It's that time of year again!

[Mark72]

And I have new labels this season!


Mark

[S. Heisley]

The new labels look terrific! You're making me hungry!

[Alan Wood]

Mmmm

Wish I could but really really need to loose weight.

[parnold]

Mark:

Was that you selling syrup at the Crossroads gathering? I still have a little left from the bottle I bought there. I have been very selfish, and when I have company, I bring out the crummy Log Cabin syrup. I save the good stuff for when I'm alone.

[Mark72]

Yep that was me! Don't worry about eating it all up I make more every year!

Mark

[parnold]

I've got 10 or so maples on my property, and every year, when it's too late, I think to my self "I should have bought taps". Thanks to your post, I have some on order now, and they should be here next week. I just may start sharing good syrup with friends now.

[Kevin A]

Send me some.....

[parnold]

Ok.. did some more reading and I am probably at the very end of the sap time, but I'll try anyway. Next year I'll be ready.

[Mark72]

Good for you Paul! You are going to need some time to get a cooker ready anyway. Depending on your trees it takes somewhere between 35 and 50 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. Figure that times the one square foot of surface area it takes to boil off a gallon of sap in an hour and you will soon get the picture that a turkey fryer doesn't cut it. A small evaporator will do the job for you and it doesn't need to be very complicated. I do have the means to make up a small stainless pan to go on a fire pit if you decide you want to go that way.

Mark

[parnold]

Mark:

I was planning on a couple hotel pans over propane stoves, I have plenty of both. Hotel pans are the rectangular pans they use in chafing dishes, about 12" x 20". I know it will be an all day project boiling down that way, but I'm guessing this will be a two or three weekend project. I have several 5 gal food grade carboys to use for collection and temporary storage. If I can have fun with it, and get a half gallon or more per year I'll be happy.

[doug hodder]

Those look awesome Mark! a wonderful label for the golden nectar contained within! For those of you that weren't at the IRG in 2010, Mark sent some.....it was great! Doug

[parnold]

After twp days of tapping I only got about one gallon of sap. This is the end result.



I definitely will start earlier next year, and tap all my trees. I have enough taps, I just need some more collection vessels.

[S. Heisley]

After twp days of tapping I only got about one gallon of sap. This is the end result.



I definitely will start earlier next year, and tap all my trees. I have enough taps, I just need some more collection vessels.

That's pretty funny, Paul, but it's a start and that's what really counts. Thanks for sharing that!