The Official 2025 Maple Syrup Thread

Glad I'm not alone .

 

So sorry to hear about your non-season. It is hard to admit that although we mentally want to keep going and do a lot of things we always did, we just don't have the physical ability to do it. Getting older with health issues is hard to accept and isn't much fun.

 

Thank you for understanding.
It's tough trying to equal out the brains feelings and the body's feelings.
This morning feels better than yesterday.
I'm ok with it ending..because I know it's the start of something new . The discoveries and learning are what is intriguing to me .
I can tell you one thing...separating the "hobby" from the finances..its much cheaper to visit a friend's sugar shack and spend $60 on a gallon of syrup lol !

I'm thinking I'm gonna save enough stuff to possibly do like 30 taps on a turkey burner and pot i had made up a few years ago.

 

It’s definitely a skill set; and good thing to know to teach. You may find helping out a friend at their shack; great to have company and help on those long days/nites/mornings

 

HoneyFuzz, I feel for you. Like is a journey and some times it takes us in directions we may not want to go. May the peace of the Lord be always with you.

 

First boil of the season

 

I had to be away from the house this weekend, wife finished it off. We like lighter/thinner syrup. Inspectors said it passed the test.

 

My Secret Santa, some person from Pennsylvania unknown to me, gave me maple syrup for Christmas. It's the best I've ever tasted. I know a few folks in upstate New York who make it, but, it doesn't hold a candle to this stuff. I figure whomever it is lurks or posts here. My has is off to all you who make this wonderful stuff. I know how much work it takes to make it.

 

Very Sorry to hear this HoneyFuzz . We are constantly moving from one phase of life to the next. Some of these changes are not hard but some are very difficult. It certainly helps to embrace new avenues and outlets that your new phase of life may open up. I have found that where getting older has limited some of my activity, it has also allowed me to slow down and get more enjoyment out of pastimes that were precluded by previous passions. Your comments about stepping back and enjoying the Spring and looking for deer sheds reassures me that you have a healthy attitude and will weather this change. And...you never know, things may change for the better with your current sugaring operation. Maybe not this year, maybe next?! What a difference a day or a season can make! My best wishes and hopes for you. Russ

 

The sap has finally started to really run here. As of this morning I had about 19 gallons, so before I run out of sap storage containers I’m running the RO system for the first time.

 

Just a small boil today. I have 10 gallons of RO’d to boil and 5 gallons of raw sap.

 

Gonna be yummy

 

It’s stupid windy today. How windy? Enough to launch this 20 feet across the yard and into the still-hot fire pit while I was inside finishing my syrup.

 

About a half gallon:

 

What does the RO do? I'd be interested in buying some if you have extra

 

It gets rid of half the unwanted water in the sap. Basically cuts the boiling time in half by doing so.

 

Thats convenient. RO a long procedure?

 

With the kit I bought it took about 2.5 hours to filter out 19 gallons

 

Looking good !!!!!!!!