Commercial syrup/NOR'easter

[MaplePancakeMan]

So i boiled 150 gallons of clear sap, it came out as 3.5 gallons of syrup ish, so my real question, its not buddy by any means but its not table grade, can i do anything like make cream or anything else out of it or is it best to use other grades for that. I've sold some in half gallon jars as cooking syrup to a couple cooks, they love it. Just wondering what my options are, other than selling it in bulk to bascoms or something because i do'nt think i'll make anymore commercial this year i'll know tomorrow if the trees put out again. Currently my taps have dwindled from 200- to 50 due to shutting down, pan is soaking in acid solution.

Anyone know whats up with this Nor'easter coming this weekend. I'm an avid meteorologist want to be, i interpret models, and if things fall together this things gonna loop the coast and dump someone with 2ft of snow maybe more, Right now i'm on the rain snow boarder. LOOKS like from the catskills to albany through Mid/north vt and nh get hammered, while south gets 3" of rain.

[PA mapler]

Didn't know anything about it until I read your post, and since I'm a little bit of a weather-fan myself I had to check it out! The Accu-weather site has a meteorologist named Elliott Abrams, and he mentioned it might be the worst April snowfall. Ever. There's a video from his forecast which I'll try to link to:
http://wwwa.accuweather.com/news-blogs.asp?partner=washpost&blog=abrams
This should squash some of the global warming hype!

[royalmaple]

Just another reason I'll still be making syrup in May this year. Gonna try anyway.

[maple flats]

Yea, if my buds hold tight a few more days I could still get another few days of run, this is unreal. Extra slow start but it is now getting like the eveready bunny. I may salvage this season yet. I will need to tally but I am now up near 75% and another few days like the last 2 will make my season. Yesterday I made about 15 gal more. My goal was for 100-125, I think I am near 75 or slightly more now on 425 taps but 50 reds were pulled off over 2 weeks ago when they broke bud (actually the day before). If i get a break I am going to try cleaning my lines and collection tanks in addition to my storage tanks at the sugarhouse and clean the pans again. Trying to make some medium again.

[MaplePancakeMan]

Awesome, my trees couldn't take the warm, most of them started buds then stopped opening,i have not quite bud syrup but not quite B its right inbetween. Kind of annoying but its better than nothing, i ended up with 1/3 of a crop this year. **** location!

[maple flats]

I am only in yr 5. In yr 1 I made near 1qt/tap, in 2 I made 1.2qt/tap, in 3 I made .35qt/tap and in 4 I made .28qt/tap. So far this year I amabout.7qt/tap and still going. Hope to be able to do some vac next year to help those numbers. I would really be excited to do 1.5 qts/tap or more. But most of all I need to locate a bush that I can make good use of vac. I'll need to do more driving around and ask roadside and woodlot owners til I find a good one.

[danno]

MPM -

I'm a weather freak as well. I bounce back and forth between this site and http://www.easternuswx.com. Don't know if you're are familiar with it. Be carful, it's addictive, similar to sugaring. Looks like right now my area is in the bulls eye!

If you're done boiling, send me your wood. I boiled 600 gallons last night and still had 400 gallons in the holding tank - and sap ran all last night. I'm tired and out of wood but that won't stop me. I was gonna start pulling siding off my sugar shack to burn:)

[MaplePancakeMan]

Danno, if you lived closer, i'd gladly give you my firewood i've got a pile 30 ft long 20ft wide and 18ft high of split maple, and another pile of wood thats not split but seasoned of similar size. i was prepping for a good season but its not a good one for me.all trees shut down but 5 as of today, i have had my taps in for 2 months as of today though so its about time they dried up. Looking to tackle a 50 acre parcel next year if i can convince the guy to let me tube it. if he won't and wants buckets i won't be able to do that, just too much work while i'm going to school.

i am familiar with that site, i like wundergrounds blogs better though. i'll put it this way someones topping the charts with 40" of snow from this storm.

For me i'm south enough to deal with heavy rain then heavy snow. This is gonna make for some serious flooding.

[danno]

MPM - did you ream your taps? Mine had stopped just before the last cold snap and now I can't stop them. I finally turned off the vacuum last night cause I could not keep up (and I need wood). 600 gallon stock tank is now about 50 gallons from flowing over. Big weekend of boiling coming up - so I'm tgaking tonight off.

First order of business tomorrow am is wood.

[MaplePancakeMan]

danno, yeah i reamed the ones on my property, not the farm, not sure i really want to. I know commercial is worth something but i'm only about one more day in the 60's away from full budding here.

I might hit the farm and try it on a couple see how they flow and decide.

Better get to that wood before sunday, you are going to get bombed 12+ more like 20" and strong winds.