Sap is running

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Put out a test jug last night and this morning it was full! The rest go out tomorrow.

Spring is near!

(Sorry for the blurry - it was low light this morning and I had the flash off).

 

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[COUNTRY GIRL]

Yeah Charlie a sure sign of spring! Do you make your own syrup?

 

[MD Dog]

Funny "Sap is running" were the last words I heard before the guy turned his dog loose on me.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Yeah Charlie a sure sign of spring! Do you make your own syrup?

Small operation for just our own use and gifts. If I get a five pints I'm happy (that takes 25 of those milk jugs full and half a face cord of wood to simmer it down). Nowhere near worth the effort. Much like metal detecting for clad. On the other hand, a pint goes for about $7 hereabouts and the wood is free.

I tap 10 sugar maples and have a tiny evaporator (aka: a 9 quart stainless steel chaifing pan from a resturant supply store on a cinderblock fire pit). Just one of those satisfying things to keep alive like homebrewing beer, making rhubarb wine and growing your own vegetables.

 

[EDDE]

rhubarb wine = M.D. 20/20

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

rhubarb wine = M.D. 20/20

We recently opened a bottle that was 20 years old and it was s-m-o-o-t-h. You cannot tell it has anything to do with rhubarb and is more "brandylike" than white wine. Trouble is my rhubard source is gone and a 5 gallon batch takes 45 pounds of rhubard!

 

[EDDE]

rhubarb wine = M.D. 20/20

We recently opened a bottle that was 20 years old and it was s-m-o-o-t-h. You cannot tell it has anything to do with rhubarb and is more "brandylike" than white wine. Trouble is my rhubard source is gone and a 5 gallon batch takes 45 pounds of rhubard!

i like a good rock gut just as much as the next guy BUT rhubarb

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

You wouldn't know if I didn't tell you. I know this as it has been demonstrated.

My aunt made dandylion wine that would suck the wax out of your ears through your sinuses but the rhubarb is much different. Maybe the 15 pounds of sugar helps?

 

[bill gent]

Charlie when can I expect my syrip LOL
havent had any since i left VT

 

[Hemisteve]

My wife had an uncle who made rhubarb and dandylion wine. She and her brothers and sisters would sneak a few after the adults settled in for the evening.
Myself, I never had the pleasure, but have heard that it can be really good or really bad.
Its nice to make stuff that you can grow or acquire from your own land.

German beer and Tequila for me!
Steve

 

[TN-Joe]

Charlie,
WHEN I was in Texas, one year we grew some rhubarb that grew over 6 feet tall stalks. Now that could make some wine. I bet the 20 year old was smoooooooo
th.
Joe

 

[wesfrye53]

Charlie,

When I grew up in Western PA, my Dad showed me how to tap Maple trees. I'd use an uger to bore a hole, place clay mud around a spout I made out of Sumac (I cut a 1-inch branch, pushed out the soft center, tapered the end to go in the hole, and cut the top out of the half that extended over the bucket so you could see if the sap was running), then hung a bucket. Every day aftyer school I would pour the buckets into a large copper vat we had. We'd set up a temporary burner (we had our own natural gas well on our property) and boil down the sap until we had syrup. Yum...usually made between 5 - 10 pints.

Thanks for posting this and waking up some old memories!

 

[bedpanmoneyman]

Would love to do maple syrup in the spring as a kid with my parents. Lots of good memories.

 

[Caryl]

I've been smelling the woodfires from the maple farm up the road all week. Yippie!