Help - If I boil 30 gallons down to 2 or 3 how long will it keep in the freezer?

[Ocelotsden]

I have a little over 30 gallons that I collected over the course of what will be a week tomorrow. It's currently in a barrel completely buried in snow and still perfectly clear. However, I think I have to boil it tomorrow before it does start to go cloudy. If I reduce it to like 2 or 3 gallons and put it in my freezer, how long will it last and will there be any quality degrading?

Usually I collect my 50 gallons or so all at once over 7 days and boil it all in one shot, but I tapped probably at least a week earlier than I should have, and most of my trees slowed down or stopped dripping due to weather and snow. I expect later in the week, they should all start up again good, but I don't think I can keep the 30 gallons another week even if cold without spoiling.

I was thinking if I reduce boil tomorrow to an amount I can fit in my basement freezer, then I can boil it again again in another week or so along with what I collect over the next week, then finish it all at once. Does that plan sound okay?

[bigschuss]

I have a little over 30 gallons that I collected over the course of what will be a week tomorrow. It's currently in a barrel completely buried in snow and still perfectly clear. However, I think I have to boil it tomorrow before it does start to go cloudy. If I reduce it to like 2 or 3 gallons and put it in my freezer, how long will it last and will there be any quality degrading?

Usually I collect my 50 gallons or so all at once over 7 days and boil it all in one shot, but I tapped probably at least a week earlier than I should have, and most of my trees slowed down or stopped dripping due to weather and snow. I expect later in the week, they should all start up again good, but I don't think I can keep the 30 gallons another week even if cold without spoiling.

I was thinking if I reduce boil tomorrow to an amount I can fit in my basement freezer, then I can boil it again again in another week or so along with what I collect over the next week, then finish it all at once. Does that plan sound okay?

I think you could probably store it frozen for a few months. I think you'll be OK.

And in my experience, you could store your 30 gallons for 5 more days if you really had to. It's best to boil fresh, of course. But think about how long you can store a gallon of milk in the fridge without it spoiling. Pack it in a snowbank, in the shade, and you'll be fine.

[berkshires]

Bigshuss is right, and you can do either of those things. But if it were me, I would be too excited to wait for my first syrup of the year, and I would cook it off to syrup.

GO

[Ocelotsden]

Thanks to both of you for the answers!

Being a small backyarder that will probably finish no more than 6 quarts of syrup, I worry about wasting sap. Searching and reading here I keep seeing 5-7 days max or even less, but I've always kept sap a full week that stayed crystal clear.

The weather this morning is iffy, but it's supposed to clear up and if I don't see any rain past 10 AM I think I'll light the fire and see how much I can boil down today.

This is only my 3rd year, but it's really weird weather and sap flow. Days in the 40's and nights dipping below freezing, I expected a lot more flow and most of my sugar maples that were flowing the first couple days had nearly stopped. The only big weather difference this year is heavy snow cover. The past couple years there was none on the ground when I tapped so I guess it's the snow.

[bigschuss]

Thanks to both of you for the answers!

Being a small backyarder that will probably finish no more than 6 quarts of syrup, I worry about wasting sap. Searching and reading here I keep seeing 5-7 days max or even less, but I've always kept sap a full week that stayed crystal clear.

The weather this morning is iffy, but it's supposed to clear up and if I don't see any rain past 10 AM I think I'll light the fire and see how much I can boil down today.

This is only my 3rd year, but it's really weird weather and sap flow. Days in the 40's and nights dipping below freezing, I expected a lot more flow and most of my sugar maples that were flowing the first couple days had nearly stopped. The only big weather difference this year is heavy snow cover. The past couple years there was none on the ground when I tapped so I guess it's the snow.

I used to be a back yarder too...I kept my sap in a black, food grade 55 gallon drum. I would keep it in the shade and packed in snow. I do live at 2,000' elevation and have snow and cold into April, so it was easy for me. If cold enough and out of the sun, I could keep it for 2 weeks with little problem.

Good luck.

[berkshires]

One thing I don't understand is this:


I tapped probably at least a week earlier than I should have

You have tapped 12 trees and got 30 gallons in that first week? That is an excellent first run. If you normally get six quarts of syrup, you are already halfway to your goal in just one week. Why would you say you tapped a week early?

GO

[Ocelotsden]

Yup. Actually a big part of that is this one big 3 foot Silver that's in my front yard. Not only does it drip 5-7 gallons per day from 2 taps on good days, it's very high sugar. My calibrated refractometer had it at 3.7 Brix the day I tapped it and it dropped down to 3.5 after a couple days and then 3.1 by Saturday. My sugars are barely dripping and range from 1.5 to 2.2, but mostly just under 2.

Boiling now:
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