LMP Maple 2023

[Uncle Tucker]

It’s good to hear from So Nh. I cut my teeth in maple living at my parents house in Litchfield on while going to Alvine (class of 94). Those trees are gone now, all houses instead. Not many sugar makers in the Hudson/Litchfield region, keep the tradition alive.

[Hillcrest Maples]

LMP, what are you getting for sugar content? Pulling about 1.8% in Goffstown, a few towns over from you.

[LMP Maple]

Have been right around 2.2 or so nothing lower than two percent for me yet. Tonight's sap a little cloudy but I was expecting that after this weather. We really need some cold looks like we will get it Friday night.

Yep I am holding on to my neighbors 20 acres with some decent Sugars. It will be developed in my lifetime but enjoying it while I can. The developers come in cut all the trees down to pay the current use tax penalty and the houses go in. I looked for a sugaring spot in S. NH for a few years and gave up. I thought I might find a non buildable lot with some maples for a decent price but they will build about anywhere now so they can get more property taxes or it is so far out on a class 4 road you couldn't get there if you tried but I digress. Thankful for great neighbors.

Going to can up my syrup tomorrow to see where I am at. Don't think I will have to boil again until Sunday. Need a break.

[LMP Maple]

Canned up 9.05 gallons today. That's half my crop or the number Id like to hit. Not sure what to think as its not March yet. We shall see looks colder if we can get there.
Cleaned my field and head tanks today as well. Will be back at it Sunday. Lots of sugar sand in the pan even with reversing. Took some time to clean.

[UB29]

Did pretty much the same yesterday. Cleaned tanks and shut down the Shurflo's to keep battery capacity (wasn't much solar charging happening yesterday in the rain).
Glad I made my early season start (Feb. 5th). Produced 15 gallons Golden and 10 gallons Amber so far. Last year, didn't even tap until Feb. 15. Last night low 19; headed for 40 this afternoon. Hope the trees recharged a bit and they fire back up.

Bill

[LMP Maple]

Had a couple of good days. I was planning on boiling tonight but cleaned it all up last night instead. Sap cleared up nicely after we had some cold temps. I would estimate that I am up to 13 gallons or so. Looks like a cold snap coming through which should get things frozen up again. I will have to put the R/O into storage mode after tomorrow. This is looking like a good season at this point. I am going to try to get all the tanks empty tomorrow and depending on the snow I will either boil it tomorrow or hold it over for Thursday.
Getting into a rhythm with the vacuum canner. For me, and this is with the 9 inch, I can only do one draw off of about a half gallon with DE then I pull the pre-filter and reline for the next draw off. It will do two in a row but it really slows down. I will say for me I am not overly impressed with the filter I think the small size does not help it but I do like it better than gravity. With the DE the syrup looks great. I moved my shop vac to a room off the sugar house which makes the whole thing much quieter. Boil on ladies and gents! Looking forward to a night of a normal bedtime.

[LMP Maple]

Does not look like I will be doing any boiling until the weekend here....Maybe. Pretty good freeze and lines are all frozen. Put the R/O in a state of preserve until we get rolling again. I need to give my pans a good cleaning again....as the sugar sand seems to be bad this year here even with reversing. Some snow coming in as well over the next couple of days.

[Pdiamond]

At least your moisture is snow. For us it's that nasty cold rain, rain, and more rain. I am sick of it. You can't do anything because you are either wet and cold or muddy and cold. Besides that. the trees just don't seem to run even though it is almost 40 degrees.

[LMP Maple]

A good couple of days for me over here. Boiled everything in the last two nights. Was done at 9:30 last night before the snow came. Sap is still really clear although I did see a couple of Millers last night (moths) the old timers in Vermont always used to say the end was near when you saw them. Dont think so here as next week looks good. I am going to can up what I have ahead on Sunday and see what I want to do as far as continuing. My goal is 20 gallons after that I go as long as the motivation is still with me so we shall see. I feel like I will be in the 15-gallon range after the canning but who knows. I will have to snow blow to get to my collection point now thanks to this latest storm dumping. That's something I have not had to do in years past. I feel like from my point of view anyway NH may have a banner year.

[UB29]

Just hit 2,950 on sap collection yesterday. Way above last year at this time 1,254. All due to early tapping in Feb., and some nice early runs. Sap still running crystal clear; and sapsicles in tanks helping out. Will be an interesting week coming up, with snowpack from yesterday.

Bill