2022 Maple Syrup Season

[MapleRidge]

Hi everyone...

The past week has not permitted any solar observation/imaging for me...work and weather not on my side

I have managed to finish assembling a set of photos that document my efforts for the 2022 maple syrup season. This was probably my beast season to date with weather that favored good sap runs that produced 130L of liquid sunshine.

Follow the pics on my Flickr page, each has a note to explain the circumstances of the pic or explanation of the process to convert

16x_LS80T-DS_Full-Ha-single.jpg (1.21 MiB) Viewed 1495 times

to

Finished_Samples.jpg (386.01 KiB) Viewed 1495 times

https://www.flickr.com/photos/185395281 ... 0296903256

Be sure to let me know if you have any questions.

Brian

[rsfoto]

Hi Brian,

Very interesting.

[MapleRidge]

Thanks Rainer

Brian

[Montana]

I really enjoyed that Brian

I will get the hubby to read this later

Alexandra

[KMH]

That's a great photo record of the process- very interesting. The raw sap is evidently much less viscous than I would have thought. I didn't realize the sap/syrup ratio was so high. You mentioned the effects of wildfires. Can the sap get "smoke taint" as grapes/wine sometimes do? But, hopefully you don't ever get that level of smoke!

Kevin

BTW I just had a crazy notion of peated syrup - using peat fires to boil off the water. Sounds kind of gross!

[MapleRidge]

Alexandra and Kevin...

Thanks for your comments on the post

Most people like the finished product but all the work to get it is not as well known

Kevin, as far as the smoke tainting grapes I was thinking it was more absorbed by the fruit than taken up by the foliage and translocated into the fruit. Not 100% sure on that part. The truck of the tree has a thick bark so I don't think it would suffer the same fate.

Now with the peat fires it sounds more like malting barley for scotch production Now I do love a good single malt scotch, but try to keep the smoke and embers out of the syrup. Old fashioned boiling in a large kettle over an open fire probably introduced many extra flavors from the ash that got into it. The sugar content of the raw sap is low enough that the sap is almost water like...through as it freezes the sugar concentrates a bit in the un-frozen sap. If there is ice in the pails when I am collecting I usually toss it aside.

Alexandra, I'm sure Darren will like the back story to what goes onto your pancakes, ice cream, or tea biscuits

Brian

[KMH]

Brian,

Indeed, I had just been reading some Isley Scotch tasting notes yesterday, so that's no doubt why the crazy idea popped into my head.

Regarding the smoke taint I think you are quite correct - I probably hadn't had enough coffee yet when I asked that!

Kevin

[MapleRidge]

Kevin...

The smoke effect is just my best guess...digging around very old memories of plant biology to figure it out I might indulge in some Laphroaig tonight...perhaps my favorite Islay Scotch

Brian

[torsinadoc]

Nice image but I really enjoyed the process of making maple syrup. Such interesting information! I hope your eye is healed.

Alan

[KMH]

Brian,

These articles confirm that volatile phenols produced by burning wood are indeed absorbed directly into grapes. I couldn't find anything about possible effects on tree sap - probably you are right that the bark would provide protection.


https://www.awri.com.au/industry_suppor ... oke-taint/

https://news.ucsc.edu/2022/03/smoke-taint-wines.html


Kevin

[MapleRidge]

Thanks Alan...glad the info about the production process was of interest

Kevin, one thing that maple syrup shares with wine production is that the soils of a given region do alter the flavors slightly. Also, production and processing is slightly different in each interoperate, add adds another level of complexity to the taste of the finished product.

Brian

[EGRAY_OBSERVATORY]

VERY TASTEY (I SUSPECT) BRIAN AND GOOD TO SEE THE FINISHED PRODUCT WITH THE WARMING SUN TOO,

THKS VM
TERRY

[MapleRidge]

Thanks Terry

Brian