The Sap Collector's Thread

[wyoDreamer]

Our syrup connection says that the "special" quart that he sent for me was the last of the run. He finds it is a darker syrup and has a deeper flavor, it is his favorite. I have to agree. It is not quite as sweet as the lighter colored stuff, but I don't need it that sweet anyway. The deep, complex maple flavor is so good.

 

[Tjschicks1817]

How's everybody's Sap Collecting going. Doing our first boil today have about 5 gal.


How long do you think it will take to boil down?

 

[Ole and Lena]

I'll bet it took 4-5 hours to boil that down. A couple of things that will improve your efficiency. Find a larger, flatter pan. A large baking pan with 4-5" sides like a lasagna pan will increase your surface area, both in contact with the stove and air and will allow water to boil off faster. Keeping less sap in the pan and adding in small amounts (I use a camp cup with the wire handle for a dipper) will allow you to maintain a better, faster boil. When you get the hang of it, you can add a cup at a time without losing your boil. Also if you have a metal container to hold sap that can be placed near the stove, it will pre-heat the sap allowing you to bring it to boiling temp faster. If you don't already have them, you'll want some 5 gal pails or jugs with lids to store sap in a cool place. You'll soon be overflowing with sap! Even the new pails, I clean with vinegar and water, then rinse a couple of times to remove any plastic or other residue. Can't tell if your stove pipe has a damper installed. If not, add one. You'll be able to regulate the heat better and keep a good boil without burning through your firewood too quickly.

I did my first run yesterday, boiled down about 15 gal of sap yielding 5 pints of syrup. Had a very dry fall last year, and yield per gallon seems to be higher than usual. Ate some on French toast, it was delicious. Hope your first syrup worked out. Will try to get some more pictures of the process today.

Curious to know how your walnut syrup turns out. I've heard it's quite delicious.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Silly question here, but how do you know when you are done boiling it down?
Is there a certain viscosity you go for or is it just personal preference?

 

[Ole and Lena]

218-220 degrees, depending on your altitude and the specific makeup of your sap. With practice, you can tell by the boil. Too thin and it will be too runny and may not keep. Too thick, and the sugar crystals will start to precipitate out and make it gritty.

 

[Tjschicks1817]

I tried to use a candy thermometer but was so steamy I couldn't barely read it. So I used the spatula method. Once the sap started to ribbon down the spatula rather than run straight off I took it off.

 

[Tjschicks1817]

It took about 6 hours to boil down , but the wood stove would die down a lil here and there.
Here is what we ended up with.

 

[Life is Good!]

Very nice syrup! Congrads!!!

 

[Tjschicks1817]

Thanks. We did another batch last night of black walnut but I scorched it a bit. Little upsetting but we only lost a little syrup and what scorched turned into almost like a jelly. So I toasted some bread and spread it on. So Amazing. Im officially a syrup junkie lol. We doing more tonight the Maple trees ran like crazzyy today.

 

[lizyusczyk]

I love in western new York in a small city at the moment. The famIly farm has many sugar Naples, but my father refuses to allow anyone to tap any for fear of damaging the wood. I need more info on this, as I'm very interested.