Boxelder for Evaporator Firewood

[Andy VT]

Anyone use boxelder for evaporator firewood?
Someone told me recently to watch out, don't use boxelder (a conversation about sources of free wood in a neighborhood setting. Boxelder is a common to get removed).
But I'm not sure if this person knows that softwood is good for boiling maple sap.
So, asking here specifically about the boxelder, though also wondering if there is any species that ought to be avoided.
I have only used propane so far but I'm going to start collecting firewood for a likely 2025 conversion to wood as fuel.
Andy

[maple flats]

Box Elder is OK firewood for an evaporator. While not the best, it burns good and the only issue will be that it will need to be fired more often.
I burned it but as part of a mixed wood not just box elder. Basically I say, burn what you can get, if dry it all burns.

[Super Sapper]

I also will burn boxelder along with whatever wood is available. Boxelder, when dry will burn very hot but also very quick. This year I burned boxelder, maple, poplar, walnut, linden, and dimensional lumber. I have always said that the best wood for the evaporator is free wood. The only wood to avoid is green unseasoned wood.

[littleTapper]

I've burned a lot of it in my evaporator. It's great when mixed with ash. I also burn plenty in my woodstove. Not as much heat per cord as other stuff, but there sure isn't anything wrong with it.

[mudr]

While not the best firewood, it burns better than snowballs. My main complaint is that it absorbs water very fast after it is dry. Best to keep that one covered and out of the rain so you are not cursing wet firewood

[mdm1]

Hey after this snow storm I have part of a large tree down in my yard. Come and get it!!! You can have my neighbors too.

[Andy VT]

Thanks, that's helpful. Yeah, wouldn't be all boxelder, but it would likely be in the mix. Basically whatever comes down in the neighborhood that I can catch before it goes through the chipper. Possibly the occasional smaller stuff that I can take down. Oh, won't the neighbors be excited about a ramshackle stack of wood to look at. :-)

[220 maple]

Just curious you ever check sugar content of the Box Elders, had a former friend that had several Box Elders along the Shenandoah River, a little disagreement in 2009 and never got to check the sugar content?
Mark220maple

[mdm1]

I tapped the boxelder in my yard just out of curiosity one year. I think it was like 80-1. The syrup was really light, tasted good on the front but left a not so good after taste. I know some people do tap them as they are in the maple family.

[littleTapper]

I tapped the boxelder in my yard just out of curiosity one year. I think it was like 80-1. The syrup was really light, tasted good on the front but left a not so good after taste. I know some people do tap them as they are in the maple family.

There are certain times in the flow when a bitter aftertaste can develop. I've made syrup from mine a few times. Early syrup gets a blackberry like flavor, then it transitions to buttery-marshmallow, then nearly full maple flavor, then dark and maple-ish with a bitter flavor.

[Pdiamond]

The true name of the box elder tree is an ash leafed maple. They can be tough to split as they are sometimes very crooked.

[Andy VT]

Good point about splitting. Tough splitting could put a free wood into the not-worth-it category pretty quick.
Related question... if you didn't know what wood-fired evaporator you'll end up with but want to start getting some firewood seasoning..... what length would you cut it? I figure the absolute largest evaporator I'd get in the near future would be 2'x4'. I suppose the smallest would be something around 16"x30"

(edit: probably about 2 feet huh?)