The Official 2025 Maple Syrup Thread

Actually it’s just the opposite , when temps are below freezing gases in the tree contract creating a vacuum and sap rises from the roots into the tree . When temps are above freezing gases expand creating pressure inside the tree and then sap will flow out the taphole . Also think of the tree trunk like a straw . When sap runs down the tree during warm spells the lower you tap the tree ( put a hole in a straw ) the more sap you will get .

Decent start so far here in Mid Michigan, 3000 gallons collected and 2nd boil tomorrow.
Need to get rid of this frost tho .

As far as a RO goes , definitely worth every penny . Even super small guys who have difficulty boiling before sap spoils would benefit and make better syrup . Run the ro and freeze the concentrate for later when you have time .

 

You are of course correct, xylem up and phloem down are reversed in spring but thought that technical for my tongue in cheek response

 

Good looking syrup

 

I just started tapping trees this morning. These two sugar maples and 4 reds. The sugar maples are running on the slow side but the reds are going strong. I have 4 more taps to put in tomorrow when I pick up some more jugs.

 

Have you started yet HoneyFuzz Always look forward to following your season. Hope all is well this syrup season!

 

Boiling about 90 gallons today.

 

Nice looking system you have there. Should be a couple gallons finished?

 

We got it cooked down to about 5 gallons last night. I will finish it this evening.

Should end up with just over 2 gallons if I had to guess. Sugar content was pretty high.

 

Awesome job everyone! I was tempted to tap a few maples we have here in CT. We just don’t have the time to make it work. We did stop at nice sugar house today on the way back from skiing. They made 12k gallons of syrup last year. (In my Project Farm voice) “Impressive!”

 

HoneyFuzz is not going to have a season this year. He mentioned it in either this thread or another one.

Edit: I went back and read more and it looks like HoneyFuzz may try for a small run of syrup not the big operation he once had.

 

First (and probably final) boil of the season. The weather is not looking very conducive. I have 15 gallons of concentrate to process. Whatever I get I get; I’m limiting my sugar intake anyway.

 

Just shy of half a gallon. I pulled the taps on the red maples today since this past week’s warm weather made the buds pop. I left the two taps in the sugar maples in the hopes that I can get a few more days of sap from them. They were running strong today.

 

Sorry .

nothing for you to follow this year
I've had my share of issues...just physically cannot do it. But once maple is in your blood...it's hard to let it go. I've been researching possible other ways to maybe make a little syrup in the years to come. Sorry to leave you hanging. Hope all is well !

 

Very nice setup!

 

Thank you for responding to this. I have t logged on in a while . I am not able to make anything this year. But I'm researching a way that I can possibly make a little syrup in the years ahead !

 

Yummy dark !!! Nice job !

 

Couple weeks back I saw someone tapping a Norway maple? Can this be done? Im wondering if the person misidentified it? Wasn't that big either.

 

Thats dark! Is it normally that dark?

 

Late season sap runs always seems to produce darker syrup for me than sap collected earlier in the season. This batch is especially dark for some reason.

 

Later season sap has more bacteria in it that break down the complex sugars into more simple sugars. Those simple sugars will oxidize/caramelize more readily, giving it the dark brown appearance.