Tree sap gathering and syrup making

[SheaLoner]

I've been told the depth of topsoil can effect the amount of sap. More soil more sap.

 

[duluthralphie]

I've been told the depth of topsoil can effect the amount of sap. More soil more sap.

I have had people say the level of the water table does too.

I have not noticed that though. I have not seen an appreciable difference from the top of the hill to the swamp edge.

 

[itsasmallfarm]

i only have Manitoba maples here, nearest sugar maple is a few hundred miles away.

 

[mowin]

I disagree, but not with the sugar amounts that is about right.

I find my Manitoba maples give almost twice as much sap as my hard maples (red). Which means you get as much syrup as from the red maples. Hard maples are called red maples around here. With the use of reverse osmosis it makes little difference what the sugar content is.

I think the syrup from Manitobas is far superior to that from the hard maples for the first week or so. After that they all taste the same.

Silver maples make more sap than reds and the sugar content is only a few tenths below that of the reds. Also where the trees are effects the sugar content. Yard trees run higher than forest trees.

Lastly, syrup making is a strange combination of art and science IMHO. It’s the art part I am missing most this year.

I agree. Around my parts, you're going to find soft and hard maples make up 99% of the sugar bush. Silver maples and Norway maples you'll find in someone's yard.

 

[SheaLoner]

Just finished a walk through of half the property with my dad, needed to get him out of the house for a bit, probably have some 6-12 maples big enough to tap. Most on the property line are 70+ yrs old. Some may be too old, too damaged to risk tapping?

 

[duluthralphie]

I agree. Around my parts, you're going to find soft and hard maples make up 99% of the sugar bush. Silver maples and Norway maples you'll find in someone's yard.

Interesting, we have a mixed bag in the forests and in the yards. Silver maple are also the majority tree in the lowland areas.

 

[duluthralphie]

Just finished a walk through of half the property with my dad, needed to get him out of the house for a bit, probably have some 6-12 maples big enough to tap. Most on the property line are 70+ yrs old. Some may be too old, too damaged to risk tapping?

I don’t think a tree can be to old, unless it’s dead.

 

[SheaLoner]

I don’t think a tree can be to old, unless it’s dead.

Does having a rotted hollow in it big enough for a toddler fit in count? Its still alive, somehow.

 

[Alpacalypse]

https://practicalselfreliance.com/trees-species-tap-syrup/
https://wildfoodism.com/2014/02/04/22-trees-that-can-be-tapped-for-sap-and-syrup/amp/

I had no idea that large leaved maples could be tapped! I knew birch trees could, I just assumed that large leaved maples had too low of a sugar content for some reason. Thank you!

 

[itsasmallfarm]

sap is just starting to run. got about 4 cups of sap so far.