Sap is boiling, turkeys are gobbling

Scott O.

Scott O.

Well-known member
Its that time of year again and I started the fire an hour ago. Should have everything up and boiling in a few minutes.

Crows are calling and every other time they do, it triggers a gobble back in the woods. Supposed to be in the mid 30s and sunny today so the sap should be rolling.

I do love this season.

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Spring is a great time! All the sights, sounds, smells, warmer air (sometimes), and the longer days are welcomed after the winter. How has the sugar season been so far?

Is that a soft maple in the picture?
 
Spring is a great time! All the sights, sounds, smells, warmer air (sometimes), and the longer days are welcomed after the winter. How has the sugar season been so far?

Is that a soft maple in the picture?
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I'll tell you after today...today is day 1 :-)

Yes thats my favorite tree and it is soft maple. My sugar maples are up closer to the house and they are running well now that the sun is up and warming them up a little.
 
I've heard the soft maples have more water to boil, is this true? Are there any differences in the syrup once you're all done boiling?

I've seen guys tap big bottomlands of silver maple and wondered how it compared to the sugar maples.
 
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Scott,

Even this is a very labor intensive endeavor, I still envy you. As I sit here at work behind four winowless walls, the chance to be outside sounds quite appealing. I do love maple syrup and have to depend on friends and my pocket book to procure it. Good luck with this years batch.
 
I've heard the soft maples have more water to boil, is this true? Are there any differences in the syrup once you're all done boiling?

I've seen guys tap big bottomlands of silver maple and wondered how it compared to the sugar maples.
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Personally I have no empirical data because all of the sap from all of the trees goes into the same boiler. But there is a lot of documentation out there that says that the sugar maple sap has a higher sugar content (hence the name) and would have a better boildown ratio.

On Day 1, today, I would expect a historical boildown of approx 40:1, sap to syrup. Thats where it usually starts around here and in a few weeks it'll be as high as 55 or 60:1. Luckily I usually have another year's supply by then.
 
Scott,

Even this is a very labor intensive endeavor, I still envy you. As I sit here at work behind four winowless walls, the chance to be outside sounds quite appealing. I do love maple syrup and have to depend on friends and my pocket book to procure it. Good luck with this years batch.
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I have to tell you Dave that this is every bit a milestone in my year as Thanksgiving, Christmas or opening day. I look forward to it every year (this is my 23rd straight year on this property, I think) and as you all know from year's past, I love the warmer weather, the wood smoke, the turkey's gobble and the wonderful taste of homemade maple syrup.

My son in Madison has already placed his annual order and now I have a granddaughter who has developed the taste so I can't quit now.
 
Ditto what Dave said! Used to help do that growing up in saginaw county, lots of work but well worth the rewards. I still think it beats store bought 100% maple syrup hands down, maybe its the sweat mixed in....

We used a large kettle but they also had a shed with an evaporator (i think that is what it they are called) that was used for large batches....

I remember bringing home my first jar of syrup, it was like gold and i didn't want to share it at all.......mom had other ideas though....
 
Very cool. We are still weeks maybe a month away from it here on the western end. I figure we won't tap the trees until after westlake. Last night it was 8 degrees on my way home.


I love maple syrup, we have made it every year since moving to the UP. This year we are planning on some candy as well.
 
So..........Scott....my very bestest friend....how do I get in line to buy some of your syrup also? How much Sapphire will it cost me? Set some aside for me if it's not all spoken for and....we'll talk. ;)
Later partner,
Lou
 
I envy you, Scott. I was surrounded with maple syrup producers when I lived in north central Wisconsin. I used to ride my four wheeler over and talk with them as the sap was being heated. I remember how some days the sap literally seemed to run out of the tapped trees. Good luck with your season.
Al
 
Lou, I can taste test that Sapphire first before you send it to him to make sure it is not counterfeit! Hehe. Trip
 
Lou, I can taste test that Sapphire first before you send it to him to make sure it is not counterfeit! Hehe. Trip
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Trip,
...come on down, I'll have it poured by the time you get here. We can taste test it together ;)
Sapphire and Tonic has become the "signature drink" for Scott O. and I.
Lou
 
That sounds righteous! if you were a few hours closer, I would be camping on your doorstep with glass hand out! Trip.
 
That sounds righteous! if you were a few hours closer, I would be camping on your doorstep with glass hand out! Trip.
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Glass?? We use dirty coffee cups or old paint cans...its all part of the "ambience".

Yeah Lou, I got some syrup for you. I'll bring it down when Tom gets back from basking on the beach in Alabama. He's always talking about his first trip to the shop.

And I need some gigantic GE bodies to go with these heads before Lisa sticks 'em on a plunger and sells them on E Bay.
 
I envy you, Scott. I was surrounded with maple syrup producers when I lived in north central Wisconsin. I used to ride my four wheeler over and talk with them as the sap was being heated. I remember how some days the sap literally seemed to run out of the tapped trees. Good luck with your season.
Al
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It was running pretty good this afternoon Al. I tap the south side of the trees and that sun came out and warmed everything up pretty good.

I call today's rate "a drop a second" and theres only one thing better...sometimes its almost a steady stream but that doesnt happen often.
 
Brandon and Mark - theres probably people not from here that dont realize the weather differences between upper and lower Michigan. I read some "you must be from Michigan if:" phrases the other day.


Some of my favorites:

You must be from Michigan:

... if you define Summer as three months of bad sledding.
... if your definition of a small town is one that doesn't have a lake.
... if snow tires come standard on all your cars.

... if at least 50% of your relatives work for the auto industry.
... if you have ever gotten frostbitten and sunburned in the same week.
... if you can identify an Ohio accent.
... if owning a Japanese car was a hanging offense in your home town.
... if you learned to pilot a boat before the training wheels were off your bike.
... if you point at the palm of your right hand when telling people where you grew up.
... if traveling coast to coast means going from Port Huron to Muskegon.
... if you refer to your relatives in southern Michigan as "trolls" or "lopers".
... if a Big Mac is something you can drive across.
... if you have no problem spelling Mackinac Island.
 
Scott and Lou, I was just saying "glass" hand 'cause I thought you guys were being uptown with the Sapphire. I'm from Arkansas and we drink anything out of anything! You pour Sapphire in a folded up banana leaf and you can count me in. Trip
 
Scott and Lou, I was just saying "glass" hand 'cause I thought you guys were being uptown with the Sapphire. I'm from Arkansas and we drink anything out of anything! You pour Sapphire in a folded up banana leaf and you can count me in. Trip
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Trip,
I'd say that you'd ... fit right in. ;)
Lou
 
Brandon and Mark - theres probably people not from here that dont realize the weather differences between upper and lower Michigan. ... if owning a Japanese car was a hanging offense in your home town.
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Sure is a big weather difference...I lived in the Keweenaw for a little while and remember shoveling a foot of snow just to get to work and a foot just to get back in the drive....That's when I made friends with the Vets driving the snow-goes (big arse snow blowers), made shoveling easier! ...and the squall lines that would develop near Bruces Crossing that made the road disappear at night. Got to love lake effect! My dad always told me if I bought a foriegn car it was not allowed in the driveway and that I had to park it in the road. We lived on a gravel road!!!
 
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