Johnny Cuervo
04-03-2005, 11:16 AM
This is our 4th year boiling and I never seem to get to strong dark maple flavor before things get bitter.
This year 1st boil was 3/9 this was just a short run, things picked up 3/16 last boil was 3/31.
The first few runs made very sweet syrup (was like butterscotch almost too sweet). The next few had a little flavor less sweet. 3/30, 3/31 has a slight bitter smell and taste if you put some in a dish a leave it, it smells better until stirred. When I boil I am always smelling the steam, the early stuff smells sweet the latter starts to get less sweet and bitter almost a slight fishy smell. Could this be budding? Buds were still small, on the sugars and swelled on the silvers. I only tap sugar maples. Might it be location or tree genetics?
Thanks
John
This year 1st boil was 3/9 this was just a short run, things picked up 3/16 last boil was 3/31.
The first few runs made very sweet syrup (was like butterscotch almost too sweet). The next few had a little flavor less sweet. 3/30, 3/31 has a slight bitter smell and taste if you put some in a dish a leave it, it smells better until stirred. When I boil I am always smelling the steam, the early stuff smells sweet the latter starts to get less sweet and bitter almost a slight fishy smell. Could this be budding? Buds were still small, on the sugars and swelled on the silvers. I only tap sugar maples. Might it be location or tree genetics?
Thanks
John