maple or birch

[PATheron]

Thought Id get some opinions on something. I have a woods I tap with a bunch of red maples in it. Theres probly 1500 or so more reds that could be tapped in the woods. There is also at least that many black birch trees in the woods that would run in the same tubing system. Ive thought a little bit about tapping the birch trees and after season make some birch syrup to kind of diversify. Only thing is Ive made some and didn't really like the taste. I really don't want to have to do the work to sell it retail. If I could make it and sell it in the barrel Id do that but Im not aware of a bulk market for it. If I put the reds on I know I can sell it without even trying. Anybody have any thoughts? Theron

[spud]

Here is ( my thought ) on this topic. I have tried birch syrup and hate it. Birch syrup is a specialty item in Alaska and they sell this crap to vacation people coming to see Alaska. I helped set up one of the first pipeline systems in Alaska and to date they are still tapping about 1500 trees. The problem is this. According to my friends in Alaska they are saying you get a bunch of one time buyer's. People that buy maple syrup will keep coming back year after year because they enjoyed the taste of your syrup. People that buy your birch syrup will never come back and then they will tell their friends your syrup is nasty. This could hurt your maple sales also. To some people they might think if your birch syrup is nasty then your maple syrup most likely is nasty also (although that would not be true). I have never met a person that has said they enjoyed birch syrup but there would have to be some. To acquire a taste for birch syrup one would have to have their taste buds removed. I would tap the red maples. I would rather tap power poles then birch trees. This is only ( MY ) thoughts.

Spud

[Scribner's Mountain Maple]

As much as I want to tap Birch also, and with the recent positive research at Proctor about the feasibility of adding birch production to an existing Maple production, I say tap the maples... for now.

I tried tapping Birch two years ago. It was a lot of work getting the maple system off line and switching over a small section for Birch. I tapped two hundred and collected a lot of sap. I didn't like the taste either, but enjoyed the smell while boiling.

The reason I say wait for now is because I wouldn't recommend using the same tubing for both. I just want maple sap in my maple tubing. I have decided that someday I will try birch again. But with a Birch only tubing system in my woods. And a Birch only evaporator. You have a big arch to be boiling Ro'd birch sap. You would need a lot of trees to make that work. My plan is to get a smaller 3*10 or smaller and build a separate birch syrup shack next to my maple set up.

I think there is a market for it, maybe not a bulk market yet, but a budding retail market. I will tap birch again someday, but not until I can afford to set it up the way I want.

My plan for my woods management has changed as a result. I am releasing Birch trees in some areas much like I try to do for the maples.

Good luck,
Ben

[PATheron]

That one time sale thing is what I was thinking too. We made it and tried it and everyone I gave it to had the same response. You taste it and you think that maybe its going to be good for like a second or two and then you decide yuck that tasted like crap. I thought maybe it was just my syrup but I don't know. Im not saying it is bad but I just didn't like it. If there was a market for it for cooking or whatnot and it was profitable Id probly try it just to diversify. Theron

[sapman]

To me it tasted more like sorghum molasses, or maybe bad molasses at that. I'd try to contact Mike Farrell at Cornell in Lake Placid. He talks about it in his book. They're making it after the maple season on their system, I believe, and I guess getting good prices for it. Definitely specialty marketed, targeting chefs to use in recipes (where you're not really tasting the nastiness). Touted as another natural, pure sweetener. I guess it's good for barbecue sauces, etc.

Oh, and I'd definitely be tapping the reds. They are 2/3 of my bush, and I think they do pretty well.

Tim

[PerryFamily]

Red, soft, hard , rock and definitely sugar, Tap them if you got em!!

[Cabin]

Here is ( my thought ) on this topic. I have tried birch syrup and hate it. Birch syrup is a specialty item in Alaska and they sell this crap to vacation people coming to see Alaska. I helped set up one of the first pipeline systems in Alaska and to date they are still tapping about 1500 trees. The problem is this. According to my friends in Alaska they are saying you get a bunch of one time buyer's. People that buy maple syrup will keep coming back year after year because they enjoyed the taste of your syrup. People that buy your birch syrup will never come back and then they will tell their friends your syrup is nasty. This could hurt your maple sales also. To some people they might think if your birch syrup is nasty then your maple syrup most likely is nasty also (although that would not be true). I have never met a person that has said they enjoyed birch syrup but there would have to be some. To acquire a taste for birch syrup one would have to have their taste buds removed. I would tap the red maples. I would rather tap power poles then birch trees. This is only ( MY ) thoughts.

