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Started By
Message
I made some backyard syrup...kinda
Posted on 2/6/22 at 9:19 pm
Posted on 2/6/22 at 9:19 pm
TLDR: I’m going to need a lot more tree sap or smaller pancakes.
I think most of us on the F&DB are always wanting to try something new. My wife, a down the bayou woman, always busts my balls for being a yankee, despite the fact that my family settled in middle Tennessee in the early 1800s. I figured I’d lean into my "yankeeness" and try my hand at harvesting tree sap and making syrup.
After a night spent staying up way too late going down a youtube rabbit hole on syrup making, I decided I was an expert. A quick stop at my local Amazon shop provided me with some spiles, which is a new word I learned. A spile is the metal tap that goes in the tree.
You’re supposed to harvest sap when the nights are just below freezing and the days heat up above freezing. Looking at the forecast, Nashville was going to have prime weather. I put the kids to bed and braved the cold to tap several trees. I tapped three sugar maples (Acer saccharum) and one black walnut (Juglans nigra). It is recommended to tap the south side of the tree. In hindsight, I should have tapped lower, but that was the first of many lessons learned.
The first day barely got above freezing, so little sap flowed. The second day was perfect. It started off around 28 and got up to right around 50. Of the three maples, the big one produced the bulk of the sap, with one other contributing a few ounces. The third maple didn’t do shite. The black walnut gave me a few ounces, but not enough to do anything with. I ended up with a little more than two quarts of sap over the two days. You’d think that would be a lot. It’s not, as I found out.
I filtered it through a coffee filter and then boiled it down in a stock pot.
After it got to a certain level, I filtered it again and put it in a small pan.
The syrup connoisseur in the house could hardly contain his excitement.
Here’s where things got hairy. In truth, I needed a lot more sap. I had way too much surface area to depth. Things started splattering. Then they started bubbling. Then they started solidifying. I ended up having to add water to reconstitute the sugar, boil it down to brown it, add more water, boil, brown, add water, boil, brown, etc. it took a while, and I made a mess of the kitchen. I could feel the wife’s side-eyes burning a hole in the back of my head.
I ended up with a little more than an ounce when all was said and done. Despite the meager results, I learned some things along the way. I still have good weather this week to collect more sap. If today was any indication, I think I can get 2-3 gallons of sap by the end of the week, which might get me enough syrup to fill up this tiny jar.
I think I can get things planned out better for next year. I have a total of eight properly sized sugar maples and three black walnuts. With some better tapping skills and multiple taps per tree, I think I can really ramp up production next year with the lessons learned from this year.
(As an aside, my wife and I once went to a maple syrup museum in Vermont that was owned by some Blanchards, which is my mother in law’s maiden name, as well as a number of posters on this board, I’m sure. These Vermont Blanchards were part of the same group that go run out of Nova Scotia and they ended up in Vermont rather than Louisiana. So, despite the fact that my wife gives me shite for being a yankee, she has yankee cousins that make syrup in Vermont.)
I think most of us on the F&DB are always wanting to try something new. My wife, a down the bayou woman, always busts my balls for being a yankee, despite the fact that my family settled in middle Tennessee in the early 1800s. I figured I’d lean into my "yankeeness" and try my hand at harvesting tree sap and making syrup.
After a night spent staying up way too late going down a youtube rabbit hole on syrup making, I decided I was an expert. A quick stop at my local Amazon shop provided me with some spiles, which is a new word I learned. A spile is the metal tap that goes in the tree.
You’re supposed to harvest sap when the nights are just below freezing and the days heat up above freezing. Looking at the forecast, Nashville was going to have prime weather. I put the kids to bed and braved the cold to tap several trees. I tapped three sugar maples (Acer saccharum) and one black walnut (Juglans nigra). It is recommended to tap the south side of the tree. In hindsight, I should have tapped lower, but that was the first of many lessons learned.
The first day barely got above freezing, so little sap flowed. The second day was perfect. It started off around 28 and got up to right around 50. Of the three maples, the big one produced the bulk of the sap, with one other contributing a few ounces. The third maple didn’t do shite. The black walnut gave me a few ounces, but not enough to do anything with. I ended up with a little more than two quarts of sap over the two days. You’d think that would be a lot. It’s not, as I found out.
I filtered it through a coffee filter and then boiled it down in a stock pot.
After it got to a certain level, I filtered it again and put it in a small pan.
The syrup connoisseur in the house could hardly contain his excitement.
Here’s where things got hairy. In truth, I needed a lot more sap. I had way too much surface area to depth. Things started splattering. Then they started bubbling. Then they started solidifying. I ended up having to add water to reconstitute the sugar, boil it down to brown it, add more water, boil, brown, add water, boil, brown, etc. it took a while, and I made a mess of the kitchen. I could feel the wife’s side-eyes burning a hole in the back of my head.
