Making small batch maple syrup: first harvest & boil!
Рет қаралды 3,715
Күн бұрынIt's time to harvest our first batch of maple sap! The weather hasn't been cooperating, but today's a good day so we're out in the sugar bush!
From there I get to boiling up the inaugural evaporation of 2024. It's a modest start, but early in the season so we're all good. There's loads to go, we're on the way and that's what matters!
I LOVE MAPLE SYRUP!
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In the meantime, I'm always posting stuff online:
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🏕️ Instagram: / simplewoodslife
🛶 TikTok: / simplewoodslife
🌲 X: / simplewoodslife
🍳 Facebook: / simplewoodslife
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Cheers,
J.
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Chapters:
00:00 - Breaking news!
00:24 - Intro
01:05 - Out to the sugarbush
05:05 - Math with Jay
06:51 - It's time to evaporate!
10:45 - Sap pans are on.
14:15 - Still boiling.
21:38 - Shutting it down for the day
24:28 - Outro
@butternuthillfarm1599 5 ай бұрын
Just liked and subscribed, came to your channel after a shoutout from the jack homestead. I'm sugaring in southern Indiana and our season has been poor as well, hopefully a few good days left. Your video editing and sense of humor are fun. I predict your channel will grow fast. Enjoy the rest of your season. John
@simplewoodslife 5 ай бұрын
Thanks John, and happy you're on board! Chris at The Jack Homestead has been just hammering the boiling this year, he's always up to something. Sorry to hear your season isn't top notch either, have spoken to so many people struggling with the weather this year 😔 I'm hopeful we get some decent weather this year, our season has just started. Truthfully, it shouldn't have started yet but here we are. Feel free to check out some of last year's maple syrup videos if you're so inclined, and glad you enjoyed this one!
@homesteadinthewoods 5 ай бұрын
Hello butternuthillfarm1599. We are in northern Michigan now, but lived in southern Indiana for 20+ years too. Our home was in Depauw, which is just north of Corydon, if you know where that is. Harrison County. Always fun to see others from our neck of the woods (or former neck of the woods)!
@butternuthillfarm1599 5 ай бұрын
Thanks, I'll check out your channel. I'm located around Spencer.@@homesteadinthewoods
@BissellMapleFarm 5 ай бұрын
This is a great episode. The editing is well done, too! More maple videos!!
@simplewoodslife 5 ай бұрын
Thank you so much! 😀I'd like to make a half-dozen more videos this year about maple, but the weather has turned to a June day... They're calling for a cold-snap next week to bring us back to more March-like temperatures, so as long as the buds on the trees don't jump the gun we might be ok. In the interim though, have a whole playlist of this and last years maple shenanigans should you want to peruse kzfaq.info/sun/PLhzy9Y-xPUq_ZuBlOIMZFc6YXwxR6nAwu&si=L8UgW3qwdTyM7ERw 🍁😁
@thelongbranchhomestead1397 5 ай бұрын
Nice video Jay I think the sap will run much better this week . It think last week was just a little tease for everyone . That little set up you have there looks nice and simple and even might I say peaceful.
@simplewoodslife 5 ай бұрын
Thanks Joe, I hope it does. We're dipping back down to a deep freeze this weekend it seems, but who knows what tomorrow's going to be. Not the weather network, that's for sure 😂😂😂 It's a peaceful setup indeed, unless the weather doesn't cooperate so am excited about the prospect of tucking myself in a touch more from the elements in the coming years with a sugar shack. 🍁🍁 Have a great weekend!
@carrolljoey9704 5 ай бұрын
Good morning Jay I always enjoyed watching your videos have a beautiful weekend
@simplewoodslife 5 ай бұрын
Thank you, you too!
@eltrippers 5 ай бұрын
Awesome ! Weird is the right word for this winter. First boil in mid February must be different.
@simplewoodslife 5 ай бұрын
Same thing happened last year, then we had a deep freeze for a few weeks.. but still haven't had the ice tent out for fishing, nothing around here is really "that" safe... mind you I've seen a few photos of folks out in a car (windows up) on the ice a few weeks back. It's all so strange lol.
@NatureInspiredSnipsnSnaps 5 ай бұрын
love the video, what a great team, off to a decent start, now you got to patten the sap technique of "maple hugs", thanks for sharing the clip.
@simplewoodslife 5 ай бұрын
😂😂 we might have too. She's better at it than me, I'm afraid I'll crack the bucket up the side 😮. How's the weather your way? Ours is getting stranger by the day.
