(686).Put the sugar shack back together yesterday.We'll go do our 1st gathering today around noon--if this weather holds,we're going to have a real nice season--Marathon has a Maple Fest every year,alot of people donate sap--it's a real big shindig here--so they end up having to buy whatever they're lacking--I'll keep posted as to dates--it's a real outstanding family affair for anyone close enough to make it---parade,crafts,re-enactment stuff,food,food,food,etc--goes on for 2 days

Whats the reduction rate? How many gallons of sap to get a gallon of syrup?

We made some here a few years back and I think it was something like 56-1, saps a little weak this far south, but sure did taste good.

I would love to have a jug of the good Northern stuff.

Bk

IIRC it's about 40:1 locally.

cabinover,don't get huffy because I said that about Vermont ,it's about the same here

No huffy here, I don't even like the stuff. Give me Aunt Jemima or Mrs. Butterworth's any day my friend.

It is fun to watch being made though and the smell is simply unforgettable. Not to mention the partaking of adult beverages usually accompanied with the making.

My sugarin started in Granville Vt-near Rutland-we bought an old farm that had all the original stuff in the sugar house---the sugar orchard was about 100 yds away--set taps & hang buckets--we took the grade horse up there every afternoon & collected--had a dray w/ a big collection tank behind the horse--the local school (Rochester) used to bring the kids out to watch,it was outstanding--I'm not even going to go into Mrs Snuffallopalis syrup Yes,alittle Jack w/ a dollup of syrup in it,keeps the cold away

cabinover wrote:No huffy here, I don't even like the stuff. Give me Aunt Jemima or Mrs. Butterworth's any day my friend.

It is fun to watch being made though and the smell is simply unforgettable. Not to mention the partaking of adult beverages usually accompanied with the making.

cabinover wrote:No huffy here, I don't even like the stuff. Give me Aunt Jemima or Mrs. Butterworth's any day my friend. .

Forget Auntie Jemima, or Mrs Butterworth
Don't anyone else even think of Mrs Snuffolapals

I met the cutest Maple Syrup Lady right here in NEPA:

Day 1---400 gal of SAP--about 10 gal. of syrup--Grade A Amber--that's not my forte'--I like it a little thicker & darker--not alot,but,a little

What percent are you seeing this year? Around here
it usually starts at 2.9 and drops through the season.
This years it's starting at 1.7. Not so good, but no sand.
The thought is that last years rain reduced the sugar.

Tom

Tom,we start pretty consistantly at 2.25 over the years & stay within a 5 point calibration for the whole season--we only got done setting taps yesterday around 2 PM & got the 400 gal. today around noon--yes the weather over the past few days has been ideal--25-30-at night & almost up to 50 today & for the rest of the week--we hope??? Fred ------- they must be pretty low in Ky. for a 50-1 average,but as he said,it sure does taste good

tsb wrote:What percent are you seeing this year? Around here
it usually starts at 2.9 and drops through the season.
This years it's starting at 1.7. Not so good, but no sand.
The thought is that last years rain reduced the sugar.

Tom

Steve N--nice set-up---we've got a 1970's Leader evaporator,in an old shack from the 70's--no hood--needless to say,that gets to be a pain---our trees are all over--we gravity feed to about 4 holding tanks & every day go & pump(gas) them out into 2 450 gal tanks in 2 pick-ups--then we head back to sugar shack & pump(elec) into 2 250 tanks that gravity feed into evap--my buddy has a small saw mill so we've got plenty of slab wood--thermometer are handy,but we do mostlyt by sight,ladel& skimmer---when you put it in plastic jugs w/ self seal caps--due to the heat of the syrup,they pretty much air tight seal themselves I forget who said it,but them Percheron's are still big Last fall,we started putting up a new shack--design by trial & error from the old shack--we had bought a little sliver of land to add onto my buddies for the structure--the owner died,so everything got put on hold,paper work wise--his grandkids thought everything was worth a million $$(city kids)--I think we've got them convinced that the old mans word was his bond--we had had it surveyed & had been before the planning Bd.--so the kids realised that the deal was in the works--hopefully we'll get the new shack up this summer---YES,we're putting a hood in--we've got a little picker to move the evap. hopefully it won't break up too bad-thank God for stick & mig welders-God,the price has gone up on them---time for late barn chores.seee ya

whistlenut,I'm with you,still have a hand ice saw hanging down to the barn,a little sawdust & wa-la, ice storage---all this modern stuff has it's place,but it seems to bring it down to that all impt. $$$--we still give syrup to a bunch of people older then me who can't get out & do it anymore---a good horse,a dray,a gathering tub and alot of energy = syrup

Hey guys. I'm near South New Berlin/Morris/Gilbertsville area.

This will be the second season for me making syrup. My property has about 22 good old maple trees on it so I decided to give it a go.

Last year, I had some friends at work more than happy to give me their old spiles and buckets. Both converted to lines. So that's what I used. The sap flowed crazy last year, and I had way more than I bargained for. It was high sugar content too.

This year, the sap is weaker and didn't flow for more than a couple of good weeks, although I was late getting going, waiting for the snow to melt to uncover my woodpiles. I got enough sap to make just shy of a gallon.

The first year I read a borrowed book, "backyard sugarin" which makes all the difference in learning, but not as much as actually doing it! The first batch of syrup I was finishing up on the inside stove, it boiled over the moment I went in to watch a show in the living room. BLACK SMOKE poured through the house, I had to take the pan out to the deck, and ended up with a black crusty mushroom, a ruined pan, and a burnt wooden table on the porch.

The second batch you can bet I watched a LOT more carefully, and got about a gallon.

This year, I got better pans and boiled down about 40 gallons or so to get the gallon, finishing careful and made some nice medium amber thick syrup.

Aunt Jemima/Mrs Buttersworth is made from methylcellulose thickeners, also used for making shampoo thicker. Enjoy!

Do any of you guys who make maple syrup sell it? I'd love to buy some if so.

Aunt Jemima/Mrs Buttersworth is made from methylcellulose thickeners, also used for making shampoo thicker. Enjoy!

Not to mention the number one ingredient is high fructose corn syrup. Yuck.

Well,this yr we got about 800 gal of sap before it clouded up & buds started to show--20 gal. don't go very far--oh well,there's always next year Next year we'll have our new sugar shack up