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A Farm of My Own:  Maple Sugaring?  |
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Woodswoman
True Blue Farmgirl
512 Posts
Jennifer
Altamont
NY
USA
512 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 24 2009 : 4:28:13 PM
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I wasn't sure which thread to post this under, so I'll probably try a couple.......
Do any of you tap trees to make maple syrup? We are considering getting into it for next year, and were wondering if anyone had any thoughts, ideas on getting started, etc.
Thanks!
Jennifer
Farmgirl Sister #104
"Nature brings to every time and season some beauties of its own".
-Charles Dickens |
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melody
True Blue Farmgirl
3335 Posts
Melody
The Great North Woods in the Land of Hiawatha
USA
3335 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2009 : 4:41:47 PM
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You are going to have soooo much fun.
My husbands people live in Carney, MI and not too far from where his parents live there is a sugar bush. www.jaspermaple.com In the spring they used to hold a pancake and sausage breakfast with fresh maple syrup....nothing like real maple syrup.
It will be a lot of work both so worth the effort....
Enjoy your new venture!  |
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
4811 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4811 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2009 : 5:24:43 PM
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I hope my cousin, "Windy Pines" sees this. She taps her maples on her farm and boils it down for syrup. Her syrup is delicious! Much better then anything I've ever brought in a store.
Dawn in IL |
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Mountain Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
806 Posts
JoAnn
Colville
Washington
USA
806 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2009 : 5:34:36 PM
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| Jennifer, Do you know who Helen and Scott Nearing are? I have there book called the The Maple Sugar Book. Google it. Tells you a lot about how to do it, marketing etc. I don't need it here and am willing to barter for it. JoAnn |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2009 : 05:35:54 AM
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Our new pastor and his wife have family in NY that have maple trees and sell the syrup. We got a gallon and it is the best I have ever had. I will get more soon. I think they are getting ready to do more now.
Kris
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. Maori proverb |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2009 : 07:14:00 AM
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My family did this growing up. We had our own sugarhouse and everything when i lived in Vermont. I can probably give you all kinds of info if you let me know what your specific questions are.
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
www.willowtreecreek.wordpress.com
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4457 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4457 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2009 : 09:23:14 AM
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We tap a few trees, for our own use. We have 30 taps. Our set up is nothing fancy, but gets the job done. My husband built a steel "stove" that we cook on. I use mostly small limbs and branches that we pick up off the ground. You want to keep that fire hot and the sap boiling.
It is alot of work, but oh so good, and well worth it.
Michele |
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country lawyer
True Blue Farmgirl
1022 Posts
1022 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2009 : 12:47:52 PM
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| Jennifer, If you do this, I hope you tell us all about it...either here or maybe start a blog? It would be interesting to see the process from when you are "thinking" about it to when you are actually doing it... |
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farm~maid
True Blue Farmgirl
176 Posts
Christine
IN
USA
176 Posts |
Posted - Feb 26 2009 : 9:34:01 PM
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Oh, I'd love to make our own syrup. I've seen this done and tasted the syrup - nothing better! They will be making it here soon.
Best of luck in your adventure.
Christine |
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mrsmorgen
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
morgen
coudersport
pa
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Feb 27 2009 : 12:01:26 PM
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We have just tapped our trees for the first time. A woman from the farm show here recommended a book called BackYard Sugaring that teaches you to use recycled milk jugs to collect the sap and the only thing we have had to buy so far are the little taps themselves. We got our first two gallons of sap today. My husband is so excited because it uses so much stuff we already have. Good luck, maybe the library has the book.
Morgen
I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all..
laura ingalls wilder
www.laubers.blogspot.com |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Feb 27 2009 : 5:36:10 PM
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Morgen my great aunt Bev Snyder lives in Coudersport. Any chance you know her? She is probably in her 70's.
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
www.willowtreecreek.wordpress.com
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Woodswoman
True Blue Farmgirl
512 Posts
Jennifer
Altamont
NY
USA
512 Posts |
Posted - Feb 28 2009 : 3:52:49 PM
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Thanks so much for the book ideas and websites! I'm going to check them out and do some more reading on the subject!
Jennifer
Farmgirl Sister #104
"Nature brings to every time and season some beauties of its own".
-Charles Dickens |
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Thistle Cove Farm
True Blue Farmgirl
141 Posts
Sandra
Tazewell
VA
USA
141 Posts |
Posted - Mar 02 2009 : 4:22:20 PM
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There are a ton of spring maple syrup festivals; find one and go, that's where you'll see and learn the most.
The Pickens Pancake Breakfast is the 3rd weekend in March, in Pickens, WV, and I've been going for decades. I take Aunt Esther, 91 in January, and we go eat home made buckwheat and white flour pancakes completely doused with freshly made maple syrup. It's divine! This little festival brings in a lot of revenue for locals and it's a fun time to catch up with people you've not seen since last year.
Have fun should you find a festival, I know you will.
Thistle Cove Farm ~ God's blessings on you, yours and the work of your hands & heart ~
www.thistlecovefarm.com
www.thistlecovefarm.blogspot.com |
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Wende
True Blue Farmgirl
353 Posts
WENDE
Kansas City
Missouri
USA
353 Posts |
Posted - Aug 24 2009 : 10:42:05 AM
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Best thing to do is find a sugar bush and go visit them. See what they do and how they do it. Do they use a pipeline or buckets??
We use a pipeline and it flows into a bulk tank at the bottom of the hill. There are two smaller tanks and one huge tank because the sugarbush is very hilly.
Last year we took 6,000 gallons of sap to the sugar house and we do not get paid we take it back in canned syrup and sell it ourselves. More $$$ that way and we get to enjoy it with family and friends.
It is gratifying, but hard work. The horses do the hard part. They bring the sap back to the farm for us.
My first time to really get in there and help was this past Feb, March and April. It was great.
you will need to get the right TOOLS for the job. It is soooooooo hard to use something that just doesn't work or only worked once and they keep trying.. geezz just go by the $30 tool and live life simpler. LOLOL.. (men..geez)
Enjoy. For great recipes google it and you will get the greatest recipes. I makde maple pecan pie for Thanksgiving last year and WOW.. the little old ladies were impressed.. well I was too and had to take a picture of it. It my NEVER happen again !!!
WENDE
#660
Roth Sugarbush in Wisonsin is our supplier.
You know your a Farm Girl when... |
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A Farm of My Own: Maple Sugaring? |
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Maple Sugaring?
