Anyone ever made maple syrup?

[cfabe]

I'm gonna give it a shot this year, today I tapped the 3 sugar maples on our property, and I've collected a gallon of sap since about 4pm, so they seem to be decent producers. I figure I should be able to get enough to make at least a half gallon of syrup. Anyone have any advice? I haven't really got anything set up yet to boil the sap down, figuring on building a wood fired boiler of sorts outside using some cinderblocks and a flat, deep pan on top.

[jefnvk]

Used to with my grandparents.  IIRC, 40 gallons tap = 1 gallon syrup.

[Outrigger]

Depends on sugar content of sap. Can be lower-like 28/1 from mature large canopy trees. Takes a long time in a pot. Outside is a good idea so the walls don't get sticky. It is well worth it, yum. Watch for boil-overs, Temp control is important. Family legend has great-grampa waving slabs of bacon over the pan to stop the boil-overs.

[Brad Johnson]

Never made any, but I've eaten my fair share (and my brother's share, and the next-door neighbor's share, and...

Used to have a great uncle in Arkansas that made his own cane syrup every year in a HUGE copper kettle that was well over 100 years old. He always gave us a gallon when he can up to hunt. MMMMMMmmmmm! Best served over butter-toasted cornbread with a coupla quarts of cold milk on standby.

Brad

[Skunkabilly]

Roses are red, violet are purple
Sugar's sweet, so's maple surple.

[mcneill]

Something I had forgotten.  When I was a kid and money was scarce, Mom would make a "fake maple syrup."  Don't know the exact ingrediants but it was made with boiled sugar water with maple flavoring (extract) added.  Sometimes she would just make "sugar syrup" - boiled sugar water.  It was actually pretty good.  Folks who lived through the depression learned to improvise.

Jim

[Brad Johnson]

Sometimes she would just make "sugar syrup" - boiled sugar water

What do you think Karo syrup is?   My Grandmother would do the same thing sometimes - just a basic sugar/water syrup with some butter and vanilla extract (REAL vanilla extract, mind you, not this imitation stuff you get today!).

Roses are red, violet are purple
Sugar's sweet, so's maple surple.

"Dang me! Dang me! They oughta take a rope 'n hang me.
Hang me from the highest TREEEEEEEE....."  

Brad

[The Rabbi]

Roses are red, violet are purple
Sugar's sweet, so's maple surple.

And I'm the 7th of seven sons,
My pappy was a pistol--
I'm a son of a gun.

I remember maple syrup and especially maple sugar candy from my childhood when we went to Vermont to visit my brothers in camp.

Now I dont like it.  I chastised my kids for eating that Yankee food rather than putting molasses on their french toast.

[Guest]

People always forget to mention the bug-skimming that must usually be done when cooking down syrup.

[p35]

Has anyone tried making syrup from bigleaf maple (acer palmatum)? I've heard it's possible but don't know where to start.

[kudu]

We are in the process of boiling as I type this.  Just finishing up 700 gallons of sap.  We are averaging about 36gallons to 1 gallon of syrup right now.  As the season progresses it will go to about 43gallons.  

Typicaly the better the crown of the tree, or the size of the spreading branches,  the better the sweetness of the sap.  We have an individual tree that produces 4+ % sweetness, about 20gallons to 1.  

We only did about 100 taps this year and have a neighbor bringing us water also with about 100 taps.  When my grandfather was alive we had a large operation of over 3000 taps+.  Our family has been sugaring for over 120 years, kind of a family tradition.

If anyone has questions about syrup production, post or PM me.

[Guest]

Welcome to APS kudu my old buddy old pal.  

Did I ever mention how I really really like Maple syrup?  

[okay - where is the begging smilie when you need it?]

I have participated in Sorghum making.  I don't remember much because that was back when I drank.  I remember a fire and lot of mason jars.

[kudu]

I don't remember much because that was back when I drank. I remember a fire and lot of mason jars.

  What was in the mason jars before you put sorghum in them?

[Guest]

Umm , I just was reaching into the case of Ball [tm] mason jars. I'll be darned , there was a 'mostly' clear liquid in every darn one of them ( I checked). T'wernt no markings, no sticker- nuttin'.  Not like the Watermelon wine I had "seen" before with a "little dust on the bottle". *ahem*.

Whatever it was knocked the chill off. Twas a bit chilly down "Copperhead Road".



 

[Brad Johnson]

Quick update to let everyone know that pancakes are still delicious. Especially with maple syrup.

Brad

[French G.]

I did just to show the kid what could be done ended up with 1 quart. We live in maple sugar central so some people actually do it for real. If I had trees or could lease them I would.

[RocketMan]

My wife buys it at Target.  Too hard to tap trees.  Besides, I'm busy playing with my keys.