All Things Sharp & Fiery...and Friends!

pat9198 said:
Sweet & Sticky

What does the winner of this naming contest get? ;)
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Murphjd25 said:
Yeah what’s the prize?? Huh huh?? 🤣🤣

I’ll come up with something…
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Well, I will personally make you pancakes and waffles smothered in OUR maple syrup.

(Must be redeemed at the S&F home, you pay for own transportation)
 
Sharp & Fiery said:
Well, I will personally make you pancakes and waffles smothered in OUR maple syrup.

(Must be redeemed at the S&F home, you pay for own transportation)
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Maple Syrup is a staple in our house. I am actually considered a maple syrup snob. Yup, I am that opinionated on the sublime taste of good MS. ;)

SO - I am an enthusiastic supporter of your efforts here Coleman even if I can only taste it vicariously (is there such a thing - vicarious tasting? 🤔)

I will think on a name for you but I'm sure one will bubble up for you as your season drips on. 🥰
 
RayseM said:
Maple Syrup is a staple in our house. I am actually considered a maple syrup snob. Yup, I am that opinionated on the sublime taste of good MS. ;)

SO - I am an enthusiastic supporter of your efforts here Coleman even if I can only taste it vicariously (is there such a thing - vicarious tasting? 🤔)

I will think on a name for you but I'm sure one will bubble up for you as your season drips on. 🥰
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Thank you, Ray! I hope it turns out tasty! :)
 
Yesterday we did collect sap again and it was more successful than Wednesday. Wednesday we collected about a pint of sap from 15 trees. At a ratio of 40-1 (estimated), that wouldn’t be very much finished syrup.

Yesterday, the trees seemed a little more willing to give up the gold, so to say, and 1 3/4 gallons was collected! Woohoo! Nice clear, cold sugar sap!

This is the beginning of the short maple season, so we are actually quite pleased.

Funny story to follow…
 
Story…

Wednesday was the first day the maples started running their sap. We had a very large maple, with two mounted collecting buckets that were producing not a drip of sap. Both my wife and I were puzzled and did a bunch of research to try to figure out the reasoning behind this.

We figured that the tree is still frozen inside and it may take a few warm days to get the sap moving. Ok. We will wait a few days.

Yesterday morning (10:00am), I took a walk down the sugar trail. (I actually walk it 5-7 times a day because I’m curious. Haha) 10 of our 15 trees were dripping sap at a steady rate. That big ol’ maple tree…Nada, Zip, Zilch. Literally bone dry buckets. Dust was starting to collect. Haha. I chalked it up to “still frozen.”

Around 11:00am, my neighbor stopped by (the one who gave me the stovepipe for my boiler. Stovepipe is single wall and not the same as chimney pipe, although most folks interchange the terms out of ignorance.) He is a kind gentleman, and very young and spry at 70 years young. He enjoyed seeing the sugar shack and after our coffee and chat, we took a walk down the sugar trail. He was very interested to see the sap “running.”

We walk the whole length of the trail looking in some of the buckets as we went. We had conversations about life, snow fleas and his one try at boiling maple sap, earlier in life, with his children.

As we passed the large maple, I went up to check the buckets. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Not a drop. Still puzzled, I said to him, I’m confused and surprised that this big maple hasn’t produced a single drop. He looked more intently at the tree. He then looked up at all the branches and turns to me and says “That’s a basswood.” 😂🤣😂🤣

Oh man…talk about being humbled. He says “ya, them basswood really look like hard maples. It’s difficult to really see the difference when the leaves aren’t on ‘em.”
Well thank you, Ken, for letting me have some dignity back. Haha!

Turns out 3 of my “maples” were actually basswood trees, so yesterday morning I removed those taps and retapped a couple more hard maples.

That said. 14 of our 15 trees ran sap yesterday, so we couldn’t be happier!

On to getting on with my day. Hope you enjoyed this post.
 
Sharp & Fiery said:
Story…

Wednesday was the first day the maples started running their sap. We had a very large maple, with two mounted collecting buckets that were producing not a drip of sap. Both my wife and I were puzzled and did a bunch of research to try to figure out the reasoning behind this.

We figured that the tree is still frozen inside and it may take a few warm days to get the sap moving. Ok. We will wait a few days.

Yesterday morning (10:00am), I took a walk down the sugar trail. (I actually walk it 5-7 times a day because I’m curious. Haha) 10 of our 15 trees were dripping sap at a steady rate. That big ol’ maple tree…Nada, Zip, Zilch. Literally bone dry buckets. Dust was starting to collect. Haha. I chalked it up to “still frozen.”

Around 11:00am, my neighbor stopped by (the one who gave me the stovepipe for my boiler. Stovepipe is single wall and not the same as chimney pipe, although most folks interchange the terms out of ignorance.) He is a kind gentleman, and very young and spry at 70 years young. He enjoyed seeing the sugar shack and after our coffee and chat, we took a walk down the sugar trail. He was very interested to see the sap “running.”

We walk the whole length of the trail looking in some of the buckets as we went. We had conversations about life, snow fleas and his one try at boiling maple sap, earlier in life, with his children.

As we passed the large maple, I went up to check the buckets. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Not a drop. Still puzzled, I said to him, I’m confused and surprised that this big maple hasn’t produced a single drop. He looked more intently at the tree. He then looked up at all the branches and turns to me and says “That’s a basswood.” 😂🤣😂🤣

Oh man…talk about being humbled. He says “ya, them basswood really look like hard maples. It’s difficult to really see the difference when the leaves aren’t on ‘em.”
Well thank you, Ken, for letting me have some dignity back. Haha!

Turns out 3 of my “maples” were actually basswood trees, so yesterday morning I removed those taps and retapped a couple more hard maples.

That said. 14 of our 15 trees ran sap yesterday, so we couldn’t be happier!

On to getting on with my day. Hope you enjoyed this post.
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Don't feel bad I don't know squat about trees. I do know I would not tap an evergreen tree other than that my syrup would be interesting maybe even toxic. 🤣
 
abraves said:
Don't feel bad I don't know squat about trees. I do know I would not tap an evergreen tree other than that my syrup would be interesting maybe even toxic. 🤣
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Funny thing. Most Canadian trees can be tapped for sap, including pines. But the ratio from sap to syrup is around 115-1. So you have to collect an awful lot of sap just to get a decent amount of syrup.

In fact, birch sap runs right after the maple trees bud and it is good for making syrup…so I’m planning to give that a try. If I can get a quart of birch syrup to taste this year, I’ll be happy. :)
 
Sharp & Fiery said:
Funny thing. Most Canadian trees can be tapped for sap, including pines. But the ratio from sap to syrup is around 115-1. So you have to collect and awful lot of sap just to get a decent amount of syrup.

In fact, the birch sap runs right after the maple trees bud and it is good for making syrup…so I’m planning to give that a try. If I can get a quart of birch syrup to taste this year, I’ll be happy. :)
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Or make Birchbeer! Non-alcohol for me, please.
 
RayseM said:
Well you got your name out of that episode - BASSWOOD MAPLE SYRUP ;)

How about HOT TIN SHACK MAPLE SYRUP
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Oh man…Basswood Maple Escape. Hmmm….I like where you’re going, Ray. It’s a contender. Start saving your pennies for the trip to me for pancakes and syrup.

Bring that beautiful Duccasse with you. 🤣😂
 
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