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As a back yard bucket hauler (40 taps spread out over 2-1/2 acres), I often wonder how many miles I walk during sap season: tapping, collecting, boiling, rinsing, cleaning, running in and out my back...

Haha, exactly right, Brian! Where "Rindercella lell in fove with a prandsome hince"!:lol:

Jeff

LOL, RFR... I have a neighbor like that too, at least around Christmas! Easy to overlook, tho - the whole family is wonderfully kind, friendly and generous.

Speaking of aurorae, did you know about...

Ah, but I didn't get to see any Northern Lights! ;)

Pulled my taps yesterday before the big April Fools snowstorm (8" of new snow on the ground and still snowing hard). Taps were in for exactly 6 weeks (all 41 on buckets) and about half had shut down...

http://www.abundantnature.com/2012/03/sallow-maple-sap-thief.html

If that's the actual cap style you got with them (flip top like a salad dressing or ketchup bottle?) I don't think they will give you a reliable seal. Suggest a one-piece solid plastic or metal cap....

Anyone know what's up with the New Hampshire Maple Producers website? I'm getting "403 Forbidden" errors. I was trying to see what producers are open this cold snowy weekend!

I find that a 7/16" bit is just a tad too tight, with the spile only going in about 1/4-1/2" and easily splitting the tap hole if you're too enthusiastic with the mallet. I have come to prefer a 1/2"...

I had brought my buckets (1-gallon water jugs) in (for a good cleaning) during the 8-day deep freeze. When I went out yesterday late afternoon to check my bucketless taps I was surprised to see...

Thanks, Dr. Tim, for those links! Scholarly, fun and intersting stuff! As an attendee (and occasional host) of many wine and whisky/ey tasting events, it maks me want to try a syrup tasting. Wouldn't...

Reading a recent thread about bourbon barrel aged syrup (I'm a sucker for this stuff, but it's hard to find and usually very expensive) sent me to my fridge to look at a syrup bottle label. I bought...

I like it all, but if I have a choice, dark please! And so it is with my coffee beans, beer, chocolate, brown sugar, soy sauce, etc....
The old Grade B was my favorite. I know it's called Dark or...

41 taps drilled 8 days ago (2/18), wading thru knee-deep snow. I had to snowblow a place to set up my cooker! Had some nice runs that have trickled off to absolute dryness after several mild nights...

I've been rounding up bottles for filling (I bottle at the end of the season from the jugs I fill as I finish each batch) while waiting for my taps to turn back on and I found a bottle of syrup from...

Real Maple Syrup: Better Than Bee Barf for Babies!
:lol:

Real Maple: Naturally Pure Sweet Goodness!

Thanks for the replies, guys! After losing about 1/2 the volume (1-1/2 gal or so) to the slow evaporation process, I finished it up on my gas grill side burner and it looks and tastes just like my...

This site lists 22, tho most of them are varieties of maple! No fruit trees listed.
http://wildfoodism.com/2014/02/04/22-trees-that-can-be-tapped-for-sap-and-syrup/

Since it's too cold and windy to be outside manning my boiling apparatus (propane "turkey fryer" style) and I had a couple of gallons of leftover partially boiled sap from yesterday's meager...

Same here - pulled em all, cleaned up and put away the toys for another year yesterday. All taps were dry. It was still a lot of fun, even with the frustrating season! May the Summer be long!

Dave: Thanks so much for the info! I finally got around to reconstituting per your instructions - perfect! It came out so good, I immediately made a second batch with the same parameters and it was...

I agree - worry is counter-productive (to say the least!) but will add my own anecdotal data to the pot (or pan!). I'm in southern NH, started tapping in early Feb. (out of defiance toward the nasty...

Sassafras?
http://farmerrachel.hubpages.com/hub/Five-Types-of-Hardwood-for-Firewood
Scroll down a bit - pics and a description that matches yours.

I made a 1+ lb batch of maple candy yesterday with fresh syrup. The first try got either over cooked (244°) or stirred too soon (around 200°). When it set up in the glass pan (I don't have molds so...