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Hens and Roos
Herd Master
I hope you have a easy and successful kidding season, .....not much beats a baby goats cuteness
Thanks!
Ready or Not....... Shouldvknwnbetter- Fall
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Thanks!
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Hens and Roos
Herd Master
Tapped our 4 maple trees Sat afternoon and by this evening we have about 32 gallons collected. Based on what DH has been reading this year might be a short season for us. We'll probably need to start boiling the sap down in the next day or so just to have empty pails available.
Bruce
Herd Master
Syrup for the year 
What sap to syrup ratio do you normally get? I think here is it about 40:1. I watched the latest episode of Stoney Ridge Farmer where he went to a maple farm in his state of NC. They have a 55:1 ratio. I don't know why his trees would have less sugar in the sap unless maybe they are a different variety?
What sap to syrup ratio do you normally get? I think here is it about 40:1. I watched the latest episode of Stoney Ridge Farmer where he went to a maple farm in his state of NC. They have a 55:1 ratio. I don't know why his trees would have less sugar in the sap unless maybe they are a different variety?
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Hens and Roos
Herd Master
We run 35-40:1 and the maple trees we tap are silver maple. Not sure what the other trees are, I think sugar maple is 25:1. After our 1st batch we'll have a better idea of the ratio.
Baymule
Herd Master
I find that fascinating. I love the idea of tapping trees for syrup, but that is not done around here. It would probably spoil in the warm weather. Not too many maples here anyway.
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Hens and Roos
Herd Master
Bruce
Herd Master
Yep, there is a reason people don't tap trees in the south 
The general process, as far as the tree and is sap is concerned, is that as the winter temperatures start to warm above freezing the dormant tree starts pumping sap to the branches. But the temp pretty much has to go below freezing then back above for this "pumping" to happen. It has occasionally happened in January here but when the temp drops back below freezing, the sap stops running. The "usual" sugaring season here can start anywhere from February through March depending on the temps.
The general process, as far as the tree and is sap is concerned, is that as the winter temperatures start to warm above freezing the dormant tree starts pumping sap to the branches. But the temp pretty much has to go below freezing then back above for this "pumping" to happen. It has occasionally happened in January here but when the temp drops back below freezing, the sap stops running. The "usual" sugaring season here can start anywhere from February through March depending on the temps.
Baymule
Herd Master
The syrup of the south is sorghum syrup, better known as sugar cane syrup. My grandparents used to buy cane syrup in the fall, from local syrup makers. My grandmother made biscuits with breakfast and I loved to put cane syrup on them.
Bruce
Herd Master
Yeah, that is a little bit different
We'd have a heck of a time making sorghum syrup, sugar cane wouldn't grow here.
We'd have a heck of a time making sorghum syrup, sugar cane wouldn't grow here.
Baymule
Herd Master
There is a syrup festival in Henderson every fall, complete with a mule driven cane crushing machine, the wood fired syrup pan, someone to do the skimming and lots of cane syrup for sale. We went one year, it was a bit of nostalgia and yes, I got a couple cans of syrup.
