Lancaster Co. 2016

[Sandersyrup]

We're a little south. Strasburg. We love guests and teaching the craft.


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[Etown Maple Syrup]

Manatawny, velcome! I think most of us started small. Then you start to buy things to make it easier as you expand and find more trees to tap. Just keep it fun and share your passion with others. I have been showing a class at the local school of 5th graders for the past five years how to make syrup. Fascinating when they drill a hole and sap comes out! Even the local micro brew made a beer from my syrup! Who would have thought? I am in Elizabethtown, Lancaster County.

[Dennis H.]

Cassell Farm that is great to hear that you are spreading you passion for making maple syrup.

I wish I had a little more room here, cause I think I would enjoy doing the same.

[Sandersyrup]

Have 60 gallons of 1.5% sap if anybody wants to rescue it before the 75° temps hit tomorrow. Make offer.


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[Evets]

Same deal as last year?

[Manatawny]

Thanks for introducing yourselves, local folks. I'll look forward to meeting you all, eventually.

So, what do we do with these temperatures? I really don't have time to boil mid-week: I did last Monday night, and it was a 12 hour process by the time I finished and canned (44 oz. finished syrup from 20+ gallons of my sap). I've got just one steam pan on my block arch. I didn't think that I'd need more for my 5 taps, but they're actually averaging 2/3 gal. per tap per day, and I could definitely use a second pan.

Anyway:

[1] My drum of sap is going to spoil in another day or so of these temps, right? I'll have to pull another all-nighter I guess.

[2] Is the sap buddy yet? I'm not sure how to tell. How much time do we have left? Do these temps mean that we're done already?

Thanks, all!

[psparr]

You can put frozen jugs in the sap to keep it cool, but not sure if that's enough with this heatwave.
As far as buddy sap, take a little inside and boil it on the stove. It will stink.

[Manatawny]

Tuesday's sap seemed OK (not that I really know what I'm talking about), so I used it. But I'm not collecting today's (Wednesday) or any other. I'm done.

I stayed up Tuesday night and boiled everything I had left.

My first big boil a few weeks ago gave me about a 60:1 ratio, and this last one was closer to 70:1.

Nevertheless, with just five taps, starting at least a week late (we tapped on 2/22) and ending earlier than I hoped, we produced 74 oz. of finished syrup.

My first, very small experimental batch (producing just 4 oz.) was that honey colored butterscotch, which I was initially concerned about, but which, as I learned here, is actually normal early on, and desirable.

My second, larger batch, producing 40 oz., turned out as that perfect, classic amber. It's beautiful.

My last large batch, which I just finished, producing another 30 oz. is BLACK. I'm waiting for the niter to settle in the mason jars, but at this point it looks downright ugly. Is this normal? My block arch had formed some cracks since my first batch, and more smoke was getting up around the pan--is there any chance that it ruined my syrup?

Thanks for all your help! I'm very glad for this community.

[Dennis H.]

Late season syrup will naturally get darker. As you mentioned the sugar content in the sap is dropping which will take more boiling. The sap is probably getting a little cloudier too.
So with the lower sugar content and cloudier sap you will get darker syrup, not much you can do to stop it.

Sounds like you had a good time making maple syrup.

[Maplewalnut]

Although at the very end it may turn light again. My experience is that very soon after that ropey syrup will start and the sucrose turns to fructose and the smell is unforgetable!