Last week I wrote about Sugar Maple trees,
The sugar maple is a slow growing hard wood tree. It can reach heights of 100 feet or more. Often times the trunk of an old maple can be three or more feet in diameter. A tree this size, is extremely old. A maple tree must be at least 10 inches in diameter (20 to 40 years old) before they start tapping them. (Most sources I found recommended a diameter of 12 inches or 30 centimeters and about 40 years old before tapping.) The number of taps put in one tree is based on the size of the tree so that it will not be damaged. (No individual tree should have more than 3 taps.) Tapping maple trees does not affect tree health. The sap collected is only a small fraction of the total amount of sap in the tree. The small hole drilled into the tree usually heals within one to two year. If the maple trees are taken care of properly, the same tree can be tapped year after year.
Maple syrup is among the oldest natural food products produced in
Maple syrup is probably the true fame maker for the maple tree. While most maples have sweet sap, the sugar, also known as rock or hard maple, produces, by far, the best sap for maple syrup and sugar. The sap of the sugar maple has higher concentration of sugar than the other members of the maple family, and produces better flavored, lighter syrup.
Maple trees are tapped in early spring when daytime temperatures go above freezing while nighttime temperature falls below freezing. The exact time depends on the elevation and location of the trees, the region, and a number of weather-related factors. In
Sap from the sugar maple is about 98 percent water and 2 percent sugar, other nutrients, and minerals. To make pure maple syrup, the sap needs to be boiled to evaporate a lot of the water away. The boiling sap has to be watched very carefully because it could easily burn in the evaporator. The sap thickens as it gets hotter. The maple syrup is ready when its temperature reaches 7 degrees Fahrenheit above the boiling point of water. The boiling sap is tested with precise instruments to determine if it is maple syrup. If it is thick enough to be maple syrup, it is filtered to take out minerals and nutrients that concentrate as the excess water is boiled away. If it is not filtered out, the maple syrup will appear cloudy. Maple syrup is 33 percent water and 67 percent sugar. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of pure maple syrup. Some tap holes may yield 10 gallons of sap a season and some taps produce more than 70 gallons of sap in a single year. Many maple producers process their maple syrup into maple sugar, maple candy, maple cream, and even maple jelly. Pure maple syrup and other maple products have no additives, preservatives, or artificial colors. It’s all natural.
Garden Tips
Mulch carrots for winter use. Turn compost. Remove diseased plant debris.
The Berkeley County Youth Fair will hold a meeting on Thursday, November 10, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. at the Berkeley County Youth Fair Exhibit Hall for all youth planning on exhibiting livestock at the 2006 Berkeley County Youth Fair.
Til next time……Happy Gardening, Farming and Fall!
mbb 10/05
