Maple Syrup

[landtracdeerhunter]

How is the maple syrup tasting? My syrup seems to have a weaker maple flavor this year.

[Dinsdale]

 

How is the maple syrup tasting? My syrup seems to have a weaker maple flavor this year.

I'll have to open one of last years as I have a couple left and do a side by side;<)

I'm all wrapped up today except for flushing my tubing.

Actually had a rather enjoyable season with a few evenings but I'm WAY behind for hunt prep for a May trip and its fast approaching.....time to stop messing around with good eats. LOL

Quarts,pints,and half pints for the year.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Pulled the taps on Wednesday.

Good season with a few quarts missing in the pic,LOL. Next year we upgrade.

Edited April 11, 2014 by landtracdeerhunter

[wdswtr]

Being a 3rd generation producer I am not pleased to say this has been the worse maple season I have ever experienced.  Usually pulling taps and starting the cleanup process and prepping for next year, but nope still hoping we have a season yet lol.  Less than 1 weeks production thus far and made 80 gallons to date. Not even close to the 400 I would of settled with being happy about.  I think I have wore out the saying "theres always next year".  I am hoping the buds dont show and the peepers stay quiet to get the cold snap thats coming next week.  No way I can fill even a partial of orders at this point.  Only a couple states and very specific parts of them have reported good numbers,  Most all producers are saying the season is a bust including Canada who produces 80% of the worlds crop.  Only good thing is prices should increase per pound for bulk with strategic reserve being limited.  So the plan double taps again for next year lol. It never ends with expansions. 

[fasteddie]

I never gave it a thought as to how much work was put into the production of "real maple syrup" and how little maple syrup is in the stuff that we buy off the shelf in the store like Log Cabin , etc .

[Doc]

A lot of what we buy in the store has very little maple syrup in it. However, the syrup that is 100% pure is definitely price accordingly. It's a pretty labor intensive product and the trucking, bottling, marketing costs also have to be accounted for. Let's face it, it really is a delicacy, and the price reflects that.

[Dinsdale]

wdswtr, on 12 Apr 2014 - 12:07 AM, said:

Being a 3rd generation producer I am not pleased to say this has been the worse maple season I have ever experienced.  Usually pulling taps and starting the cleanup process and prepping for next year, but nope still hoping we have a season yet lol.  Less than 1 weeks production thus far and made 80 gallons to date. Not even close to the 400 I would of settled with being happy about.   

No other way around it, farming is a tough business one way or another with mother nature in the mix.

 

Sorry for the dissapointing season.

[wdswtr]

Thanks Dinsdale, Im just going to lick my wounds and add another 1000 taps this year.  Although we did end up with a freeze overnight, about 10 degrees lower than was being called for so I woke up with a little hope left in me we can get through the warm spell. 

Doc you are absolutely correct its a delicacy or what the industry calls a luxury sweetener.

However overseas and maple products especially maple sugar is starting to explode and replacing white sugar on many tables. I havent researched the details as to why the sudden big interest but been told white sugar is becoming somewhat pricy and difficult to purchase overseas.  Its an absolute labor of love, the seasons labor starts for larger producers the day we pull taps and ends the day we pull taps the following year.  Most think its a 6 week job, hardly the reality in what goes into it. 

[landtracdeerhunter]

 I like it!  Where did you get your steam table pans from?  Their is a youtube video of a 8 pan like yours; 4 barrels put together. He concentrates the heat to 6 pans, and has a warming tray on each end. The thing must destroy firewood. His pans go deeper into the barrel, closer to the fire. His sap gets to a rolling boil.

[wdswtr]

Your in trouble now Papist.  That rig is where it all starts.  Next thing you know you will be driving down the road, looking at every maple tree and thinking about drilling a hole in them.  Its crazy how addictive making syrup is for a lot of people.  Sure is a great way to spend a spring after a long winter.  Friends, family a lifetime of memories.  Good luck!

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Your in trouble now Papist.  That rig is where it all starts.  Next thing you know you will be driving down the road, looking at every maple tree and thinking about drilling a hole in them.  Its crazy how addictive making syrup is for a lot of people.  Sure is a great way to spend a spring after a long winter.  Friends, family a lifetime of memories.  Good luck!

With production down have you made any headway with marketing any of the specialty sauces you were experimenting with? What a wonderful product!!!

[wdswtr]

With production down have you made any headway with marketing any of the specialty sauces you were experimenting with? What a wonderful product!!!

 

Yes and no.  Its a very timely process Im finding out.  However the new building is designed to meet all the state and federal inspection requirements to be certified to move forward.  State certification is the easy one.  Its odd though you take a state like Michigan with open cottage laws and they could produce these same products and sell them without certification or inspection.  Which is why I am baffled about the Federal level of all this, apparently whats good for one state sure isnt for another.  I was unable to finish the kitchen yet.  Still need to put a lot of stainless steel in place to make it completely washdown.  Being certified to produce syrup is not bad at all and really is just common sense sanitary practices.  Now add another ingredient for a new product makes it a whole new ballgame.  Got to love NY.  But Im getting there.  The part that makes this easier on the wallet is making stainless steel maple syrup equipment for part of my living.  Just for an example my new 3x12 evaporator with the gasification arch could of easily cost me close to 20 grand.  My material cost from the ground up is under 2 grand minus my 100's hours of labor to build it. I went from 40 gallons per hour evaporation to around 125 gallons per hour.  The finishing equipment I need to make these specialty products will all be made myself saving me a lot of money and the best part is I can design around my needs and not having to use a cookie cutter set of equipment.  Been a long road but a very fun one as well. 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Well it will be worth it and the product sure is.

[wdswtr]

Boiling water is a good test but remember that when you get some sweet in the pans it will boil a whole lot different.  For the better that is.