Sugar content in sap ice

[Jim Foster]

I've heard lots of people say that if your buckets of sap have ice in them to pitch the ice and that the sap will actually have a higher sugar content. Here in Southwestern Nebraska where I live the most abundant tree to tap is the Box Elder. I did a test last week and after separating the ice from the sap I hot 3% sugar, which is pretty good for around here. I melted the ice and got 1% sugar. A total of 50 gallons collected from 158 buckets. We have been in a drought here for years. Trees on the creek will run sap where others just up the hill 100 feet away won't give you a drop. We absolutely love this syrup but honestly this is the most expensive syrup in the state of Nebraska when you add up gas to collect, your time if you count that in.... But I do this just for something to do and enjoy it.

Jim

[voluntucky tapper]

the other day i saved half a barrel of ice ,melted it w/cow water bucket warmer and checked it ,,,30 gallons,,, w,sap hydrometer to find just over ,,0,, % ,i do drop lines to buckets,mostly silver maples i would have kept and R.O. if 1 %

[MapleLady]

We do 25 - 30 taps here, all on buckets. When we find ice in the buckets, we pitch that and keep the sap. I, too have melted that ice to 'see what it reads at' and have confirmed for myself it isn't worth saving. There is a reason why people say that ice on top of your sap is nature's reverse osmosis!

Have a great season!

[berkshires]

Depends on how much ice. If the ice is only a small part of the overall volume it will be almost pure water. But as the ice increases, so does its ability to trap sugar. At the far extreme, when the whole bucket is a block of ice, all the sugar will be frozen in the ice!

Without being very scientific about it, I pitch the ice without any hesitation if it's a third or less of the volume in a bucket. If it's half or more I'll try to let the ice melt a bit first.

GO