Nearing the end of the season?
Potentially. The days are warm and the night temperatures are not dropping. Next week’s outlook looks good, but the warm temps must be affecting the drilled holes and they’re probably healing up and won’t run much if any. So for now I’m tapped out (see what I did there?) and don’t expect to boil if at all this season until mid next week.
I’m getting small bits still, maybe 5 gallons a day of 2% sap, that I’m still running through, but giving that to a neighbor who wishes to boil this coming weekend. I’ve already made 3 gallons of finished syrup so if I don’t make another drop, I’ve done enough and have plenty for myself and to give away to friends and family as gifts.
So last night may have been it. Boiled 6 or 7 gallons of concentrate to come up with 2.5 pints of syrup. Reminds me of my last years production almost. But of course that would have been a good day where this was a poor production day.
The bounty from what might be the last run.
I’m scouting some Birch trees to tap right now. The gear is all out, birch tends to run right after the maple – or so it says in the latest edition of my Maple News. Since my gear is already out – RO machine, pans, etc… and before I put them away, maybe I’ve give it a go and see what comes out.
I’ve also checked out a few maple trees that I didn’t tap but are deeper in the wood and more likely to run later than the ones I did tap that are in the direct sun. Of course I could be completely wrong, but I’m looking to see if I can’t extend the season a little longer.
Oh, and no more bottles. I’ve used every last one. I did order more from Bascom, but they were ordered a week ago and currently show no sign of showing up. Probably back ordered. Next year I will need to make a note on how much syrup I did and if I will increase my production to order some more bottles.
