Maple tapping time

I guess we should start at the beginning.  I have so many ongoing projects- I tend to use half of the ingredients I have already made in a new project and I feel the need to go back in time to explain how to get/make the first half.

  It is just into 2014 and all the projects are beginning to kick up.....

Meet the Johnson's.  Located an easy 4 miles from my home- I have been literally blessed with a chance meeting last year with these amazing people.  This is a family that has been on the same 100 acres for about 43 years.  Father Barney, son Cees, daughters Cecelia and Marguerite.  Cecelia has 9 children and Marguerite is catching up.  These are just the families that have homes on the land.  They have other siblings. A few on other continents, and some not so far away.

In light of all the different kinds of Maple trees out there- the trees located on the Johnson's land seem to produce 1 gallon of syrup out of every 35 gallons of sap.  Last year this set of families walked away from the rest of the potential syrup with about 25 gallons of syrup in their pantry....then they said "eh- that's enough".  This is where I enter with "um- if you have a potential to have more- I am willing to go out myself"

Today I went out again with Cees to tap more Maple trees.  Just this past Friday we set out and he (and several helpers) showed me the way.  These photos are from my first experience.

Buckets, buckets and more buckets

 Plenty of helpers

Cees says to locate the south side of the tree and drill aside any scar tissue.  It also helps to find the "vein" located under a large protruding branch.  Giving the tree a year off between taps helps the tree heal properly.

Spiles.  These are the plastic ones.  There are metal ones with an entire collective setup. The larger ones damage trees a bit more so they use the smaller plastic ones.

After the drill and a little blow out of the smaller particles- hammer it in for a proper seal.  If the sap drips out of the drill hole and is not sealed off and forced down the spile then down the tube and into the bucket- you just make a mess and waste time.

 Already running

 Cutting hose to length

 Sometimes you have to secure the buckets with "flooring".  As the snow melts the buckets shift.

 Off to a different location.

This week the weather is to kick up and the trees should begin running heavily.  Since we are about a mile or so away from the house, I assume there will be a lot of sore muscles getting the sap out from the woods to the closest tractor.