It's sure sign the temperatures are warming, when the ants and other insects visit the taps. As unappealing as some would find this, it puts a smile on my face to watch them.We didn't gather much sap yesterday, (and no, the ants didn't drink it all). From the 12 taps the volume was about 16 gallons. Which I boiled down into six cups of dark syrup -- very tasty. I'm thinking our season has about tens days left. After which, the sap harvest will lessen, not providing enough for a boil, and the temperatures won't be cool enough to keep the sap from spoiling.
At the beginning of the seasons our collection bins are buried in snow on the shady side of the sugar shack. Now, with warmer temperatures and no snow the sap sours if not boiled daily. So far we've made four gallons. Another gallon would be nice, but I think with the current forecast, it will be a stretch.
postscript: Only gathered 6 gallons this morning. And all the taps were dry. The end is in sight.
3 comments:
I think we will still have a couple more decent days and then it will taper off. We will hopefully tap many more trees next year!
PTCakes,
I have to confess it has been a long time since viewing your blog, but I came back in sugaring season, and have had a look at BDF as well. Love the two of them.
I've done a boil this year on crude equipment - same as last year - but had a spill a day earlier so I really need to improve the support apparatus over the wood fire. Will be investigating fireblocks and the like soon to be ready for next year. My syrup came out nicely, the little that we had. The Dows are back at our sugarbush with fair success, product has been coming out dark this year. I've been down to their sugarhouse a few times, and that is always fun. I have in mind to make a new clip of them and put it up on YouTube, but I need more product to get something worth watching.
When I look, it seems it to me like you are a regular checker of themonthlymug.blogspot.com. This is all the more amazing since I have not freshened that site since the New Yeear. You are so persistent. What has acutally happened is that we opened Facebook accounts. I find this audience of friends I never knew before, but it works really really well for us. And it grows. It's like being in a UK pub, but it is located here in the US. All sorts of interesting dynamics come up, and keep me coming back.
So my first posts go to FB, and periodically feel bad so I put some stories upon TheMonthlyMug. Your visits are appreciated.
We've had some syrup success, and look forward to seeing yours.
Best regards.
Rick in VT (drdata at sover.net)
I need more product to get something worth watching.
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