Tap those Maple trees.  It is MAPLE SYRUP season. 

If you live in a cold climate, have maple trees and patience you too can have homemade maple syrup.  YUM!!!

WHAT KIND OF TREES?   The trees suitable for tapping include all of the maple family:  sugar, silver and red maples as well as box elder.  Sugar maple sap contains the highest concentration of sugar (2% or higher according to weather conditions and the health of the tree).  Box Elder produces a weaker sap, but one which is especially delicious to drink as is, tasting like a slightly sweet spring water.  Other species of trees which reportedly may be tapped including walnut, hickories, sycamore and sweet birch.  Trees to be tapped should be at least 1 1/2 feet in diameter, have large healthy crowns, and be well exposed to the sun.

TAPPING THE TREE    The flow of sap is highly dependant upon weather conditions.  Flow does not begin until after a time of hard freeze, followed by several sunny days with temperatures in the 40s.  The peak flow occurs early in the sugaring season when it freezes at night and is bright and sunny the next day with the temperature in the 40s.  The flow will stop when daytime temperatures do not go above freezing, or when night temperatures do not go below freezing.  The flow usually lasts roughly three to four weeks.  While it flows, collect daily the sap, preferably late afternoon.  If the trees are tapped too soon and flow does not begin, it is possible that the holes will seal over and subsequent flow is inhabited significantly.  The holes may have to be redrilled in this case.

EQUIPMENT   Equipment necessary includes spiles, buckets, brace and bit, 5 gallon collection bucket, a large clean plastic garbage can for a reservoir, and an evaporator.  Spiles, the tubes driven into the drilled hole, may be ordered through supply houses, or fabricated at home.  3/8″ aluminum tubing (PVC or copper may do, but be aware that copper is toxic to plants) may be cut into lengths of 2 1/2″, flared at one end to hang the bucket, and tapped with a hammer into a 1/4″ hole.  (Be certain to remove the spile at the end of the sugaring season since copper is poisonous to the tree if left in.) This info is also here
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Bu … index.html

THEN you boil it for what seems like an eternity.  It has to reach 7* above boiling point.

DH and I started tapping yesterday.  We use PEX pipe and plastic water jugs.

Drill the first test hole to see if sap is flowing.  It is almost 2 weeks early this year.  Weather has been good.

Yes!!! There is sap, and boy, is it flowing,

Tap the pex tap in.

Cut a slit in your jug and push it on the tap. Oh, we drill holes in taps at one end for maximum juice, and a notch in the other end to catch the jug to hold it on.

Now wait…………………

I about 30 min this is what we got on one tree.  We need to collect 2-4x a day.  Approx. 60-75 taps, maybe more………..

When we collect enough we will use a propane cooker or wood fire to start evaporating process.  I have done this in the house, not the best idea.  Smells great but the sticky coating that gets on everything.  Trust me it gets in places you can’t even imagine.
OK so maybe I finish it in the house.  I just don’t recommend boiling ALL of it in the house
You can discuss or ask questions about this post by visiting this thread on how to make maple syrup here.

Thanks to a death in the family and a small bequest, we were able to purchase two and a half acres with a mostly delapidated 25 year old mobile home. Paid cash, and settled down. I started with a small herb garden. Then added a small vegetable garden. Both were planted at the wrong time, in the wrong place in poor soil. But I had fresh parsley, oregano, chives and more for a short season. Only the chives still live, much to my surprise. Planted too many radishes. Found out the French eat them sauteed in butter.

The squirrels got the corn. One little squirrel, pulled up an entire stalk, sat on my fence post and peeled back a cob, stared right at me and nibbled away like a six-year-old on a summer day. I think he wanted to know why I hadn’t provided salt, pepper, and butter.

I am a grown up now and green is still my favorite color for all the reasons above.  Now green seems to mean even more.   People talk about “being green” – recycling, saving the planet, and protecting the environment.  I guess you could say I am green.   I became green quite by accident.  I started as being cheap.

I am an urban homesteader.  I try to be as self sufficient as possible in the middle of a big city.  I grow my own fruit and vegetables, I freeze and can and dehydrate to preserve our food, and I raise my own chickens for meat and eggs.  If I can’t raise it myself I buy local from farmers in my area.  I recycle my unused items on Freecycle. I shop at thrift stores and primarily wear used clothes.   I make some of my own clothes and repair them when they tear; I wear them until they are threadbare.  I go to garage sales and the Salvation Army if I need things.  I drive older vehicles and sell them to scrap when they are done.  I have all energy efficient appliances and heat primarily with wood.  All my light bulbs are compact fluorescents.  I even make my own soap.

