Maple Syrup?

[canman]

Anyone have any suggestions as to making maple syrup from Silver maples? I've read that it tastes good, just a lighter color. Any advice on making it?

[Steve Foss]

Silver maple makes excellent syrup. Actually, so do a lot of hardwoods, not just maples. Maple takes less reducing through boiling because its inherent sugar content is higher than most other hardwoods, but many hardwoods will make fine syrup.

The longer you boil/reduce it, the darker and more flavor concentrated it becomes.

Silver maples are a common boulevard tree here in Ely, and quite a few residents tap them each spring and make syrup.

[leech~~]

I have 4 Silvers in my yard I tapped one year. It was fun and a good learning experience reading up on it and trying to get it right. My first try turned into a solid rock of maple suger! But hey sugers usable! I did get it right after a while. It's kind of like the Goldilocks story, it can't be to hard or to soft but has to be just right!

[canman]

I can't wait to try this year...any tips?

[leech~~]

I can't wait to try this year...any tips?

You can get lots of tips on the web or from books at the library. The area you have to get right is the temp and time of the boil that is the biggest point that has to be right! Also, not sure where you live but at Elm Creek park they do a class on it in the spring. They use to actually tap the trees in the park and do a boil down right in front of the park house but they quit doing that I guess. One year when I run out of time to make any more I donated a 30 gal drum of sap to them from my trees for them to use during their demo and they were ecstatic to have it! Have fun!

[zzammon]

Here is a basic place to start.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/naturalresources/DD1067.html

The web has a ton of info on the subject.

[bloc004]

Copied this from past projects. My grandparents have a decent sized operation in Menomonie, WI and I have done many projects during my school days on it. The simlplest/ cheapest piece of equipment to tell when your syrup is done is a candy thermometer, but it if you are making more, it is worth investing in a testing cup and syrup thermometer.

Finished maple syrup will be 7 degrees F. above the temperature of boiling water at your elevation. If you have a syrup or candy thermometer it will tell you this. If you have a larger operation you may get a syrup hydrometer and testing cup which will tell you when the syrup is done. The cup will require two or three cupfuls of syrup in order to make the test. Proper syrup will weigh at least 11 pounds per gallon. Do not get it beyond 11 1/4 pounds per gallon or it may form crystals in the bottom of the storage container.

[mcgarth]

this weekend we will be out putting about 1,000 taps in roughly.last year we made 115 gallons of finished product

[canman]

I have ordered my taps and expect them next week.

[mcgarth]

canman who do you order your taps from? we got half of our tapping done today back at it tomorrow.we are going to run out of buckets before we run out of taps and trees. happy tappin everyone

[canman]

tapmytrees dot com

I put some taps in yesterday. Anybody collecting any yet or is it too early?

[mcgarth]

it's still to early.next week we should be picking up sap.our six wheeler decided it didn't want to help finish hauling buckets out to the tree's so it's in the shop now. we have about 150 more taps to put out and then just wait for the tree's to do the rest.

[canman]

My taps started to flow yesterday! All my taps are in now.

[mcgarth]

well we had our first boil of sap today.2 years ago at this time 20th of march we were all done for the year.next weeks weather looks great for the sap flow.we only have enough sap as of right now for only 4 gallons of the good stuff.long ways to go for our goal of over 100 gallons of finished product.

[tyeeme]

been tapped for a week 24 taps 15 gallons up to now but today 3/21/10 got 12, running like a champ outlook looks good. Kids are luvin it!!! just hoping to get to 80 gallons (of sap) have a good week uall!!

[mcgarth]

we made about 31/2 gallons of finished syrup today.picked up another 300 gallons of sap also today.this week is make it or brake weather wise.

[canman]

My trees were running good up till mid week. Today is a little better. How long do expect this to last yet?

[mcgarth]

we're guessing next week we will be pulling our taps.our tree's have pretty much shut down.we are at about 25 gallons of finished syrup this year( a far cry from last years 115) we were hoping to get at least 50 gallons but that's not going to happen. it just show's mother nature is in control. we are located in anoka county ramsey minnesota

[canman]

I need about 3 more gallons for one good last boil...hope I get it this weekend.

[mcgarth]

pulled all our taps today, we ended up with about 35 gallons of finished syrup. not good by any means way down from last years 115.now to bottle it in a few weeks. until next year tappers see ya

[themagicbus]

pulled my taps on the 5th.

got about 10 gal of syryp out of 120 taps

poor but better than a case of mr's buttersworth