Our original inspiration for our foray into maple syrup came from the Maple Syrup festival in Duncan. There were some great demos on how to tap trees, and we picked up some supplies to try on our own.
Kessa having some maple sap tea
Train ride at the Forest Discovery Centre around Somenos Marsh
Prepping the holes. I think I drilled them too short (should be 2 1/2" deep) and that affected the sap flow early on
Hammering the spiggot on
The set-up. The hose goes in the jug. In theory you are supposed to check on how the jug is filling up every week or so. Unlike the spring sugaring off out East, on the Coast you can tap the big leaf maple all winter (Nov-Apr). We tapped them in February and in the first few weeks there was absolutely nothing in any of the jugs. At that point we had more or less given up on the project.
Two months later we decided to pull the taps for the season, and found our jugs overflowing with sap. Overall 13L.
We were hoping to get a outdoor burner for summer canning, so it seemed like a good time. The new paint on it let off awful amounts of smoke, and in the time vaccuum of parenting, abondoned this for the stove top and oven in the house.
The fruits of our labour- 2/3 of a cup of sweet, Big Leaf Maple Syrup.
Kessa having some maple sap tea
Train ride at the Forest Discovery Centre around Somenos Marsh
Prepping the holes. I think I drilled them too short (should be 2 1/2" deep) and that affected the sap flow early on
Hammering the spiggot on
The set-up. The hose goes in the jug. In theory you are supposed to check on how the jug is filling up every week or so. Unlike the spring sugaring off out East, on the Coast you can tap the big leaf maple all winter (Nov-Apr). We tapped them in February and in the first few weeks there was absolutely nothing in any of the jugs. At that point we had more or less given up on the project.
Two months later we decided to pull the taps for the season, and found our jugs overflowing with sap. Overall 13L.
We were hoping to get a outdoor burner for summer canning, so it seemed like a good time. The new paint on it let off awful amounts of smoke, and in the time vaccuum of parenting, abondoned this for the stove top and oven in the house.
The fruits of our labour- 2/3 of a cup of sweet, Big Leaf Maple Syrup.
And, how does it taste? Any different than sugar maple syrup?
ReplyDeleteNot too bad. I think we cooked it down a little too long and it is pretty thick. A touch bitter, but sweet. Not as good as some of the stuff we tried being produced locally, but decent.
ReplyDelete