Does anyone else do maple syrup?

[Wayne in Maine]

We do it occasionally on the stove top from the few maples on our property. We have produced just shy of a gallon over the past two weeks.

We did it a few times on a bigger home made rig with about 50 taps set out in the neighborhood. I got the taste for it at the Bruderhof community in Connecticut where one spring about 12 rigs of various sizes were being run by families and ad-hoc groups throughout the community.

[Bootstrap]

We made maple syrup most years growing up in rural New York. I miss sugaring.

Not sure that North Carolina is the place for it ...

[appleman2006]

My son in law and daughter have a maple syrup operation with approximately 6600 taps. I help him sell it.

[wesleyb]

I made 2 1/2 gallons this year with this setup. Every year I tweak it a little to get more efficient. I like doing it because it gets me outside and active in February instead of sitting around inside. And of course we enjoy the syrup.

[MaxPC]

I've helped neighbors boil down sorghum syrup in a process similar to maple. It's a different syrup source and time of year but a similar process for finishing it.

Why am I craving pancakes and waffles?

[Soloist]

I've really wanted to, but everyone I've talked to says that unless your in the north east like the PA area, forget about it. We have maples around us but rarely are we above freezing in the day but below at night for more than a day or two here and there.

Anyone got an affordable sourcing? like <30$ a gal?

[wesleyb]

I’m doing it in western Virginia. There are some people doing it commercially in the mountains west of here.

Here in the valley we need to tap early. I usually do it at the end of January. I have a friend who starts in mid January. I’m mostly tapping silver maples which have a bit lower sugar concentration and start budding earlier than sugar maples I think.

[temporal1]

I've really wanted to, but everyone I've talked to says that unless your in the north east like the PA area, forget about it.
We have maples around us but rarely are we above freezing in the day but below at night for more than a day or two here and there.

Anyone got an affordable sourcing? like <30$ a gal?

there may be hope.
How to tap maple syrup in your own back yard
http://thesouthern.com/news/local/envir ... 3bbf0.html

i don’t know where you are, but, i believe freezing temps are necessary for tapping trees for sap.
we lived in Vermont years ago. i believe i recall farmers saying frigid winter temps helped spring sap production.

this is a bittersweet topic for me.
i moved to my present location 10 years ago, planned to add some sugar maples (for shade, beauty, and, fun) .. but, i’m now in the process of deciding which dreams i must let go.

so, from this view, if it’s your interest, go for it. life does not last forever.
it sounds as tho you have some trees to start .. make a plan!

Funks Grove
https://www.funkspuremaplesirup.com/#&panel1-5

[Valerie]

This is Maple Syrup time in Ohio- there are various places around that do the tapping & have pancake breakfasts & sales of syrup- I love that about Ohio as we never had any such thing in California of course-

Yesterday at work, i was speaking with an older woman customer- then her husband came up to me (I had my back to him, he was in the distance) he came up and laughed saying he thought his wife was talking to the "Amish" woman where they buy there maple syrup in our area. That was funny to me, as I don't look Amish, simply wear a scarf and long skirts but I get asked that occasionally (if I'm Amish, obviously people don't 'really' know the rules of Amish coverings & dress!)

BUT- from this happening, the customer told me the Amish home in our area where I can buy a half gallon maple syrup for $10 OR $17 for a half gallon. Truthfully, these Swartzentruber's are seemingly the poorest Amish around. I cannot imagine only paying them that much for real maple syrup- sometimes 'Englishers' embarass me- they were selling the gallon for $20 but this man got them down to $17. Isn't that 'ridiculously' low????

[RZehr]

How many trees do you need to get a gallon of maple syrup? Do the trees further north give more?