Making Maple Syrup

This warm wheather is getting itchy to prep my syruping stuff. Only month and a half away.

My season is 100% done. One of my worst from a production standpoint, but still my favorite season.  Zero frustration and never felt like work.  The party Saturday was awesome.  I only collected 50 gallons since March 2nd, and that is what we cooked Saturday.  Finished it yesterday.  Definitely off.  Tastes sweet but ends with a weird aftertaste.  We decided to jar it anyway and use it for marinades.  I'm going to try it in an old fashioned as well to see if the whiskey and actual bitters mask it.  Ended up with 3.75 gallons of really good stuff and just over 1 gallon of the meh.  Until next year...

I've thought about running it through again but is harder on the pump and filters. We can boil off about 15-20 gallons an hour on our evaporator so it does go pretty quick once we get going. 

I have heard of people running  the reduced through again. Ever tried that? Or, does it or would, it clog up the filters? Thats a pretty good reduction rate!

I'm running my homemade RO at 130 psi and taking about 400 gallons of raw sap at 2-2.5% down to just over 100 gallons of concentrate at 10%. It processes about 10 gallons an hour at that set up. I could speed it up but lose my reduction amount

DUCH how much reduction do you get with your RO system? 40 Gallons say down to what amount. Looked like a pretty nice system you posted last year.

We've done 4 boils so far here in Washburn County and are sitting at 35 gallons of syrup made. Still holding out for at least one more boil next weekend and hopefully another 10-15 gallons of syrup. Buds aren't popping yet and sap is still looking good. Some taps look like they are drying up (we tapped Feb. 1st) but some on our gravity lines have been running pretty well still. 

Just got in! That's it for 2024 other than the finishing in the north woods. Sap was flowing really heavy yesterday, so I drilled 5 taps after pulling everything 2 week's ago. Got close to 2 gallons from each tap to go along with the barrel I had in the garage. Tree's seem dormant with no budding.

Tasted first three, all tasted good.  Sap still clear.  Still very inconsistent.  One tree had 4 gallons.  Next tree 20 yards away 1/2”.  

Im up in stone lake I dont see any buds on any of my maples, or any out in our woods. I see some blue bags here and there and they dont look too full . A friend of mine tapped a while ago and was done 2 weeks ago with what he wanted

Are you calling me a liar?   

Dude the maples 100 miles north of you are budding so maybe give that sap a taste test. 

The sweatshirts showed and I'm very pleased with the quality and look.  So even if the party is a bust, at least I will look amazing.    

I'm still attempting to be at it.  My sugars still haven't budded out.  I'm trying to collect enough to cook at my annual sapping party this weekend.  I've collected about 25 gallons out of 21 trees in the last 8 days.  About half the trees were running yesterday, half weren't.  Very weird.  2 trees, 10 yards apart, one was a constant drip, the other nothing.  Probably have 20 gallons in the woods.  I'm thinking it will run today?  Spent yesterday devising a method to keep to sap cool for these couple of days in the 60's.  I will be done after this weekend.  Overall, I give this season 1 star and I would not recommend.  

Yep. Also, in the yard so they get tons of sun. 

the dude. i agree about the trees. we have given it away to friends and family. have never taken a dime for it. Syrup   is a new hobby for my wife and I. We wanted to use our woods for something other than hunting and walking through. Keeps us moving and being together. Son and daughter and their families get home to help also so it's all worth it. ​