mixing maples

[maple flats]

I do exactly that on the trees at my sugarhouse. I have mostly sugar maples, but I have 41 tap in reds and silvers. The Reds and silvers are on separate laterals from the sugars, as soon as the soft maples open bud those laterals get removed from the lines. For me this year the reds and silvers were removed 3 1/2 weeks before the season ended on the sugars. At that point the sugars still had not opened bud. Normally for me the difference is about 2 weeks, this year was exceptional.
In my lease they are all sugar maples so I don't need to separate them there.

[blissville maples]

What is the determining Factor of why you pull the taps on the Reds? I have a 50/50 mix and usually what happens here is the sap spoils on both sugars and reds before any off flavor, I never pulled the Reds early and occasionally taste the sap, never had buddy flavor or bite. Maybe it makes a difference on the region that one resides in. All of my syrup this year was dark Amber or better, last half barrel was very dark due to the first bit of spoiled sap coming thru

[blissville maples]

The only danger in mixing maples comes after the soft maples open their buds. In early season not an issue but soft maples open bud earlier than sugar maples, this year at my location it was over 3 weeks difference, more often closer to 2 weeks.
You should get a leaf identification book (or just the North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual) and learn to I.D. the maples when in leaf, then also study their bark, they can be identified in any season.
The white maple is most commonly called a silver maple.

If you look at a red maple in December it looks the same as in March with the bud heads looking swelled up....they dont ever look like the sugars even after leaves fall....the reds have very different ends and alot get confused and think they are buds or budding out. They are always somewhat swelled compared to the sugars.....there a fine line there

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

We don't pull our taps on Reds early either. Our trees usually shut off before the sap gets too bad but we dont have vacuum to help keep us going either. Reds always will pop first but I think you're right.....more regional for actually needing to pull the taps.

[Daveg]

If syrup was made separately from each species, and then a blind taste test was performed, all would produce delicious syrup with only subtle differences. If all possible permutations of mixing the species' sap, the result would be delicious syrup with only subtle differences in flavor, not unpalatable.

[brennansmaple]

I have 7 reds I want to tap and 3 sugars, would mixing it be okay? Also, if I tap the sugars at the beginning of February, when should I tap the reds? I know they thicken before sugars but I wasn't sure when to tap them.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Tap them all and mix the sap. Your syrup will taste fine and might have a slightly reddish cast to it. I would tap them all at the same time. I tap thousands of both species. When the season is over, it is over with little difference in the timing according to specie.

[eagle lake sugar]

Last season I actually spent a day pulling the taps on the budding trees to try to prolong the season a little, mostly reds. There was still snow around the roots and the temperature swings were just right. Guess what? It was a colossal waste of time. The sap still turned toward commercial. When we get a few days up in the 50's and 60's, it turns regardless.

[Maplewalnut]

Last season I actually spent a day pulling the taps on the budding trees to try to prolong the season a little, mostly reds. There was still snow around the roots and the temperature swings were just right. Guess what? It was a colossal waste of time. The sap still turned toward commercial. When we get a few days up in the 50's and 60's, it turns regardless.

That has been our experience also. Never again. Not much of any differerence from the time reds turn commercial vs sugars