It’s tapping season!
Posted by: TammyI had a feeling it was coming.
The patches of grass showing.
The longer days.
The feeling that it was above freezing yet the nights were still below freezing.
The feeling that Mother Nature might (MIGHT) be losing her wintery grasp.
We pulled out the maple sugaring equipment that I had begun to prepare. Went to my favorite, most productive maple of last year and set the drill bit to bark. Aiming slightly upward, I powered up the drill and the 5/16″ bit began to bite in. 2″ in and when I pulled out the bit, the signs were clear; sweet sap began dripping out quickly!
THE SAP IS RUNNING!!!! WOO HOOOOOOOO
The boys and I set 11 taps in 9 trees today. I sterilized the hose I use on some of my “older” style plastic taps (older in that they’re a 7/16″ vs 5/16″ sized tap but I can’t go entirely new this year-it will be a two year plan). Tomorrow I’ll set some more taps.
I’m also getting ‘fancy’ with my boiling set up this year! My mom and dad had an old style parlor stove. Nothing big-tall and narrow and it was designed to heat a small room. It’s a 1930′s style with white enamel exterior over a heavy as sin cast-iron interior. They’re clearing out stuff and dad mentioned it might be perfect with it’s flat top for boiling down sap! He’s right of course! It IS perfect!
I split my wood in the early fall with the express thought of having it fit into this woodstove. I admit I AM struggling to find the proper sized oval-to-round adapter for the flue but the local woodstove place is great. I plan on having that baby cranking out the syrup by the weekend!
I’m also going to have a small, open pit type fire to preheat my sap so I can then put it into my already boiling sap. Last year, I made the mistake of putting cold sap into my boiling sap and dropping my boil. Took me longer than forever to boil stuff down this way. Oops, beginner mistake. I’m learning.
This book is an invaluable source of knowledge if you want to begin a backyard sugarin’ rig. He shows basic to ‘fancy’ set-ups and the basics of sugaring. A MUST HAVE!
Off to dream of the smell of smoke and maple steam. Sigh…
To dream of hours of sitting by the fire chatting with my boys (reminds me of our summer camping trips, too 
).
Maple syrup on pancakes. Oh, maple syrup in butternut soup! Maple syrup in muffins. Oh the possibilities!