Just A Little

[hfitch]

I will be boiling for the first time ever on a block arch with 2 steam table trays. I'll only have about 10 gallons of sap but I don't want it to sit much longer than Saturday. My question is, should I go ahead and take it all the way down to syrup and bottle the little bit or should I take it down to almost syrup and put it in the freezer til I have more. Looks like it will be cooling down later next week and that's why I thought maybe freezing the almost syrup. I think it will be a bit before I get more sap to boil again and think it would go bad being left in the fridge at almost done for a week or 2. Thoughts and suggestions please : )

[hfitch]

I should also add that the sap I do have saved has a slight tinge to it but it's not cloudy, but it doesn't taste like sweet water. It almost tastes like sweet, slightly dirty water. It was for the most part kept frozen but some of it thawed a bit in the buckets and this sap has been around for about a month. Should I just toss it to be on the safe side? The sap I am getting now from the trees is completely clear and the saved sap was pretty clear when I first collected it but had a little yellow to it. Wish I could find pictures of what sap that has gone bad looks like!

[happy thoughts]

Boil it down to a couple of quarts and freeze it. It might last a week in the fridge if placed in a scrupulously clean sanitized jar and a lid of the same. Beyond that I think you're pushing it but that's jmho. If you refrigerate it or freeze it, add some fresh sap to it when you next boil and make that pan your sweet pan. I would not bother to take it down to syrup and bottle that small amount if you know more sap is on the way. I like to wait until at least 30 or 40 gallons are concentrated pretty good. Again, just my personal preference.

If it helps any to guestimate volume to boil down to, a full size 6" steam "hotel" pan holds about 5 gallons. That's about 1.25 inches in depth per gallon. The same depth/gal should be true for a full size 4" pan since only the depth is different. The length and width are the same.

Good luck and have a great season:)

[happy thoughts]

I should also add that the sap I do have saved has a slight tinge to it but it's not cloudy, but it doesn't taste like sweet water. It almost tastes like sweet, slightly dirty water. It was for the most part kept frozen but some of it thawed a bit in the buckets and this sap has been around for about a month. Should I just toss it to be on the safe side? The sap I am getting now from the trees is completely clear and the saved sap was pretty clear when I first collected it but had a little yellow to it. Wish I could find pictures of what sap that has gone bad looks like!

again your choice. Some will tell you to boil it but a month is a long time if not frozen solid imho. Any yeast that's had a chance to grow in there will eat your sugar up so it may not be near as sweet as fresh sap. I'd toss it personally if you can spare it. if not, boil it separately and see what it tastes like when it's pretty concentrated. If it still tastes OK, throw it in with the rest of the lot.

[hfitch]

thanks Happy Thoughts, that's what I was leaning towards but wanting someone with experience to tell me so, lol. I have the 4 inch pans. Really wanted the 6 inch pans, but they were all out and I really didn't want to order any. I have 19 taps, so I'm hoping to get a lot more : ) It's just getting rolling here in SE Michigan, in the Thumb.

Thank you for the response and have a great sugaring season!!

[hfitch]

I think I might just toss it, just because my gut is telling me to. I do a lot of canning and preserving and I've always lived by that rule of "when in doubt, throw it out". This should be no different. Thanks again. 4 gallons of sap is just not worth risking a spoiled batch if I do add it in with the rest.

[psparr]

I had a friend tap a couple trees and didn't realize he had to boil it right away. He kept the little bit he got in a 5 gallon bucket in his garage for a month and a half. Brought it over to boil and it turned out great.

[DonMcJr]

I had a friend tap a couple trees and didn't realize he had to boil it right away. He kept the little bit he got in a 5 gallon bucket in his garage for a month and a half. Brought it over to boil and it turned out great.

Where were you storing it? I had sap in my garage since Feb 10th and it froze and had ice in it and it was fine. as long as it stays below 40 and lower at night it's gonna stay good...

Not to mention Fri, Sat and Sunday you should be getting alot of sap...

[bowtie]

if your gut is telling you to toss it, you probably should. when in doubt throw it out!! it is not like you are wasting it, bring it back to the base of the trees and dump it there. better safe than bad tasting syrup, i know it does not rhyme but the cliches were getting to much.

[hfitch]

I already went with my gut and tossed it. It just tasted funky to me. It may have been ok though because it was 1/3 frozen, stored outside in a 5 gallon white food grade pail with snow packed around it. All my fresh sap has a totally different taste and color, that was my deciding factor. I just hate the thought of giving away a subpar or worse product. Guess I'm just protecting my pride, lol.