Making Maple Syrup

hmm, I wonder if my neighbor would notice if I tap his trees:lol:
Thank you Rosalind for the information.
Its amazing where some of our food comes from isn't it? How did someone discover that you could tap a tree and boil it to make syrup, who woulda thunk it?
I just bought a bottle of maple syrup the other day and it cost me $20.00, its worth it to me though because I absolutely cannot stand that fake "pancake syrup" (aka as flavored corn syrup) at the store and I use maple syrup alot.
Does maple syrup have a shelf life? I wonder if it gets granulated like honey does.
 
:clap Thanks so much for the instruction - I've been meaning to attend a workshop to learn how to tap for syrup, but every year, it's too cold to go! :duc So do you know if any other trees have useful sap? I think I have a couple of big maples around here, but I have a couple other unidentified trees that leak sap in fall, so I'm wondering. :hu

Thanks again for the great instruction!!:thumbsup
 
Personally, I've scoped out several birch trees. I'm hoping to get out there and get some birch sap tapped this year. I'm debating on making my own or rigging my own.
 
I read a newspaper article awhile back on making hickory syrup. It's a little different though--you boil down the bark of a shagbark hickory. They say it doesn't hurt the tree at all since the bark is shedding anyway. I would like to give that a try someday too. Shagbark hickories are very common here where I live.
 
We tapped 50 trees three weeks ago. The sap is already "bud" colored. It is over. We only got 2 quarts as opposed to last years 6 gals. We are on the coast in Maine. Weird spring.
 
where to you buy the tap, bags for collecting at?
 
I used a 1/4" adapter to tap the tree and a hose from the adapter to the bucket. Anyone who has access to some maple trees should try it just for the fun of it. Also, if you do not have a hygrometer you also boil the water until it is 6 degrees above boling temp. Water boils at 208 at my elevation. I put a thermometer in when it begins to turn brown. When it rises to 214 it is done. I boil it outside until it is almost done and them take inside to finish.

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LVVCHAP said:
I used a 1/4" adapter to tap the tree and a hose from the adapter to the bucket. Anyone who has access to some maple trees should try it just for the fun of it. Also, if you do not have a hygrometer you also boil the water until it is 6 degrees above boling temp. Water boils at 208 at my elevation. I put a thermometer in when it begins to turn brown. When it rises to 214 it is done. I boil it outside until it is almost done and them take inside to finish.
Click to expand...
Never thought of that, but it makes total sense....like using a candy thermometer for judging the cracking stage.
 
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