Maple Syrup

[maplelakeduckslayer]

So was at the cabin with dad this weekend and suddenly got the urge to try making maple syrup. Never really paid attention before but there's tons of maple trees on his property...figure it's something else that we can maybe do together.

Anyone do this themselves? My biggest question was how long it takes to collect sap...like could you tap and run tubes to buckets one weekend and go up the next to collect/boil? Or does it collect pretty fast where you could say tap on Fri collect/boil Saturday into Sunday?

Just trying to get a feel time wise more or less how I could make it work since it's about 3 hrs away

[emptymag]

I think you missed that season by a month or so.

[cstemig]

Yup, you missed the prime time by almost 2-months. Try the end of March next spring.

[maplelakeduckslayer]

Oh I know lol...just prepping for next year and was fresh on my mind after being up there this weekend. Even dug up a few sapplings and planted them in the yard for him as we',ve been having bunch of shiz trees die offlast few years

[Quack]

I don’t know if there’s a collection method that would allow you to check weekly but some people run hoses from the taps to a collection point.

The people I know who do it check daily... or as close to it as possible. There can be lots of things that require daily attention- critter damage and the bags can easily fill up on a good day...


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[maplelakeduckslayer]

Thanks...that's what I was curious about how fast everything fills
...I know bacterial growth is another concern but I'm not too concerned about that sort of stuff but still something to think about. With all the snow up there typically wonder if you couldn't just surround buckets with snow and cover to keep out the sun...keep cool enough between snow and soil temp to limit bacterial growth for the week. I dunno just thinking out loud. Or just putz with it like I said tap Fri collect and start boiling Saturday and Sunday and just try to make it up a few weekends to get an amount worthwhile

[HnkrCrash]

I’ve done it with my kids for fun a few springs. Once the run starts, the sap adds up FAST. We got some cheap taps on Amazon and rigged up collection jugs via wire and old milk jugs. We had 8 gallons in a few hours off of 8 taps (that’s all we bought). We just did it for a weekend, but dumped in the morning and evening with full/near full jugs each time we collected. Boiled it down and it was great!

Super easy to get into and depending on how many trees you tap, you should be able to collect more than enough in a weekend for enough syrup to last a while.

[h2ofwlr]

I would not recommend running just a few trees for a week into a big single receptacle, because if it gets too warm the sap coming out gets kind of funky (cloudy) tasting. This per a friend that volunteers at the UMN Arb.

[maplelakeduckslayer]

I’ve done it with my kids for fun a few springs. Once the run starts, the sap adds up FAST. We got some cheap taps on Amazon and rigged up collection jugs via wire and old milk jugs. We had 8 gallons in a few hours off of 8 taps (that’s all we bought). We just did it for a weekend, but dumped in the morning and evening with full/near full jugs each time we collected. Boiled it down and it was great!

Super easy to get into and depending on how many trees you tap, you should be able to collect more than enough in a weekend for enough syrup to last a while.

Thanks! Kinda what I was looking for how much you can actually collect. I guess I don't necessarily need to boil it up there just thought it'd be easier over the fire...I could collect and boil some and haul some more home to boil down. I have a big propane burner and pot

[maplelakeduckslayer]

So we coming into time? 50'snext week and ample sun. Would not this coming weekend but the following be a little too early yet "up north"? I know it's really dependent on weather but I've always heard warm during the day below freezing at night starts it off.

I don't even have all the stuff yet work was a lil hectic and the thaw crept up on me. But kinda really want to try it this year