Maple and other syrups...

[Joseph Lofthouse]

Mar 10, 2014 17:06:38 GMT -5 blackox said:

I've been doing research on how to grind sorghum stalks for syrup (after buying multiple syrup types)and have not found a way to do that without a cane mill yet.

An antique washing machine is just begging to be put to use as a cane mill.

[blackox]

Thanks Joseph, another reason to look on Craigslist!

I'll me making me some sorghum syrup!

[nathanp]

Wikipedia lists Boxelder, Bigleaf, Red, Sugar, Black (arguably a hybrid) and Norway Maples. I know they tap Silver Maple around here as well, but most common locally are Norway and Red Maple. Sugar Maples do not grow frequently this far south on the east coast. You could theorize other maples may be usable as well even if sugar content is lower.

[steev]

I think lots of trees could be used, in a pinch, if one gave it a shot and had the energy to boil down the sap. I suppose it helps to be in an extreme enough climate to really get a surge of sap when it warms. Various fruit trees might work.

[jondear]

Below freezing at night and above 40 during the day get the sap flowing.

I just scored an evaporator pan if I want it. My cousin bought a new custom made stove and pan. Says they won't need the old one. Sweet.

[steev]

Those temps are certainly common on my farm; this is starting to sound like another item on the project list.

[jondear]

That first taste is the coolest thing ever.

[12540dumont]

Steev, I made great elderberry syrup this year.

I did find cane mills here: www.edwardsengrg.com/smallmills.html

Gene Logsdon, in his book has some ideas for a make shift press. CeCoCo of Japan makes them, and there's a cool company out of Africa that makes them too.

[mountaindweller]

And were do you boil your syrup down? Outside is a bit energy intensive and if you put it in your wood fire you have all the sticky vapour on your walls.

[12540dumont]

In Montreal, I once went to a sugar shack! It really was a shed, clearly built for the purpose of sugaring. There was also a skate pond pretty close by. You could skate and then come into the sugar shack to get warm. Of course being Canada, the locals had other ways of keeping warm And there was a lot of sugar going around.

At home I make my jam and syrup in the kitchen, unless it's over 80 degrees. Then I'm banished to the night kitchen, which is a propane set-up outside.

[jondear]

^Sugar shacks are fun to visit...

Maine maple Sunday is a fun event for tours. Boiling down maple sap does take a lot of energy, but as you said sticky walls and ceiling are reason enough to do it outside. We did ours in the garage on a turkey fryer.

[mnjrutherford]

Our winter PROBABLY had sufficiently cold temps that we COULD have tapped trees if only we had known which trees to tap. Speaking of which, would it ruin the end product to combine saps from different tree types?

[jondear]

Not at all. Some are just have higher sugar percentage than others. So instead of needing 40 gallons of sap per gallon of syrup, you might need 60 or 70. Still will make a fine tasting syrup, but more work and energy per gallon.

[nathanp]

Apparently from what I have been reading, any maples can be tapped. It is just a matter of the size of the tree and the % of sugar varying.

[mnjrutherford]

Really? Darn it! I guess I really missed my chance this winter. Well, there's my summer reading accounted for then. Maybe we'll have another wild ride winter!