Volume is up the sugar is down!

[Mike N RI]

We tapped 125 last Thursday, 150 Sunday and 75 yesterday. Blended sugar content seems to be low this year at 1.4%-1.6% Sugar Maples are running at 1.8%-2.1%, Norway Maples 1.3%-1.7%. NO SOLID FREEZE THIS WINTER in Southern New England is the culprit. We tapped one large Red Maple and the sugar content was 2.9% The high reading of the day was a large Norway at 3.7%!

We collected 325gallons off 275 taps, will boil Thursday after the RO does it's job.

Good weather for the next 10 days...hopefully. Stopped by to see Norm at Kingston Sugar and Al at West Kingston Sugar...big flow today and same sugar% issue: 1.6% blended.

Good luck to all in 2012!

Mike

[buckeye gold]

I'm with ya on the low sugar content. Here in southern Ohio it's been pitiful. I am averaging 1.3 blended and have boiled enough sap to make 30-40% more syrup than it has if I could get close to 2%. I have some trees that are barely making 1%. I have pulled taps off them and moved to new trees, but that isn't helping. It's just gonna be one of those years. I have only had one big run in 3 weeks. Just a bunch of small runs. Moving to new trees hasn't made a difference in that either. I had to bring in more wood, I was already 2/3rds through my season stash. I'm lucky i had some seasoned wood left that didn't sell yet. It's starting to get old indeed.

[Mike N RI]

Collected 300 gallons yesterday, boiling the 625 tonight!