What maples do you tap?

[SDdave]

All silvers here. Not many sugars/reds/and or box elders.

SDdave

[3GoatHill]

We tap what we have on our property. We are "blessed" with Norways and there are a few box elders that I'm considering tapping. We've been getting a little over 2 1/4 % and everybody loves the syrup. I've been planting sugar maples as part of our management program, which includes culling Norways and their saplings. Maybe in 35-50 years somebody will say, "Hey, thanks man".

[dufftj]

Ok so I'm a little late to the party..I tapped all red and silver maples this year. Last year I did tap three sugars..Personally I prefer the flavor and red color that the reds add...Also the reds are running 2.5% and the silvers are 3.5% using a sap hydrometer...I stopped tapping the sugars because they were lower in sugar and these particular sugar maples added a taste to my syrup that I did not like...Standing back waiting for the flames

Tim

[supersapper]

To those that despise boxelder, tap a few and try. I will say that it doesn't have the traditional maple flavor, more on the butterscotch end. That said, it is great on ice cream! My name for this is Boxy Gold. Thank you Run forest run for mentioning me.

[Michael Greer]

I won't go out of my way for boxelder, but if there's one right there, it gets a bucket. On certain days they really run.

[Clarkfield Farms]

I only have sugar maples here at the house and in the woods down back of the orchard, but at the farm it's all sugar maples with only a few large box elders on the other side of the hill where I don't tap. The box elders came in along with all the ash when the place started to get overgrown 20+ years ago. That area used to be beautiful hayfields and pastures; giant hogweed and goldenrod took over first, and since goldenrod is allelopathic to sugar (and maybe also to red and silver) maples, it was the ash that really took over and not the sugar maples. Buckthorn, autumn olive, wild grapes, multiflora roses and tartarian honeysuckle filled in the undergrowth. I am having SUCH a good time clearing that land...! (that l'il bit of sarcasm was free)

[BreezyHill]

Clarkfield I feel for you on the clearing. If you have a bucket tractor on a good frost you can sheer the honey suckle and roses off at ground level and pile and burn. Then just bush hog the regrowth a few times in a season and it usually will be gone. Did this on two neighboring farms to get them back to pasture for our beefers. Works best if the bushes are big. They roll better with the tractor small ones can get under the bucket. Dry for a few weeks and they burn really good. Some how I have honey suckle in the maple bush lately. That is this summers project between hay crops.

[Galena]

I have mostly sugars and some reds. Two of my reds are burly - literally - monsters so when I did tap them last year, I had to get out the stepladder to drill in the spile holes above the burls! They did OK, the reds were first to produce last year and the first to dry. The only red I tapped this year was often the only one producing during the freakish March we had. The sugars are more predictable, I know their patterns.

Did try tapping some box elders/Manitoba maples last year, made about 100ml. It was all right, not terrible, a little on the bitter side. Think I'll stick with the reds and sugars! :-)

[SZimm]

I only have Boxelder on my property. I'm going to look around this season and see if I can tap some sugar maple. My neighbor has several hundred birch - so I might give that a try next year!

[supersapper]

I am going to add 50-60 more taps next year just for my boxelders. I don't get the aversion to them but that is your choice. The syrup they produce is as good or better than any maple out there. MyBoxy Gold will run with the best!!!