Can you mix Maple and Birch sap ?

[TerryEspo]

I have syrup on the brain and just need to ask this one.

Has anyone tried to mix the two saps to make a unique flavoured syrup? If so, what does it taste like ? I would think you would have to freeze some concentrated maple sap due to Birch being a bit later in the year.

Love to hear if anyone has tried to make it.

Thanks.

Terry

[DrTimPerkins]

You would not be able to call the resulting product "pure maple syrup", as most laws/regulations limit that term to use only for syrup made solely from the concentation of maple sap.

[TerryEspo]

Hi Tim:

Not for sale, for sure.

It could have a catchy name though,,,,,"M-irch" or maybe "B-aple",,,,"Braple"...or better yet when it would be made,,,,"Ma-rch" Bet that name would be confusing in these forums,,,lol.

Still wonder if anyone has tried to make it?

Thanks.

Terry

[Jmsmithy]

I've been considering tapping my birch trees and have been researching it on this site and elsewhere. BC Birch Tapper does mention it in one of his posts as unique and that, if you wanted to use birch syrup on pancakes, would almost be a necessity due to the strong favors in the birch...:cool:

[Maplehobbyist]

I have syrup on the brain...

I'm surprised no one has offered to tap your head. After the weather warms up, of course.

[TerryEspo]

My wife has offered to tap my brain, lol, more than once.

Good thing she loves me and understands.
Better than going to bars or casinos and such !! I believe all of us here have wifes that are great and very understanding !!

Still no one has tried it ?

Terry

[DrTimPerkins]

It could have a catchy name though,,,,,"M-irch" or maybe "B-aple",,,,"Braple"...or better yet when it would be made,,,,"Ma-rch"

I like "Bir-ple"

Now you know why I don't do marketing research. :)

[happy thoughts]

If no one has tried it it may be because the seasons are separate. I've never tapped birches but from what I understand birch sap flows after the maples are done. By the end of maple season I've have had enough of collecting and boiling:). There's a lot more collecting and boiling involved with birch sap. I think the ratio is at least 60/1 and it sounds like it's notorious for scorching.

Some people just drink birch sap straight as a spring tonic. Might be tasty with a shot of maple syrup. Wait, what am I thinking? Of course it would be tasty! Maple syrup is good with everything :)

And as a wife myself, I offer your wife my sincere sympathy!:lol: She sounds like a good woman!

[happy thoughts]

I like "Bir-ple"

No you know why I don't do marketing research. :)

Birple! I LIKE it!:lol:

[wildlifewarrior]

I like "Bir-ple"

No you know why I don't do marketing research. :)

But now the word "purple" would rhyme with something!


I follow a guys blog who makes birch wine with the sap in the spring.

Mike

[red maples]

just like happy thoughts said, noone really did it before because the seasons don't happen at the same time. There is how ever maple birch blends, with different %'s of each 25%/75%, 50%/50%, 75%/25%. different price on each of those as they birch syrup is WAY more expensive than maple.

[thecabinguy]

Do to the horrendous maple season I had last year, I tried tapping some birch trees after maple season ended. I won't do that again. Birch sap is not sweet. I thought that it might have some of the wintergreen flavor of the bark. It doesn't. It doesn't smell sweet when it's boing either. The trees will pump out over 5 gallons a day. I couldn't keep up. It finally boiled down to a molasses like syrup. I got about a gallon after boiling about 130 gallons or so. It didn't taste or smell good. I'm sure it scorched a little because it's all but unavoidable if you want to keep it boiling. Waste of time.

I'm sticking to maples from now on.

[FunnyFarm]

I was thinking of starting a thread to ask a question but this thread is likely a good place to ask...Anyhow I've been considering tapping the birch trees that grow amongst my already tapped maples.
I'm not considering mixing them but my thought was to run them into the same mainline as my maples throw shut offs on all branches and simply shut off my maples tap and turn on the birch lines...Obviously clean up after maple season and do a few weeks of birch sap...Any reason this won't work?

[BC Birch Tapper]

It should be fine to tap birch trees after maple & even to mix both saps together. Typically birch will run after maples although there may be a slight bit of overlap on any given year. The only way to do so on any scale would be to freeze maple sap until the birch starts to flow which sounds like alot of work. We sell a birch syrup production manual & have been selling quite a few to maple producers in recent years that also have birch trees. If you've got the equiptment & trees & a fuel source then why not give it a try.
The two trees are as different as night & day. You use the same equiptment however that is where the similarities end.
Some producers do make blends but as already noted it cannot be sold as a pure product. We do a 75% maple 25% birch blend which sells quite well. The birch is quite bold so the small % makes it a moderate product for folks that have little experience in the birch world.
Many folks in Europe & north america drink the sap as a health tonic. We call it nature's gaterade, & use it for lots of things including just a refreshing drink with a bit of nutrients & a touch of sugar.

One key point is it is extremely difficult to make pure birch syrup on an evaporator. It is a different tree, different sugars & a different end use. We take our concentrate off our evaporator at about 25 to 30 deg brix & finish on a double boiler or on a very low heat to avoid scorching. Otherwise you will end up with a very unpalatable end product.

[FunnyFarm]

Thanks for the reply.Sounds like my plan then. Even if it cuts my maple season a week or so short Birch syrup sells for a bundle more...

[Shirefisher]

I cooked down a pint or so of syrup made from a combo of maple and birch last year on a turkey fryer while the trees are running at the same time. Tomorrow I'm going to boil down 40 gallons or so of maple and birch together and see how it comes out. The Maple should be mostly done and I'll clean the pans and just boil some birch and finish on a heat controlled electric cooker.

[nam elpam]

I do birch syrup here in northwestern pa and usually tap a couple towards the end of maple season and watch to see when they start to run and so far they have always started on the last run of maple so I have always boiled the last maple then started the birch tapping the maple is typically poor quality sap so the mixing I don't think would make a good product?

[Shirefisher]

Yea my maple today Is done, yellow and yeasty. So I pulled buckets and will be cleaning pan and maybe boiling birch tomorrow.

[billschi]

Did you ever try and make birch syrup? The very important part is not letting the sap temperature go over 200F. I run mine between 180-190F.