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Thread: Jefferson County - My First Boil Ever

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Missouri
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    92

    Default Jefferson County - My First Boil Ever

    This is our first year to tap our sugar maples. We've only got six maples big enough to tap that I've identified so far (our forest is mostly oaks and hickories). I did my first boil yesterday using the sap from the first three trees we tapped--it's not much but I already consider this a victory based on the education I've gotten and the fact that we managed to create our own syrup. I learned a few things during this boil that I'll apply in the weeks ahead.

    I don't know if anyone agrees, but the complexity in the flavor of our homemade syrup is striking. There's so much depth to it...just great.

    Here's a video of my process:


  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Martinsville, Indiana
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    311

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    Won't be long you will be building a block arch.. Beware the one partial jar needs to be either used first or refrigerated. To much air in there to stay safe. Enjoy the sugaring passion.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Bristol' Ct United States
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    126

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    Great Video!
    SWEET 56 SUGAR SHACK

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Delaware Co New York
    Posts
    125

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    welcome to the addiction, great video. Pretty soon your operation will get much bigger and its lots of fun. Enjoy your liquid gold
    55 gal drum w/ custom made pan fueled by wood
    homemade 24x36 electrical pull box w/ custom pan for standby evap
    RB-5 RO-Bucket
    Started 2011 with 17 taps
    2018 72 taps Drop lines in 5 gal water Jugs

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Missouri
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    92

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    Quote Originally Posted by ericjeeper View Post
    Won't be long you will be building a block arch.. Beware the one partial jar needs to be either used first or refrigerated. To much air in there to stay safe. Enjoy the sugaring passion.
    Thanks, Eric. I didn't even bother water-bathing that partial jar--we'll eat it this week.

    That brings me to a question for all of you...I see conflicting information about whether or not to refrigerate the unopened syrup jars. I put mine in the fridge to be safe, but is there a consensus on these forums with regard to refrigeration?

  6. #6
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    Jan 2009
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    Martinsville, Indiana
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    311

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    As long as proper head space is achieved it should last for years in the pantry.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Florissant Missouri
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    Welcome to the addiction as I have heard said a number of times. Not sure it is an addiction but it sure had a draw. This is my third year. The first year I tapped 6 trees and made around a quart of syrup. I cooked it in a pot on a rocket stove I made. Great video. You have some very large sugar maple trees. Next year while there are leaves still on the trees mark all the sugar maple trees for tapping for the next season, unless you can identify them without the leaves. I have gotten to the point that I can identify them without leaves for the most part. I have not collected much this year yet. I have 35 trees tapped. Hoping to collect 100 gallons or so this week and cook it down this coming weekend. I still have a few concrete blocks to buy to finish up my arch. Happy sugaring.

  8. #8
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    Jan 2015
    Location
    Missouri
    Posts
    92

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    Thanks, RiverSap. I'd say a 100 gallons in a week is quite a bit, and must require a lot of effort to boil down. I think I've developed a knack for identifying the maples just by their bark. The smaller ones are easy, but the trick is seeing them once they get over 8 inches in diameter and their bark starts to look kinda like the oaks. I'm absolutely gonna do what you said next summer though--I'll mark any trees I missed when I scouted them this winter.

    My trees have been running heavy this week. I got 1 1/2 gallons out of one of them yesterday, which was pretty exciting.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    SE Missouri
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    289

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ray_Nagle View Post
    I think I've developed a knack for identifying the maples just by their bark. The smaller ones are easy, but the trick is seeing them once they get over 8 inches in diameter and their bark starts to look kinda like the oaks. I'm absolutely gonna do what you said next summer though--I'll mark any trees I missed when I scouted them this winter.

    My trees have been running heavy this week. I got 1 1/2 gallons out of one of them yesterday, which was pretty exciting.
    Yep, you're done for. That's how I started out. Now, six years later, 460 taps, and an insatiable need to tap more trees! Eventually, you'll find yourself driving slowly by other people's woodlots and spying out dense maple stands, wonder struck with maple lust.
    Now I have an outdoor hobby for all 12 months. Like I need anything more to do
    About 1000 taps on gravity tubing, MicRO2 RO, 2.5 X 8 Leader King, and a 1953 Willys Jeep to run around the maple woods with.
    http://www.gihringfamilyfarm.com/

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Florissant Missouri
    Posts
    137

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    On larger Sugar Maple trees the bark a little ways up the trunk starts to get these large flat scales or wings. Here is a link of a picture that shows it pretty well. http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/wp-cont...d_rsz_0168.jpg. In a woods like yours you should have lots of them. Sugar maple trees kind of take over in Missouri woods. They are kind of an invasive species in Missouri. The Missouri Conservation Department does not recommend planting them and even recommends removing many of them to promote the growth of Oak, Hickory and Walnut trees.

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