What would happen if i tapped random trees?

[rossbarramen]

im just curious to what would happen if i tapped 300 random trees? i guess my real question is what are the down sides to making syrup with sap from different trees? would it taste bbad or is the boil down just take longer???

[Sunday Rock Maple]

Please promise that you won't ever decide to take up gathering wild mushrooms as a hobby......

[Schiefe4]

Pine has a great flavor!

http://www.wikihow.com/Tap-a-Pine-Tree

[Jmsmithy]

Please promise that you won't ever decide to take up gathering wild mushrooms as a hobby......

Now THAT'S funny :lol:

In all seriousness, tapping a tree that is not a maple species obviously would not result in maple syrup. In fact, depending on what you tap, there may be little sap at all. Sap with no sugar content would not result in syrup as we know it but rather possibly just a goopy mess.

Stick with maples (or birch - and some say hickory though I've never tried it).

Good luck :D

[red maples]

is this a real question??? you'll get sap from maple first, then when maple season is over you'll get birch, for hickory you must boil the bark of shag bark hickory, then add sugar. its really not very good.

You can tap Oaks all you want but you won't get a drop.

[happy thoughts]

im just curious to what would happen if i tapped 300 random trees? i guess my real question is what are the down sides to making syrup with sap from different trees? would it taste bbad or is the boil down just take longer???

I don't know but I wouldn't try it in Vermont. It's probably a hanging offense:)

Seriously, I know there are some other trees that can be tapped, like walnut, birch, and hickory though I've never tried those. The sap sugar content is lower in all of them from what I've read and the flavor is different. Any other tree, you're on your own. If you tap pine you may end up with syrup that's real good at taking paint off your pancakes :o

[Tithis]

The only trees I know of tapped commercially for syrup are maple and birch. Walnut and sycamores can be tapped too, but there is very little info on the net about doing it.

[happy thoughts]

The only trees I know of tapped commercially for syrup are maple and birch. Walnut and sycamores can be tapped too, but there is very little info on the net about doing it.

I've found some info on black walnut tapping if you're interested, but considering the value of the wood you may be better off leaving them untapped. Sap to syrup ratio is supposedly 60/1 or more.

I'd be interested in finding out more info on sycamores. The only info I've seen about that is from the UK and I don't think they're talking about the same trees we have here. What they call sycamore is not what we call sycamore in the US. In the UK it is actually a type of maple that is abundant there but syrup production is mostly wishful thinking because of the lack of good freeze/thaw cycles.

Has anyone here actually tapped a sycamore for syrup? How did it taste and was it worth it?

[TerryEspo]

When I first started tapping my Maples, I had a friend ask me the same question. BUT, he asked because he cant tell trees apart for the most part !!:o Is this an indirect question ?

Terry

[BC Birch Tapper]

I recall reading a scientific article in University in the early 80's that compared the sugar content of all the maples and then compared birch as well at the very end. The comment was with birch at such a low conentration why would you even bother. What I've learend from talking to people all over is that many trees can be tapped but they all behave a little differently and have a different end product. Research whatever you plan to do and if selling or sharing with others be honest about what you have & what you are selling/providing.

[JSEDLAK]

If I recall correctly isn't birch syrup a more diabetic friendly syrup?

[Tithis]

I've found some info on black walnut tapping if you're interested, but considering the value of the wood you may be better off leaving them untapped. Sap to syrup ratio is supposedly 60/1 or more.

We're outside of the trees native range here anyways, I've only seen one and it was in somebody's yard and probably planted.

I've jokingly considered tapping some the of the birches in the woods to sell the sap to the Russians in westfield. Apparently in Russia is a popular seasonal drink, I talked to an old Russian woman about it once who seemed to know quite a bit about the practice.

[ericjeeper]

is this a real question??? you'll get sap from maple first, then when maple season is over you'll get birch, for hickory you must boil the bark of shag bark hickory, then add sugar. its really not very good.

You can tap Oaks all you want but you won't get a drop.
have you ever tried Hickory Syrup. I make it here, I sell it for 20 dollars a quart. It is a big seller.
Peel a little loose bark, scrub it down really well, roast it in the oven at 350° for 30 minutes. Steep it on the stove top fora couple of hours. DO NOT BOIL IT. Then filter out the tea. My batch starts out with 6 quarts of "tea" I heat it up and add 2 pounds of dark brown sugar, then 24-25 pounds of white sugar until I hit the syrup mark on the hydrometer. Yields 12 quarts+ So I am turning 25 dollars worth of sugar into $240 in syrup. All within just a few hours. Hickory has a bit of a buttery, nutty taste. I honestly prefer it over maple.Is excellent in coffee and on ham.

[Cake O' Maple]

I honestly prefer it over maple.

Careful, there are a lot of maple lovers here who might consider these fightin' words!
:cool:

[BC Birch Tapper]

Birch is primarliy fructose & glucose and maple is primarily sucrose as I recall.

[BC Birch Tapper]

I find that people are tapping many types of trees these days. I don't believe that they when even combined will cause any impact to the maple syrup industry. They are very different & typically niche products which many times have a different application than maple. Producers need to be aware of what they are producing & insure that they are producing a good shelf stable product & using good practices. Above all be honest with your customers & they will appreciate you for it.

[red maples]

For syrup that you need to add a bunch of stuff too brown sugar, water, white sugar, hickory bark I would assume that would require a commercial kitchen or a limited homestead type kitchen lisense to make and to sell here in NH. Thats the good thing about maple here, not sure in other states but as long as its pure maple product (syrup, candy etc. ) or birch or honey or anything AG releted and not mixed together and canned (jellies, Candies naked goods) it all falls under the Ag dept. not the health dept.

OFF topic......Someone said something on another thread about thinning with water, defoamer, filter aid DE etc. its not on the label as ingredients. I did look that up and there is no labeling laws for trace ingredients. like rodent hairs etc. which there is an alowable amount and thats not on the label.... or if something says spices.... trace amounts... and nutrional labels are even allowed to be as much as 20% off.

anyone ever taste wlanut syrup? Does it have an earthy flavor like the nut or is it sweet like maple? I would like to taste some.

[Rugburn]

I'm pretty sure the natives tried all sorts of different trees, deciding maple was the best. I can see their facial expressions now as they went through the woods with tomahawk in hand, tasting the various offerings.

[MarkL]

I tapped black birch one season. The sap tasted great, kind of wintergreeny. I fermented it into birch beer but I never got to taste it because the bottles were primed with too much sugar and exploded. I lost a chunk of my leg that day and had a hell of a mess to clean up. Better to just drink it straight.