I ended up with a little more than an ounce when all was said and done. Despite the meager results, I learned some things along the way. I still have good weather this week to collect more sap. If today was any indication, I think I can get 2-3 gallons of sap by the end of the week, which might get me enough syrup to fill up this tiny jar.
I think I can get things planned out better for next year. I have a total of eight properly sized sugar maples and three black walnuts. With some better tapping skills and multiple taps per tree, I think I can really ramp up production next year with the lessons learned from this year.
(As an aside, my wife and I once went to a maple syrup museum in Vermont that was owned by some Blanchards, which is my mother in law’s maiden name, as well as a number of posters on this board, I’m sure. These Vermont Blanchards were part of the same group that go run out of Nova Scotia and they ended up in Vermont rather than Louisiana. So, despite the fact that my wife gives me shite for being a yankee, she has yankee cousins that make syrup in Vermont.)
This post was edited on 2/19/22 at 2:25 pm
Posted on 2/6/22 at 9:22 pm to BottomlandBrew
but how did it taste?
Posted on 2/6/22 at 9:24 pm to Sir Drinksalot
It tasted like maple syrup.
Posted on 2/6/22 at 9:43 pm to BottomlandBrew
I legit enjoyed that stroll. Keep us updated on your efforts
Posted on 2/6/22 at 10:04 pm to BottomlandBrew
Kudos to you for pursuing it!
Posted on 2/6/22 at 10:17 pm to OldHickory
It's a new, more sustainable design of lawnmower. It runs on soapy water and the exhaust is environmentally-friendly bubbles.
Posted on 2/6/22 at 10:19 pm to BottomlandBrew
Is that you in the PJs or your helper/taster?
Posted on 2/6/22 at 10:49 pm to BottomlandBrew
Is that the collected sap in that white pitcher? I didn’t realize it was that clear and not thick and sticky
Posted on 2/6/22 at 11:41 pm to BottomlandBrew
Impressive!
I bought a smoked spicy maple syrup before Christmas that has created a syrup addiction.
I bought a smoked spicy maple syrup before Christmas that has created a syrup addiction.
Posted on 2/7/22 at 5:44 am to TackySweater
quote:
Is that the collected sap in that white pitcher? I didn’t realize it was that clear and not thick and sticky
It's not quite crystal clear, but it's not far off. It has a viscosity close to water and tastes barely sweet.
Posted on 2/7/22 at 6:00 am to BottomlandBrew
Cool experiment.
It takes about 40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of finished syrup. Can be more or less, depending on the percent of sugar in the sap. As the season progresses, the sugar content decreases to where you may need up to 60 gallons to make a gallon of syrup. Source: Google and reading Christopher Kimball columns about Vermont maple syrup.
It takes about 40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of finished syrup. Can be more or less, depending on the percent of sugar in the sap. As the season progresses, the sugar content decreases to where you may need up to 60 gallons to make a gallon of syrup. Source: Google and reading Christopher Kimball columns about Vermont maple syrup.
Posted on 2/7/22 at 6:52 am to BottomlandBrew
I have a very good friend in upper Michigan that lives on soome acreage and does this. He has sent me pictures of several 50 gallon drums full and ends up with 10 or so gallons of syrup once cooked down.
I need to get a new bottle from him this spring
I need to get a new bottle from him this spring
This post was edited on 2/7/22 at 6:54 am
Posted on 2/7/22 at 8:04 am to BottomlandBrew
pretty cool, I've always been interested in this.
Posted on 2/7/22 at 10:39 am to BottomlandBrew
Did you measure the sugar content of the sap? Curious how much you'd have to boil it down to get it to around 1.1-1.075. Could try to make a maple mead.
Posted on 2/7/22 at 10:55 am to BottomlandBrew
Strange.
My 4 yo daughter was watching Molly of Denali on PBS this weekend.
The episode was about this very thing.
I was captivated.
Not sure if Cedar trees would produce a good sap for making syrup; because that’s all I’ve got in abundance around me.
My 4 yo daughter was watching Molly of Denali on PBS this weekend.
The episode was about this very thing.
I was captivated.
Not sure if Cedar trees would produce a good sap for making syrup; because that’s all I’ve got in abundance around me.
Posted on 2/7/22 at 10:56 am to BottomlandBrew
quote:
It's not quite crystal clear, but it's not far off. It has a viscosity close to water and tastes barely sweet.
Interesting. I had no idea.
Posted on 2/7/22 at 12:12 pm to mchias1
I did not. I'll try and remember to throw a drop or two on the ol' refractometer and see what's up with it.
Posted on 2/7/22 at 1:03 pm to BottomlandBrew
Dude, a kid in socks standing on a stool is an accident waiting to happen.
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