| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Woodswoman |
Posted - Mar 11 2011 : 6:54:12 PM
I wasn't sure if this should go here or in weather!
We have finally had some cold nights and warm days, so the sap is flowing! We've collected just over 400 gallons so far, and are boiling it down to make syrup!
Jennifer
Farmgirl Sister #104
"Nature brings to every time and season some beauties of its own".
-Charles Dickens |
| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| texdane |
Posted - Mar 20 2011 : 06:24:08 AM
Hi Girls! Wow, such work goes into making maple syrup! I was fortunate that one of my neighbors let me come join them for the process this year. Check out my blog entry "New England Gold" under the Suburban farmgirl blog. The second part of my adventure will post this week!
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE
http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/ |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 19 2011 : 4:56:30 PM
Thank you all for the info. I would love to see pictures if y'all are able to. I would love to see the whole process too. Maybe one day. My hubby is up North right now. I told him if he sees any trees with buckets to take some pictures.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| debtea2 |
Posted - Mar 18 2011 : 6:15:26 PM
oh how i envy all of you with your own real maple syrup
yummy i love it hard to come by here ..but when i find some one
selling it when i'm on a road trip i buy alot..
of course this year may not be taking many trips as the price of gas
is crazy..
happy tappings deborah
inch by inch we find our way
jersey farmgirl
#1330
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| ddmashayekhi |
Posted - Mar 18 2011 : 1:08:08 PM
I can vouch how delicious Windy Pines Michele's maple syrup is! I've been fortunate enough to get a jar or two every year of it! Thanks cousin!
Happy tapping to all you farmgirls!
Dawn in IL |
| windypines |
Posted - Mar 18 2011 : 05:06:47 AM
Ours is all hand carry. We take up milk cans, in the bucket of the tractor, dump from the trees. Then go back down to our place (a mile away),and we have a homemade set up to cook. Pour the sap into a 50 gallon tank, and we control the flow into the sap pan. Will be cooking saturday morning. I have never kept track of how much sap one tree produces. Some trees run better then others. Everyday is a different amount of sap. We cook outside,over a wood fire,finish in the house if needed. Our sap is darker grade then your fancy boughten kind. But darker has more flavor!. We have 29 taps. We usually get a bit over 10 gallons. Maybe 12 gallons of sap a day. I will cook about 50 gallons, and it takes 6-8 hours. Depends on the weather, and the wood your burning. Lot of work
Michele |
| Cherime |
Posted - Mar 17 2011 : 09:02:36 AM
Birch syrup in Alaska in probably another 4 weeks.
CMF |
| walkinwalkoutcattle |
Posted - Mar 17 2011 : 05:03:14 AM
We only have a few maple trees close by, so tapping isn't an option. My FIL, however, used to make large amounts of sorghum. That's quite an aquired taste! I don't believe I've had REAL maple syrup before though, truthfully!
Starbucks and sushi to green fried tomatoes and corn pudding-I wouldn't change it for the world.
www.cattleandcupcakes.blogspot.com |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 16 2011 : 7:51:59 PM
Michele, that's good to know. Do you know about how many gallons one tree gives? Me and a few others are wondering about all this. I would love to know more. Like do you have to carry all those gallons of sap or is it piped to where it gets boiled?
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| windypines |
Posted - Mar 15 2011 : 04:15:29 AM
We put out our taps yesterday. They were dripping. Now got to get the rest of the equipment out, washed down, and get ready to cook.
Kris, not sure how large operations do it, only know our old fashioned way. Nothing added in ours. I know some places use an anti foaming agent in their sap. But that is all I know.
Michele |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 14 2011 : 6:03:23 PM
I love maple syrup. Y'all are so lucky to have your own trees. Me and some friends have some ordered. It's supposed to be organic. It's around $52 a gallon. Is that a good price? And isn't it all organic or are the trees sprayed? I have no idea how all this works. I'd love to know more about the process.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Canadian farmgirl |
Posted - Mar 12 2011 : 07:04:00 AM
We have 22 trees tapped, and will be having our first boil tomorrow! Weather here has been very strange, hardly any sap flowing compared to same time last year. It's supposed to snow tonight!
Lori
Farmgirl Sister #183 |
| windypines |
Posted - Mar 12 2011 : 04:21:30 AM
We will be tapping soon here. Weather is turning for the better.
Michele |
| melody |
Posted - Mar 11 2011 : 8:29:50 PM
Wow...Is it that time already?
My husband, as a young man, used to work at a sugar bush not too far from where he grew up. It was hard work, lugging those buckets and boiling the sap down, but that smell!
Wood smoke and maple-----Mmmmmmm!
Here is a link to the place where DH used to work...
http://www.jaspermaple.com/
Melody
Farmgirl #525 |
| Ninibini |
Posted - Mar 11 2011 : 8:15:00 PM
Oh! That's so great, Jennifer! How exciting to be able to do that! There's nothing like real maple syrup! When we were kids, my Dad and my sister's godfather used to go up to Maine every year to go "maple syruping" with friends. They would tap the trees and boil it in big vats outdoors. It was SUCH a treat when he came home! Is this your business - do you sell the syrup, or is this just something you do with family? That is just so cool! Brings back lots of fond memories of New England for me! Have a great time! - Nini
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
Farmgirl Sister #1974 |
