Maple Syrup
 

Every spring, I tap trees and collect enough sap to boil down and make about 3 gallons of maple syrup. If you've never tried the real stuff, you need to. You'll never use that store bought chemical cocktail again!

Anyway, my 20-acre piece of the planet is about 50% maple trees. I could make a heck of a lot more than I do. What is anyone's opinion of stocking away more syrup-making supplies in case of a SHTF situation? Would that be a viable barter item, or do you think it would be too much of a luxury item that people would avoid? It can be boiled down further than the "syrup" stage, and processed into almost a sugar consistency and used to sweeten just about anything.

Any input? Worth the time, or not? :wazzup_sg

Re: Maple Syrup
 

I pay about $9.00 for a 12.5 oz bottle of Maple Syrup. I ain't about to go without it. I do not think I am that unusual.
I also used to keep 130 bee hives and I don't even eat honey. I still have all the equipment for just the reason you are speaking of.

Re: Maple Syrup
 

That was Helen and Scott Nearing?

Re: Maple Syrup
 

Nothing beats the real thing. I see that the chemical cocktail has about 1%
real syrup in it.

Re: Maple Syrup
 

Yeah, my daughters are now 2 and 4, and they're so spoiled that even THEY won't eat store-bought! The 4 year old says it's "yucky". I have to agree.

I only use what I make, or 1 other local "brand", and I know the guy that makes that one, too!

Re: Maple Syrup
 

Definitely worth your time, Silverbullet.

Whether you have maple syrup to trade, sell, or eat yourself - it will be a very handy (and tasty) venture to have in place. Especially in a SHTF situation. There's nothing better than having pancakes with maple syrup in the morning.

I wish my property had enough maple trees to tap, but I am unlucky in that regard. But fortunately, here in VT store-bought is locally made.

Re: Maple Syrup
 

I don't consider it luxury. Last time I bought 3 gal of organic stuff for $150 incl. shipping, and it will last me through 1-2 years. It's fairly affordable when you buy in bulk. I still will want it after SHTF (if I can get it)

Re: Maple Syrup
 

I guess we are lucky. My wife has an uncle who taps 3500 trees and processes it every year. We always have a couple gallons around from him.

Re: Maple Syrup
 

I would think maple syrup will be a valuable commodity. The only part I see as problematic is the boiling down; what will be your fuel source? Not maple trees! You'll have to experiment with some sap-maybe you could focus enough solar to boil small batches.

Re: Maple Syrup
 

Wood fired boilers are what most processors use.

Re: Maple Syrup
 

Cool post...

I've always been currious about homemade Maple Syrup...

What do you put the homebrew in???

What would you put it in for semi-long term storage?

Re: Maple Syrup
 

Smullen,
At it's most basic, it's really very easy.

The "basics" are:
1) Boil Sap.
2) The is no "2"!

You can get all kinds of fancy equipment for measuring sugar content and densities and other superfluous stuff, but if you're just making it for yourself, get some sap and start boiling. It does take a lot of sap to make syrup, but if conditions are right, it doesn't take a lot of trees. It varies year-to-year depending on weather and trees, but it takes anywhere from 38 to 50 (my numbers, by no means official) gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup. How do you know when it's done? Just watch it. It will never get as dark as store-bought, but when it starts to take on color, dip in a spoon. You're checking two things. Does it "sheet" as it runs off the spoon, or does it run like water. It should sort of "hang" from the whole spoon, not just drip from the middle. And obviously, does it taste like you want it to? If you think it's a little weak, keep boiling.

When it's done, pour it through a filter (cheese cloth, several layers of paper towel, commercial filter...use your imagination) and into jars. I prefer pint jars. Pour it in while it's still real hot, screw the lid on, and you're done. They'll seal themselves up when they cool. It doesn't get much easier. As far as storage, I've had it last three years this way with no problems. It would probably last longer, I just use it up that quick. I should set a couple of jars aside and run a test for a few years. Stay tuned, I'll get back to you in 2011. :cheerful:

Storage really wouldn't be an issue. It will keep for a year with absolutely no problem, and you can make more every spring.

If anybody has a real interest, let me know and I'll dig out my info on supplies. The only thing you really have to get commercially is the taps that go into the trees. You can improvise on sap containers and fire systems.

I had very little idea what I was doing when I started, just wanted to try it. Now it's a yearly family tradition, and we love it! :beer:

Re: Maple Syrup
 

The calculation for temperate forests is 1 cord per hardwood acre sustainably. If you have 50 sap-sized maples, then probably you have 5-10 acres, or 5-10 cord (each year). It may take something like that to boil the sap.