SpudI have had birch syrup in Alaska and loved it. I tried to make it this year and hated it. I think the maple set up I have is too hot for birch sap. Maybe with RO and a slow steam off It will work.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Theron,
Get a hold of "The Governor" he has some experience with Birch syrup. for me, I'd stick with maple.
Greetings from Dakota!

[PATheron]

Doug- Been trying to call you mornings for a while, now I know where your at. Im probly not goint to tap the birch trees. Sounds to me like boiling it is the touchy part. Im kind of with Spud though. The only thing is theres been some fairly serious studying of doing it and If nobody can stand to eat it twice I find it hard to believe that that much research would be done on it. Some pretty smart people must think theres some potential there. To bad you cant make something out of it that tastes like birch beer soda or something. What if you mixed the syrup with something. Theron

[JTripp]

Here is a guy who blogs about birch usage in many ways, might not be profitable commercially, but many ways. http://wildmanwildfood.blogspot.com/2013/03/tapping-birch-collecting-birch-sap-for.html

[Scribner's Mountain Maple]

I spoke at length with Mike Farrell about Birch Syrup production two years ago when I wanted to experiment with it.

Sure he gets big money for it, selling 40ML containers for $5 or more. But it is purely a novelty. And he has the traffic to market such a thing.

My prediction and the reason why I keep my birch stock in the forest is not only to produce Birch Syrup, but rather to cash in on the healthy drink craze. Birch Sap has the same, if not more positive benefits as a beverage as Maple Sap. It was used as a medicinal drink in Russia I think for centuries. My cousin hunts for Chaga, which is a growth off Birches. Highly medicinal.

I think that will be the market. Nobody will ever "love" birch syrup. They may use it and like to use it because of it's limited supply. But again, they will not Love eating it. I think drinking refined sap as a beverage will be a different story.

Also, Beer and wine seem like better uses for it too. The syrup is so unpleasant you need to rinse your mouth after eating it.

Maybe there is something too the heating process that affects the taste. I doubt much, but maybe. Mike F. said he Ro'd and boiled too 67 brix on evaporator. I did the same with no RO. In BC, they only take it to 60 brix, so maybe that makes it less bitter???

I don't think there will ever be a big market for a product that people don't like to eat. The novelty of using it as a fancy ingredient will not stick, so alternatives like a beverage (Sap, beer and Wine) seem to be where the future is for Birch Sap. We shall see

Ben

[JTripp]

I think the unpleasantness may come from people treating it like maple syrup, the birch cannot take the temperature like maple can, and will scorch easily.

[twobears1224]

I like the birch syrup I made.i,ve also gave some away and for the most part they liked it too.with that being said the first try was bad..really bad.i made I think five batchs after that.i plan on getting right into the birch syrup making.i already have a bunch of trees linedup and I,am looking for more.
birch syrup is more of a ingredient to be used in recipes then something you can just use like maple syrup on pancakes.i used it in several different recipes and handed thoses out to people and it was well recieved..I even made a bacon cure with birch syrup and made my own bacon..it was the birch cure with apple wood chips to smoke it.

[sjdoyon]

If we could only get Dr. Tim to come up with some similar claims that Maple Sap can cure male baldness or ED, we'd all be sitting pretty.



Forget coconut water - BIRCH water is the craze everyone will be obsessed with in 2015: The detoxing super-liquid is even supposed to even reduce cellulite!

The sap from the birch tree can be collected in early spring
It is claimed to help treat liver disease, flu, headaches, dandruff and eczema
It is also believed to flush out toxins and help reduce cellulite

In the last few years, coconut water has gone from being a kitsch treat that is consumed on a tropical beach holiday, to an all-singing and dancing beverage bought by anyone in the UK who has the slightest interest in clean-living.
But the liquid could soon be toppled from the No.1 health drink list by birch water - a product that comes from trees found in the back gardens of thousands of Brits across the UK.
Birch water has a list of health benefits that promise to do anything from flushing out toxins to eliminating cellulite and curing bronchitis and arthritis.
The sap inside a birch tree can be used from both the silver birch and the North American sweet birch.
It is removed from the tree using the same process that drains syrup from the maple tree and in its raw form it is a thin sweet-tasting liquid consisting that is high in macronutrients, electrolytes and potassium.

