Hickory Bark Syrup -its awesome

http://davescupboard.blogspot.com/2011/01/making-shagbark-hickory-syrup.html

Its VERY expensive to buy,but quite easy to make & only takes an hour or two from start to finish.

Ended up with 1 quart,1 pint & one 8.5oz bottle.Just used 1-1 sugar/water ratio instead of the 2-1 they called for- its plenty sweet & very close in viscosity to pure maple.Will thicken up a wee bit more as it cools to room temp.Pure unboiled sap from Sugar Maple trees is only 2-4% sugar & it takes 32-40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup.This is a simple syrup made by simmering hickory bark in water to extract the flavor compounds (like brewing coffee or tea),then adding cane sugar & simmering for about an hour until its perfect.


I made some in early April after seeing this link with the recipe.Still have 1 bottle in the fridge.Sister was by one day soon after it was made,she liked it so much she took a small bottle home.I have a couple pounds of clean bark gathered in past couple weeks,will make some more in a few weeks.Once I use the bark just 1 time,its discarded like tea bags.In the kindling box,weber kettle or smoker it goes...

 

Done it too. Well worth making.

 

Count me in, I found some shagbarks a week ago. Right up my alley!

 

Been reading about it all morning, here's a good article.

http://www.wksu.org/news/story/34756

 

I hope this works, I bought a bottle in anticipation.

 

My and I made a batch last winter. It was very good and easy too make. We need to make some more.

 

I need to try this as it looks and sounds awesome

 

Doing mine late tonight, how much water did you end up using per pound, Thistle?

 

When starting out after washing the bark,scrubbing it good with a vegetable or similar brush,toasting for 15-20 min in oven you then place in saucepan - add water to cover -usually 3-4 cups for a pound or so of bark. Simmer gently for 30-45 minutes.

Then carefully measure the amount of water left in pan.Even amounts of 1,2,3 cups etc is best.Discard bark (I use it for kindling or the smoker).Add equal amounts of regular cane sugar - 1 to 1 ratio.Recipe calls for 2-1 but this will be fine.Stir to dissolve.Boil very gently for up to an hour until it is similar in viscosity to regular syrup.Let it cool a little before ladling it into bottles or jars.A small plastic funnel works best when filling them.

 

Thanks. I am going to do the traditional 2:1 since it is more shelf stable.

 

Syrup is pulling together over the fire as I type.

 

So what did it taste like? We don't have hickory bark syrup here. I don't think balsalm fir, douglas fir or cedar would work. Has anyone tried it? Would you be able to use Vine maple? We don't have sugar maples here.

 

There is a membrane in the bark that makes it so shagbark can be used, I would not suggest using any other trees without researching first. The sap of red, black, and silver maples can be used for maple syrup.

The syrup is hard described, but has a smokey earthy taste. I will let you know more after breakfast.

 

Looking good there Jack. I planted some shagbark hickories this spring, but I'm pretty sure they aren't going to make it.

Woodwidow, we can tap Big Leaf Maples, and there's quite a bit of info on it from a helpful guy in Ladysmith, on his website here:

http://www.blmaple.net/

 

The taste is hard to describe. Definitely not distinctly hickory. It's good stuff though.

 

Great site. I always thought the Big Leaf Maples were vine maples and not very good for syrup. When we lived in Woss (center of North Vancouver Island), we transplanted two trees to each corner of the front lawn. Now that we have moved, they probably are the right size to tap.

 

Sure looks like it, but much cheaper to make.