Do I do this to save the world?  I wish I could say yes, but the sad answer is no – I do all this because I am CHEAP!  I invest in energy efficient appliances not to save green house emissions, but to save a buck on my electric bill.  I wear thrift store clothes or make my own, because I get an evil streak of excitement when others talk about spending $40.00 on a pair of jeans and I bought my equally nice ones for a buck!  I drive those old beater vehicles not to lessen the energy impact of industry on the environment, but because I can buy them cheap, run them cheap and easily make a little money when they finally die.   I buy meat from local farmers because the meat is better, the meat is safer AND the meat is CHEAPER!  I can and preserve so I don’t have to go into a grocery store to be robbed by paying the line of people between the farmer who grows it and my family that eats it.

So does this make me bad?  Is my motivation any less noble than the person who sacrifices to save the planet?   One thing is for sure – the results are the same.

So next time someone asks me about why I choose to live the lifestyle that I do … what should I tell them?  Should I tell them I am a cheap frugal old skinflint?  I think I’ll just say I’m green!

They are high yield, high calorie, keep well and are like money in the bank.  Having a few crates full is knowing you can provide filling meals for a long time.

college fund

First you’ll need some seed potatoes and the springtime.  There are basically 2 types of spuds, the long ones, and the round ones.  I’ll leave that up to you.  I buy whatever seed potatoes are cheap or on sale.

You’ll need to turn over or till the soil you intend to plant.  You can’t just plant into holes dug into hard earth.  Use a spade, tiller, hoe, whatever is at your disposal.

If possible fertilize with some chicken or cow manure before planting your seed potatoes.  Just remember chicken manure is very strong, just a sprinkling near your intended seed hole will suffice.  With cow manure you can be more liberal.  If you can’t fertilize, skip it.

If you have very wet springs or summers you’ll want to raise up  your planting area by making a furrow or row, make a raised bed,  or make a pile of soil that rises  about 1 foot over the surrounding soil.  If your spring and or summer is not very wet, just cultivate (turn the soil) and break up hard clods. Spuds that are grown in too wet soil will balloon up and not be edible.  By too wet I mean standing water that touches the plant itself for more than 2 days many times during the season.

a row of 1 month old plants

Cut your seed potatoes into quarters and try to make sure that each quarter has at least one “eye” on it. Dig a small hole about 4-6 inches deep with a hand shovel, rake handle, or by hand and put 2 quarters into the hole and cover lightly.  Repeat every 2 feet either in a row or square.

In my area, which is about the same latitude as Tennesee, we plant in late March or early April.

If you have the time it will help a little to weed around the base of the plant once during the season. If not, don’t worry about it.  You should try and “ramp up” around the base of the plant once or twice during the season though.  The reason for this being that rain and gravity may wash soil from around the base of the stalk and some potatoes will be near the surface. If potatoes, either while growing or after harvest are exposed to sunlight they will turn green.  The green part contains a toxin that can make you sick.  Never eat the green portion of a potato.

By hilling or ramping up you will ensure that everything is covered.  You’ll know if you need to hill up if you can see the roots starting to branch downwards where the stalk meets the soil. You can also hill up around the plant with leaves or straw.  I just walk the row, and hoe once or twice by reaching across the row to the opposite side of the plant and pull some soil up onto the stalk, up to about the first branch of the plant.

They will need water if you live in an arid location. Most temperate areas will have sufficient rainfall. If your plants start to yellow, they are wilting and need water.

wilting in June, no rain in forcast, ok to harvest

About 60 days after planting, pull up one or two plants to check size.  If you only have a few plants, carefully dig around the outside of the plant and feel around for tubers. You’ll want at least egg size taters for “new potatoes”.  If you can wait another week or two, they should reach a good size. If you are lucky you may get some the size of your fist or better. After flowering is  the best time  to harvest, but if you can’t wait and they’re big enough for you, start eatin’ !

a couple of good sized new pots

To harvest use a hand shovel and push it into the soil about a foot from the stalk, gently pull up on the stalk while levering up with the shovel.  The taters should mostly stay connected to the plant. After a few plants it will become second nature.  Feel around in the soil for ones that did not come up, you may be surprised! Try not to cut the tates with the shovel.  If you do eat these first.

harvesting a row

Don’t wash the spuds.  Keep out of sunlight and store in a cool damp place if possible. They’ll keep for months. Don’t disregard the tiny ones either.  Keep them in a dark place and you can use them as next year’s seed taters!
After a few months  some of the spuds will start to form eyes or sprouts, just cut ‘em out when you eat them. You should expect  1 pound or so per plant.

 

80% homegrown meal (we'll have eggs this spring!)

I’ve still got about 20lbs. left from July. Enjoy.

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