The drink is already widely used in Eastern Europe and Russia as well as parts of northern China.
Like coconut water, it is very good for rehydration, but it also contains saponin, which has been shown to control blood cholesterol levels and is good for the immune system.
Birch water converts also claim that it helps to treat liver disease, diarrhea, constipation, flu, headaches, dandruff and skin conditions like eczema.
They also believe that it's diuretic properties means it can flush out toxins, uric acid and excess water from the body and is useful in getting rid of cellulite.
While most people will be buying their birch water in bottles from shops and websites, those lucky enough to have a silver birch growing in the back garden can get their nourishment for free.
There is only one time of the year to harvest the liquid - early spring, when the sap runs up the inside of the trunk to provide nutrients for the new leaves growing on the branches.
It can be collected by driving taps into the base of the trunk or by cutting off the end of one of the branches and attaching a bottle.
Birch water can be drunk fresh but has a shelf life of just a few days - with some light pasteurisation it can be preserved for much longer.
Dr. Michelle Storfer is a nutritionist and founder of The Food Effect, she told MailOnline: 'Birch water is very similar to coconut water in its chemical profile.
'It's high in macronutrients and micronutrients including proteins and amino acids, as well as enzymes, electrolytes and potassium.
'But unlike coconut water, it contains saponin, which has been shown to lower cholesterol and may have some anti-inflammatory effects.'
Dr. Storfer continued: 'People of North America have been drinking it as a "health tonic" for years.
'It's believed to have amazing healing properties ranging from everything to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, treating infections of the urinary tract and healing cancers.
'Medically however, we don’t know that much about the birch water’s value as a health drink, as it’s only just entered the market in the US, with its health claims similar to coconut water.
'I'd say if you enjoy it, there's definitely no harm in consuming in moderation... it's definitely good for rehydration, and far better than any sugary fizzy drinks out there!'

[DrTimPerkins]

If we could only get Dr. Tim to come up with some similar claims that Maple Sap can cure male baldness or ED, we'd all be sitting pretty.

A long time ago I got a call from someone with a long history in the maple industry that I respect quite a lot. He said he had an "unusual question" and went on to say that every spring during sugaring he and his buddies noted that things got a little "frisky" at home with the wives, and asked if there was any evidence that maple syrup was an aphrodisiac.

After laughing for a bit, I told him I had two thoughts....
1. If he knew of any grant money I'd be happy to personally do some research on it (I'm still waiting for the big federal grant on this one).
2. Whether true or not, it's not a bad rumor to spread.

So the closest I can come up with right now is to say that "...anecdotal evidence suggests that maple syrup could be an aphrodisiac." :lol:

[Swampmapleman]

I heard birch syrup is not used like maple syrup but more for chefs and in the culinary field. Like marinade and sauces. 300 a gallon? Does that sound right?

[Swampmapleman]

Ok 83 a quart

[jrmaple]

Has anybody ever tried making "Birch Beer" using the syrup? No, not the soda… Maybe if someone can find a market there… Sam Adams brags that they have over 60 different flavors, someone should ask them or try it themselves.

[MillbrookMaple]

I will give a different angle on this discussion. Is there a bulk market? Yes. If you made good birch syrup, not scorched, which is easy to do, I would buy it bulk for around $100 per gallon for mid-late season and $125 per gallon for first run. If you have a large amount of trees in one area it would be worth it. We tapped 400 trees on buckets spread out over 4 locations this year and made 26 gallons. Way too much work to make it profitable having all the trees spread out. I would love to have 1000 + taps going to one collection tank. It would be reasonable work and a lot more efficient as far as wasting sap. Let me know directly if you have any questions. At this point our retail will exceed our production so a bulk source would be welcomed. 60% of our birch is sold by the gallon to restaurants at wholesale and about 40% is sold retail by the 8oz bottle. About the flavor.. Have you ever taken a spoonful of vanilla extract directly? Vanilla extract makes a lot of things taste great but by itself is awful. Birch is an ingredient not a table syrup.