In semi-commercial outfits, you have a woodstove/furnace about 4-5' on a side (1.5x1m) with a 5x5' shallow pan on top, and a vent above. The vent isn't just for good looks and charm, boiling sap makes everything in the area slightly sticky, and is not suitable for kitchen ceilings, wallpaper, etc.

Like other sugars, I see no reason it wouldn't keep indefinitely, and in my experience it has kept decades when opened, but they may also add preservatives (I don't know), so that is not a true test.

Sound about right?

Mr. Stickyfingers

Re: Maple Syrup
 

Sounds great, but also sounds like a lot of work.

What time of year do you do it? Are all maple trees good? (red maple, yellow maple, etc.)

Never had the real stuff so I can't tell if it's worth the work.

Interested in selling some to a Tennesee SilverJeep?

Re: Maple Syrup
 

The tapping process has to be done when the sap is running. It's the variations in temperature from day to night that make the sap rise and fall.

It actually is a lot of work and you have to keep busy stoking the fire and stirring the sap, a burnt pan will ruin an entire batch.

40 gallons of sap to 1 gallon of syrup, although this can be adjusted due to personal preference.

Regarding spoilage - crystals can form when kept in the fridge for a long time...no big deal, heat it up and it's back to original form.
Keep it in the cupboard and it can form a green mold - never had a problem with this and I hear you can just scrape it off.

As far as taste goes - well worth the effort !!!

Re: Maple Syrup
 

Old Indian Recipe:
Pot full of Maple sap
Turkey
Skin and gut Turkey (don't pluck), put Turkey in pot of Maple sap, Boil till done. Good eats!

Re: Maple Syrup
 

Why don't they pluck it???

Re: Maple Syrup
 

Most Maple Syrup is made from sugar maple sap. I suppose you could use sap from any maple tree except for the River Maple.

If you've never had real maple syrup try some. It's nothing like the garbage store bought "corn syrup with maple flavoring and carmel color" stuff.

Re: Maple Syrup
 

I've had both. Incomparable.

Roger Miller's, "Dang Me"

They say that roses are red and violets are purple
Sugar is sweet and so is maple syrple
I'm the seventh of a seventh son
My pappy was a pistol, I'm a son of a gun

Re: Maple Syrup
 

The key to selling maple syrup (or honey) in a shtf situation is to sell to people who know and respect you. Buying a sweet amber colored liquid from a stranger on the assumption that it's contents are actually as claimed seems a bit naive.

Re: Maple Syrup
 

You skin the turkey. That lets the meat soak up the flavor. If you pluck the turkey and leave the skin on, the skin blocks the meat from gaining the flavor.

Re: Maple Syrup
 

Addendum:

Most maples can be used for syrup, but you boil less for sugar maples than the other kinds. If you don't know trees, one indicator is how tight the maple wings are. Poor maples, like silver maple have wide broad wings. Hard sugar maples have tight, small wings. You stop syruping when the sap goes "green", by flavor but also gets cloudy and molds easily at that time.

Other trees can also be used, especially Birch, but if you think 30-40:1 is a hard ratio to boil down, try birch at 60:1.

To save boiling, here's the old-time method: Score the tree with a slot like with rubber plantations. Let the sap drip into a trough made of elm bark. These will sit out in the cold March weather, and hopefully will freeze overnights. Pulling the ice off the sap will remove a lot of the water and give you a head start--sort of the ice beer method. Take the troughs and drop in red-hot rocks to boil the syrup. How they stored it is a mystery to me, (I suspect a clay bottle with corn-cob stopper) and I also haven't ready how they boiled down to crystal sugar, although this was done. Maybe wikipedia would know.

AppleJack has a similar recipe. Hard cider would be put out in January to let the ice form, then pull the ice to increase the alcohol content rather than distill it. If anyone would like to try it, a non-freeze recipe is to take a oak barrel, half cider, add a can of pineapple juice (adding yeast or to use live cider is debated) and wait. This tastes and kicks like Remy Martin.

I eagerly await your appreciative samples of birch syrup.

TS

Re: Maple Syrup
 

Ah, ok, I get it - thank you!!!

Re: Maple Syrup
 

I think that beehoney and beeswax (candles) and maple syrup would all be excellent barter ideas. Especially if you perfected canning and storing it.

Re: Maple Syrup
 

How do you make corn syrup? I much prefer it to maple.

Re: Maple Syrup
 

I recently have read that corn syrup is the anti-christ of weight control. Apparently there is some chemical in it that suppresses the "I am full of food" signal from your brain, and it is the cause of people over eating constantly.
Anyone else heard that?

Re: Maple Syrup
 

The stuff i buy from canada..cant remember the brand..just says "Ingredients: Pure maple syrup"