The Official 2023 Maple Syrup Thread

This past week wasn’t as great weather-wise as hoped, but another gallon bottled. Wednesday and Thursday night were above freezing, but a nice freeze last night, and snowing today.

 

Your syrup looks delicious!

 

Thanks! I’m going to do a blind taste test with a couple other family members’ syrup to compare, just for fun. I would love to have my grandmother’s syrup to compare to- my recollection of it was having a better (more delicate) flavor than mine.

 

Do they have special glasses for syrup tasting? Swirl it around, sniff then sip?

 

I’ve wondered the same! I’ve judged silage and hay, but have never seen syrup being judged. It is pretty serious business in some circles!

The syrup I’ve made over the years on this farm has always seemed to me to have a slight underlying bitter note to it. I haven’t figured out if it is just my poor memory, taste buds, sanitation, or if the location (soil) is contributing.

 

My last boil of the season was this past Monday; I let the fire die and emptied the pan. We’ve had some favorable weather since then, but very little sap, so we’ll pull the taps and start the cleanup.

 

The sap was still running in Southern VT this weekend. We passed a few clear collection bins and they were pretty full.

 

We are around 350 gallons for the season so far.

Weather here is not looking favorable, hoping to get a couple more runs at the end of the week. Then it looks like no more cold nights and the buds may start popping.

 

Flamestead still 18” snow on ground and ER got 2,000 gallons of sap in last 24 hours..

it has too end soon wouldn’t you think

 

I was seeing pickup trucks with sap tanks last week, and the neighbor was boiling Wednesday, but it is ending quite decisively down here now. I’ve read that the NEK has had only so-so runs due to deep snow, so glad to hear ER has been doing well. UVM reports better than average.
I tapped on Feb 12, using 10+ yr old tubing, so I’m not too bummed about ending sooner than others in town. If I had one of those solar vacuum pumps I think it would have kept my tap holes fresher longer.

 

We are running vacuum and my dad shut down yesterday, even with the temperature drop a couple nites ago the sap just quit running. What he did get was getting funky.

Will be out to the farm today. But I think we finished with just over 400 gallons

 

Dumb question guys. Ive read in this thread you can tap birch trees? I noticed they are running as i recently pruned some black birch limbs and dripping from the cut.

Just curious the process to do that vs maple trees?

 

Not a dumb question.

Birch sap can be made into syrup. I have a coworker who does it. But the sugar content is very low, under 1% (maple is usually 1-3%) so it takes a lot of sap, also it is hard to boil and usually simmered more or less. Basically it just takes a looong time to make anything. Never done it myself

 

Interesting. You'll have to try next year. Does he mix with seltzer for birch beer? Just wondering what birch syrup would be used for?

 

I ain't trying. Mainly because on 40 acres I can count the birch trees on one hand!

To be honest. I have no idea what it is used for.

 

According to Wikipedia this is what it is used for:

However, it is seldom used for pancake or waffle syrup; more often it is used as an ingredient paired with pork or salmon dishes in sauces, glazes, and dressings, and as a flavoring in ice cream, beer, wine, and soft drinks.

And in comparing it to Maple syrup:

Maple is for pancakes and foods that can tolerate a high level of sweetness. Birch is a culinary syrup that gets its "gold star" for lending flavor dimension to whole foods, recipes and cocktails, with the added benefit that you can always add sweetness if it is desired.

 

My grand father used to chew black birch pitch that was dried… where sap from the tree healed a wound

that is what flavor reminds me of..
Parents didn’t spend money on gum in depression

 

Gathered for the last time this morning. Crazy warm up coming, trees were still running good and the buds were tight yet even on the soft maples..

 

BIG SYRUP.
Is it a thing? I’m at a loss for words. I had given my 83 year old grandmother a jar of my syrup about a month ago. While over there for Easter yesterday, I asked her if she liked it. She told me she won’t even try it because she read somewhere online that fresh syrup is full of toxic chemicals! Huh?!?! I trust fresh syrup more than what they claim they treat city water with. Kind of threw me for a loop because her entire upbringing was on farms where she ate whatever the family grew/raised. From Massachusetts to California, then to Connecticut it was always a way of life for them. The propaganda that one can find online (and swallow hook, line and sinker) is astounding.