2017 Season done for me
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 completely; the rest were barely producing anything except for a handful that were still going strong. But I couldn't bear the thought of slogging thru another almost foot of snow just to try to extend the season a few more days. Buds are opening anyway and I have to be out of town most of this coming week. This weekend is for boiling off the last 5 gal of sap I have and cleaning/putting everything away 'til next Spring. Well, that and snowblowing/shoveling. I am so done with winter....
Surprisingly, I made almost my "normal" amount of syrup (~3 gal) this year even tho it has been the strangest sap season I can remember. Low 70s in February, followed by an upside down March (that lion/lamb thing) with l-o-n-g deep freezes (low of 4°) and maybe one or two days that reached into the low 50s. I batch boil on propane cookers and the most sap I had this year was 23 gal over a 2-day run at the beginning of the season. Others have been in the 8-12 gal range, punctuated with hard freezes and tons of snow. Syrup is tasty, all light to medium amber. I made a couple batches of candy and nuts, too.
It looks like February instead of April! The older I get, the more I dislike winter. But I can still fantasize about eating fresh peas out in the garden!
Reply With Quote
Even though the evening was clear, they must have been faint here. Not to mention that my neighbours light up their house like they are expecting an aircraft carrier to land.
Originally Posted by CaptT820
