Comments on: Tapping trees with care http://www.notfarfromthetree.org/archives/1184 Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:27:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bonnie Jansen http://www.notfarfromthetree.org/archives/1184/comment-page-1#comment-704 Bonnie Jansen Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:20:25 +0000 http://www.notfarfromthetree.org/?p=1184#comment-704 Dear Friends, I am writing from the small town of Clinton, MI. This week, I finally got a friend to tap for me a huge old maple tree, of our town's original Sugarbush from the 1830's. The tree is outide the kitchen window of our 1830 house, so I can watch the collection bucket from the stove where I am experimenting with and learning to make maple syrup. I am a retired State of Michigan Registered Dietitian, my husband is a retired high school teacher, and we and our children operate a sheep farm. Having studied Food Science and Human Nutrition at Michigan State Univ., I found myself immediately measuring every drop of sap, very carefully using candy thermometers and candy making experience to keep track of the temperature, and generally having a very interesting time running to the internet and researching recipe ideas and maple sugaring methods both old and new. Finding out all sorts of genealogical information about Smith family in the Ionia MI area, tapping trees there (350) for about 6 generations. I have found excellent information through Ohio State University, and since I have a sister in California who grows grapes and makes wine with her husband an a group of retired college professors... the next logical step appears to be the making of wine/brandy / and other recipes I am finding on the internet. As I cook my small batches (2000cc at a time) I have switched from a heavy-bottomed stock pot (as recommended by my brother-in=law ) to a white ceramic-over-steel casserole pot and I can now fit my steel-backed candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and I can see the color of the cooking sap. I do not thus have the sugary sediment in the bottom of my syrup which my tree-tapping friend has.; OSU's info teaches me that my friend must be drinking too much beer or falling asleep when he boils his sap outdoors on Sundays. At least, he got me started... and it is harmless, inexpensive pleasure and not as frightening as I had expected. I had suffered extreme fear of making Baklava until I took a class at our count's Vo-Tech; now I see recipes on the internet for Maple Bacon Baklava, which I intend to try as I urge others to do. Dear Friends,
I am writing from the small town of Clinton, MI. This week, I finally got a friend to tap for me a huge old maple tree, of our town’s original Sugarbush from the 1830′s. The tree is outide the kitchen window of our 1830 house, so I can watch the collection bucket from the stove where I am experimenting with and learning to make maple syrup.
I am a retired State of Michigan Registered Dietitian, my husband is a retired high school teacher, and we and our children operate a sheep farm.
Having studied Food Science and Human Nutrition at Michigan State Univ., I found myself immediately measuring every drop of sap, very carefully using candy thermometers and candy making experience to keep track of the temperature, and generally having a very interesting time running to the internet and researching recipe ideas and maple sugaring methods both old and new. Finding out all sorts of genealogical information about Smith family in the Ionia MI area, tapping trees there (350) for about 6 generations.
I have found excellent information through Ohio State University, and since I have a sister in California who grows grapes and makes wine with her husband an a group of retired college professors… the next logical step appears to be the making of wine/brandy / and other recipes I am finding on the internet.
As I cook my small batches (2000cc at a time) I have switched from a heavy-bottomed stock pot (as recommended by my brother-in=law ) to a white ceramic-over-steel casserole pot and I can now fit my steel-backed candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and I can see the color of the cooking sap. I do not thus have the sugary sediment in the bottom of my syrup which my tree-tapping friend has.; OSU’s info teaches me that my friend must be drinking too much beer or falling asleep when he boils his sap outdoors on Sundays. At least, he got me started… and it is harmless, inexpensive pleasure and not as frightening as I had expected.
I had suffered extreme fear of making Baklava until I took a class at our count’s Vo-Tech; now I see recipes on the internet for Maple Bacon Baklava, which I intend to try as I urge others to do.

]]> By: Ted Edwards http://www.notfarfromthetree.org/archives/1184/comment-page-1#comment-691 Ted Edwards Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:42:42 +0000 http://www.notfarfromthetree.org/?p=1184#comment-691 AWESOME, I always wondered why this hadn't been tried in Downtown Toronto, given the abundance of Maple Trees! I used to live near Queen and Booth and had eyed up the maples for years. I've since moved about an hour north where we own 8 acres with a variety of trees, including many varieties of maple trees. We tap anywhere from 5-8 trees each year, choosing different trees randomly based on their size and health. The biggest challenge and the most fun is the family boiling weekends to get 40+ gallons of sap boiled down. Enjoy, as I'm sure the neighborrhoods will be very involved and some more Canadians will understand that there are NO additives to maple syrup ;). ted. AWESOME, I always wondered why this hadn’t been tried in Downtown Toronto, given the abundance of Maple Trees! I used to live near Queen and Booth and had eyed up the maples for years. I’ve since moved about an hour north where we own 8 acres with a variety of trees, including many varieties of maple trees. We tap anywhere from 5-8 trees each year, choosing different trees randomly based on their size and health. The biggest challenge and the most fun is the family boiling weekends to get 40+ gallons of sap boiled down.

Enjoy, as I’m sure the neighborrhoods will be very involved and some more Canadians will understand that there are NO additives to maple syrup ;).

ted.

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