Tree sap gathering and syrup making

[Miss Lydia]

 

[rjohns39]

Haha I'm not the only one old as dirt here. If the tree bark fits!

We can still buy Sorgum here. Us southies still make it.

Got a jar on my shelf in the pantry, I got to watch them making it.

 

[gmjarvi]

Sap's running in upper Michigan, too!

We helped our native friend tap the first 150 or so trees out of 700 this year. He and his family make sugar (zinzibaakwad), syrup (zhiiwaagamizigan), and maple vinegar from the sap.

My husband also helps with a sugar bush through the university he works for.

 

[duluthralphie]

Hiya! I only have one maple tree on my property (that I know about, at least) and I am trying it out this year. I've been "trying" the last two years and it's all been basically a flop. I got a small jar of the syrup from last year. This year I'm hoping to 'succeed'!

Do you have a photo of the tree? What variety of maple is it?

Where do you live? I tap more 5 leaf maples than any other specie....5 leaf maple is commonly known as boxelder. I keep the first sap of the boxelder a separate from the other maples as it makes a Carmel tasting syrup for the first week or so. No other maple does that.

Nothing compares to it for taste.

One tree will not give you a lot of syrup I get about a cup to a 1 1/2 cups of syrup for a very 5 gallons of sap.

 

[duluthralphie]

Snap's running in upper Michigan, too!
View attachment 2042469

We helped our native friend tap the first 150 or so trees out of 700 this year. He and his family make sugar (zinzibaakwad), syrup (zhiiwaagamizigan), and maple vinegar from the sap.

My husband also helps with a sugar bush through the university he works for.

wow 700 trees. I have a neighbor that does 400 I thought that was a lot.

 

[Duck_life]

My sisters friends Uncle made my parents Root Beer flavored syrup from his own trees. It was actually really good.

 

[gmjarvi]

wow 700 trees. I have a neighbor that does 400 I thought that was a lot.

It's quite a few trees! This is how he makes his living - maple sugar/syrup/vinegar and wild rice. A lot of work but it brings him so much joy.

ETA: I've never heard of tapping boxelder! Interesting. I don't think I have enough maple on my property to tap any of my own unfortunately . Not enough birch, either.

 

[duluthralphie]

It's quite a few trees! This is how he makes his living - maple sugar/syrup/vinegar and wild rice. A lot of work but it brings him so much joy.

ETA: I've never heard of tapping boxelder! Interesting. I don't think I have enough maple on my property to tap any of my own unfortunately . Not enough birch, either.

Do you have boxelder?

 

[gmjarvi]

Do you have boxelder?

Not that I've noticed. We have a lot of spruce, apple, and choke cherry. We harvested choke cherries last year for jelly, bbq sauce, and marinade. And so, so, so many apples lol. I've heard if making spruce syrup but I think the method is different...harvest the tips and soak them?

ETA: we do get syrup and sugar for helping our friend and the university with their sugar bushes, so at least there's that!

 

[BGcoop]

DH and kids just put our taps in too! We do anywhere from 30-75 trees mostly just for us and family and have more syrup sitting in the basement than I know what to do with! I kind of feel like tree tapping math is like chicken math....