Some questions

[bakerrunner]

I have a tree out in the open that is forming buds, but the weather is still below freezing at night and above during the day. The sap is clear. Should I pull the taps from that tree?

Also, I have read that you should boil your sap within 7 days of collecting, but I don't always get to it that fast, but it's kept at temps below 40 degrees. Any thoughts on this?

So really, two questions, when do you pull your taps and what is the longest you've stored sap before boiling?

Thanks.

[DonMcJr]

They tell me when your sap smells like dirty socks then you're done and thats the time to pull taps. Last year was my first year and it just stopped when it got really warm so I havent experienced that yet. Leave them in and boil away til then...

Same thing with the stored sap. If it smells bad its bad... float frozen sap in cleaned out pop bottles if you can if it gets warm...

[Too Tall]

I collect all week and store in an 18 gallon drum that is buried in the snow bank. With temps as they have been, I think I could store sap that way for a couple weeks. Every day there is a solid layer of ice in there.

I would just give the sap the taste/smell test. When it's bad, stop boiling it.

[325abn]

You will know when your sap get buddy and is done.

[Cake O' Maple]

This is my 3rd year, and I haven't experienced buddy sap, but I've read that if you're worried, to boil a little (1-2 cups) down in a saucepan on the stove, and taste the concentrated sap. That should tell you if it's turned.

Last year I froze "sap burgs" (someone else's term, but sorry, can't recall who) in 1-2 gallon buckets, popped them out and floated them in my barrels as the weather warmed. It warmed so fast last year, that I just quit without boiling the last frozen burgs.

They sat in my freezer in the garage all year, and I never got to them...During my first boil this year, I put them in one pan and boiled it separately from the start of this year's sap. The syrup tasted pretty good!

[Four D Acre Farms]

Hey Jason the faster you can get sap boiling the better the final product will taste but as you and most i have read on here it dont always work to boil the same day as collecting, so boil it as fast as you can. If you cant get to it definetly keep it cool how ever you can. As for the buddy syrup I did have it a 3 yrs ago and you WILL know it when you have it, I was boiling on a homemade rig and we gathered and started boiling in the open and the steam smelled like dirty socks!! You can trust everyone who says that YOU WILL KNOW! LOL i was conserned about it till i did that boil and i knew.

[bakerrunner]

Thanks for the info guys! My sap is fine, the weather has been very cold, and I finished off some tonight and it's fine, but very dark. I think because I boiled it too long, but maybe because its been out of the tree so long in storage.