I have done a couple of DIY Blogs (portable wood stove & fixing a toilet), but my latest was my most challenging and rewarding…making maple syrup. When you think of maple syrup one thinks of Vermont, New Hampshire or the Great White North of Canada (a maple leaf is on their flag) but not East Tennessee. However, the range of the Sugar Maple does extend to this area. For those who don’t know that is where the Sugarlands Visitor Center gets its names as that area of the Smokies was known for its maple trees.
I can’t remember when I first wanted to try and make maple syrup. I know it goes back a long ways, but I first entertained the thought back in the 1990’s because of the two big Sugar Maples at St. Clair and Deb’s Mom had some in their yard when they lived in Baileyton. But, I moved to Georgia and had to put that on the back-burner. I think it came back to the front burner when I decided I wanted to be more self-sufficient. So, when I moved back to Tennessee last summer I started to think about trying to make some sugary goodness.
Then back in December Dad, Terry and I went to the Clinch Coalition holiday get together and Professor Ryan Huish from UVA-Wise gave a presentation on maple trees and making syrup. I had pretty much decided to do it but that gave me the extra motivation to go ahead Still, as Snow Miser’s grip tightened doing January and February I kind of slacked on getting my supplies. But, in mid-February, in-between snows; I did go out to Tractor Supply and the Farmers Co-op to get some maple taps. These are the metal or plastic tap that goes in the hole that allows the maple juice to flow out. I found out that no one around here carried them so I ordered a set of four what are called Grimm Sap Spout with hooks from Tap My Trees.
So, when my package arrived I knew it was now or never to get the trees tapped. I got the spouts two weeks ago Thursday and got to tap the next day. The spouts I received came with a how to use, but I was also going by a book I have called County Wisdom & Know-How. This book had even better directions on how to tap trees. Both book and instructions recommended using 7/16 drill pit to make the hole. However my book said these weren’t common and a course we didn’t have one, but the book also said that we could 3/8 or 1/2 inch bit and we had both of these. After comparing the spiles with the drill bits we chose the 1/2 inch. When drilling the hole you pick a spot between two to three feet from the ground. As for the hole you drill it about 2 ½ inches deep at an upward angle to allow gravity to do the work. For those who don’t know syrup doesn’t follow out of the tree the sap is more like water. In Canada they have started selling the water in health food stores and a course I tried some and it was really good. It taste as you would think like maple flavored water. I would just tap the trees for the sap alone.
So, you need something to collect the sap and I tried two different methods. The first was an old milk (actually a water) jug. I used the hook for this one and tied it to the tree. The second way we connected a tube to the spout that emptied into a bucket. I later watched a similar set up when I was watching videos on cooking the sap and I think this is the best way and how I will proceed in the future. I will say I was surprised with the flow we got and the quality of the sap. From what I watched or read it was clear and of good quality. Sunday, I decided since I had a stock pot full of sap it was time to cook it.
This is the time consuming part of the process. When you start the boiling process you will relies that you can’t do this on an electric range. While it didn’t take as long as my book says it does take hours to boil it down. The YouTube video (above) I watched the guy use a propane turkey fryer, but I used the fire pit here at the house. I started with the cooking grate on the fire pit, but it came apparent this wouldn’t work well. I had to take the pot off and remove the grate to put in wood, often, so we had an old grill grate and I use one of my pokers and placed it so the grate would sit on it. It made an open spot where I could feed wood and gave the pot a place to boil. While it worked it still wasn’t the most efficient. I think before next year I will need to build a rocket stove.
Once you boil it down it will be a tenth of the volume from when you start. I had to add so sap while I boiled which is normal. When you have boiled it down it will be time to move it to an indoor range so you can watch the sap as it boils to syrup. I used a thermometer because when it is steadily over the boiling point of water (219 degrees) it is close. When it turns to syrup it changes color to the light brown of maple syrup. It also gets sheen on it and it will ripple. I was lucky because the first time I did it I hit it spot on. I will say that there was a sense of excitement when I finished. The second batch I made I didn’t move it indoors and tried to finish it on the fire. Dad thought it was ready, but I wasn’t sure. After I placed the syrup in the frig to cool it never thickened, so I had to move back to the stove and boil it down. Because of my experience on the first two batches I was a lot more confident on the third…it came out perfect.
Once done with the boiling process it is time to filter it. Old-timers just use it without filtering, but I decide to go ahead and do it. I didn’t have a special wool filter, so I used cheese cloth and it worked pretty well. At the end of the day thought all the time and work I was successful and I made maple syrup! Next year, I plan on getting more taps and making more syrup. I also think that I will start earlier; I think we hit the tail end of the peak. Also, next year something else I would like to do is tap some different kinds of trees. Other kinds of maples can be tapped (like Red Maple), but you can also get sap from Elm, Birch and Walnut. But the tree I really want to tap is a Sycamore. I didn’t know you could tap them until I saw it done on an episode of Live Free or Die where Tony and Amelia did. It is said that sycamore syrup taste like butterscotch.
Anyway, if you have the patients and the maple trees you can too can make syrup.
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