I don't know if you have ever heard of the term tapped out. In mixed martial arts this term is used when an opponent has decided to call it quits and surrenders to his opponent. After getting home from Florida this year, we went back and forth for a day or two discussing whether we wanted to tap out or make Maple Syrup this year. Once we decided not to call it quits and make that sweet nectar again, it was game on.
Before leaving for vacation I purchased an additional 10 taps along with an additional 25 feet of tubing. In the Fall I scouted out another 10 Maple trees that I would tap. The total number of trees that I would pierce with a 5/16 drill bit, 2 inches deep, would now stand at 32.
The flow of sap is dependent on one thing, the weather.
For sap to run, daytime temps need to warm up to at least the mid-forties and drop to below freezing at night. This temperature fluctuation is vital to the flow of sap.
During these fluctuations, when temperatures rise above freezing during the day, positive pressure develops in the tree. This pressure causes the sap to flow out of the tree through a wound. (tap hole) During the night when cooler temps set in, negative pressure (suction) develops, drawing water back into the roots of the tree.
Over four days #Mother #Nature delivered the perfect conditions and the sap ran like we've never experienced.
We had collected so much sap that after our outside fridge was packed to the gills, we started to store the sap in the inside fridge, which left very little room for any food.
With both fridges puking with sap by the third day, we had to get a little creative. I decided to break the ice at the edge of our pond and store an additional 22 gallons of sap in the frigid waters.
These pans should have been cleaned after our final boil last year, I guess @farm-mom dropped the ball. 😁 She's in the other room at the moment, I might as well blame her.
We started making syrup in 2017, our first year of being retired together.
I've kept a log of these times for every year except 2022, the only year we didn't make syrup. It's always a lot of fun going back over these notes, which include a lot more than the stats about the syrup.
After collecting what I thought was the most sap ever for a single boil, I went through the log, and sure enough, it would be an all-time high. In 2019 we had collected 53 gallons of sap for a boil. Here we are ready to cook 82 gallons, 29 gallons more than ever before. Great weather and an additional 10 taps did the trick.
After moving all of the buckets to the back deck, I think I may have lost a gallon or so, oops.
I know I've said this before in previous posts about making syrup, but if you're considering giving it a try, I'TS ALL ABOUT THE FIRE.
I prepare the kindling the night before we cook. Weaving the sticks of wood so that the entire fire pit burns evenly, is key. This takes me about an hour, an hour I would rather not spend the morning we cook, the day will already be a long one.
Back in the day, there used to be a contest called #SANDWICH OF THE MONTH. My best friend, who goes by the name Robin, made me this killer of a steak sandwich while I was tending the fire. It was smothered in everything including Pepper Jack cheese. This sandwich would have been a winner.
Let the Boil Begin
Getting an early start should get us done before dark, hopefully. With the ratio being 50 gallons of sap to 1 gallon of syrup, we'll be turning 80.5 gallons of liquid into a gas, (water vapor) before ending up with 1 & 1/2 gallons of PURE MAPLE SYRUP.
Tending to the fire is almost non-stop.
Making Maple Syrup with a friend is the way to go!
At this point in the cook, we've got about 4 gallons of liquid left.
We'll transfer the remaining liquid into a pot and finish boiling off the remaining few gallons of water tomorrow morning. Here we are filtering it for the second time as we transfer it.
We did the final boil on our outdoor burner.
After a few more hours we were almost there.
Filtering the syrup for the final time will make for a crystal-clear, amber color, 100% Pure Maple Syrup.
BRING ON THE PANCAKES!
The final tally - 197 ounces
At the ratio of 50/1, we got just over what we were hoping to produce.
Don't be afraid to stick your finger in the bottle and give it a try.
After a few more hours we were almost there.
Filtering the syrup for the final time will make for a crystal-clear, amber color, 100% Pure Maple Syrup.
BRING ON THE PANCAKES!
The final tally - 197 ounces
At the ratio of 50/1, we got just over what we were hoping to produce.
Don't be afraid to stick your finger in the bottle and give it a try.