When to Tap?

Planning to tap a few maples this year just for fun. When is the right time to do this?

 

Ideal conditions are, freezing at night mid 20s, and mid to low 40s during the day. Look for trees with the biggest crowns. I don't tap if the tree is less than 10 inches in diameter and won't put two in one tree unless its over 18 or so.

My daughter just came back from a school trip to Quebec. She brought back a jar of "pure maple butter", that stuff is out of this world. No butter in it, just take some syrup to soft ball, then quench it to around 100*, then stir-stir-stir until it forms this creamy spreadable butter. I'm going to try making it this year.

 

Have a friend that has already tapped and started gathering. I think they're cooking too, but I haven't been there yet this year.

 

Sounds like I need to get going. Got one out back that is a huge dandy, and one smaller one at mom and dad's that will probably come down this fall, so I'm not worried about hurting it. Need to ask my brother about his big maple as well.

 

You need to get more info on how many taps per tree are acceptable. Here ya' go.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081222132614AAOMoVG

 

Here ya go: http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...&mid=C20B197C53249025F4C4C20B197C53249025F4C4
http://www.kjonline.com/news/Skowhe...elebrate-30-years-of-Maine-Maple-Sundays.html

 

I've been tapped for more than a week. Cooked on Saturday. I'll try and get some pics uploaded.

 

Fire after cooking was done didnt get any during. On the the stove finishing off . And the finished product all jarred up.

 

Tapped my first tree today, it's dripping pretty good. This weekend highs are supposed to be 30, should get it flowing I think.

 

Um, you sure you did this?

 

Yeah, didn't think about a pic, not enough to show yet. I will get you some pics when you can see its working. My oldest brother comes back from Florida tomorrow, going to see if I can put a couple taps in his too.

 

I bought a handfull of spiles a few years ago thinking I'd try, but still haven't.
I'd have to find the darn things.

 

I used some nylon tubing adapters, like these, and a short piece of tubing run right into the jug.

 

I have always wanted to do this. I have a friend of my brothers up in NY who has a large operation. My best friend is going up this weekend to start helping him. They make this maple cream (might be similar to the butter that Dave mentioned) its heaven in a jar! Check out his site if ya want. Shameless plug for a friend I know!

http://millhollowmaple.com/

 

That sounds like the stuff, 100% maple cooked and then stirred to a peanut butter consistency, and that looks like a great price compared to what my daughter bought in Quebec.

Some recipes use butter and maple made into an emulsion, haven't tried that, would be less interested in that also.

 

Here is how I rigged my brothers tree.

 

Need to becareful making a hole that big it will take along time to heal and could hurt the tree.

 

Thanks, live and learn. The person that did that did the write up I read used those exact ones, but now I am reading that they are twice as big as needed.

 

I learn every year I do it.

 

The cooker doing its thing.