@NatureInspiredSnipsnSnaps 5 ай бұрын
@@simplewoodslife blue skies until today cloud but frigid was -20 but warming up to plus 5 by this Friday..what a mix mess this year.
@philliphall5198 4 ай бұрын
I never thought about how it was done and what it took to make just a gallon of syrup, would enjoy watching this done Love from West Texas ❤
@simplewoodslife 4 ай бұрын
Thank you so much for watching! Ours is a pretty rustic small batch setup, the pros use reverse osmosis, vacuum tube lines that pour directly into massive evaporators and are all digitally controlled... but either way you slice it the start and the end (and the concept) are the same. Happy you hung out with us!
@paralifetv-youreverydaywhe8314 4 ай бұрын
From New Brunswick here. I just tapped 9 trees for the first time ever this season. It is so much fun! I've been wanting to do it for years but usually too much snow in the way for me to reach the trees. (I'm in a wheelchair) THis has been such an unusual winter.. we have little to no snow. I was able to reach my trees!
@simplewoodslife 4 ай бұрын
Hello New Brunswick! Oh man, so happy you finally had a chance to tap the trees and get bitten by the sugaring bug! That's amazing. Welcome to the channel, and happy you hung out with me! Going to head on over your way and watch those trees get tapped! The weather is crazy eh? We're back in summer temps today, next week is apparently winter again. 😂
@paralifetv-youreverydaywhe8314 4 ай бұрын
Totally bug bitten! Thank you!!@@simplewoodslife
@homesteadinthewoods 5 ай бұрын
Hello from your maple tapping friends in northern Michigan! We have gotten about 15 gallons of sap so far this week, and our weather is like yours. "Sort of" up for 3 or 4 days, then way down low for 2 or 3 days. Snow in there somewhere too. We are on a run of 4 "warmer" days and the sap is really flowing today, so we best wash out some more storage buckets. Haven't started to boil yet with the sap doing fine sitting in buckets in the snow bank with lots of ice crystals in it. Loved your little dance in the woods. Reminds me of a picture we have of bears dancing in the woods. LOL. Subscribed too! Thanks; I will be watching your progress.
@simplewoodslife 5 ай бұрын
🤣"bears dancing in the woods" made me chuckle out loud. Hello back at you new maple friends! That sounds pretty decent; 15 gallons an a run of 4 days, that's awesome! We had yesterday where the temps were good, but the sun wasn't out and the night didn't get below 0°... so not the greatest draw from the trees yet. I was hoping today would be a touch more promising but it's been dreary and a touch too warm. But hopefully tomorrow and next week will give us something up here. No snow banks to speak of, and the little we did get Thursday has since melted. Weirdest. Weather. Ever. Good luck on your sugaring, and I'll pop over to homesteadinthewoods and see what you're up to a little later this evening!
@_Ubersmith_ 5 ай бұрын
Love the picture from the breaking news.. Hope you're able to put that on a holiday postcard or something. Also, "We get there different" ... "Do we ever..." haha, well played Ms Lady..
@simplewoodslife 5 ай бұрын
Hahahahaha, yeah. Her robot brain trumps my thinking in pictures, that's for sure. A holiday postcard could be a lovely idea...😂
@thejackhomestead8638 5 ай бұрын
Jay can’t wait to see how you guys make out my friend.
@simplewoodslife 5 ай бұрын
Just a mini boil today, but it's a start!
@thejackhomestead8638 5 ай бұрын
It adds up .
@geoffoutdoors 5 ай бұрын
Ohio here, brother! Maple sappin season is still rolling here and will be boiling this weekend 👍🍁
@simplewoodslife 5 ай бұрын
That's amazing, temperatures treating you okay? To be honest, we're about a month early this year, should be ice fishing right now not tapping trees. But the temps were right and the sap started flowing... now given that it's off and on and still unsure if it's winter or mid-spring, maybe we're not, maybe we've missed it all together. Who knows. But awesome for you that you're well underway, and happy sugaring to you! Going to head over and check your videos out! 😁🍁
@geoffoutdoors 5 ай бұрын
@@simplewoodslife thanks man! Temps have been good for about one full week early February and right now but supposed to warm up soon and could be ending late next week fingers crossed!🤞
@simplewoodslife 5 ай бұрын
@@geoffoutdoors well all the best with the boil, will keep an eye out for new stuff from you!
@geoffoutdoors 5 ай бұрын
@@simplewoodslife 👍👍🍁
@dougroberts3643 5 ай бұрын
You should use a screen like they have in front of an open fireplace to prevent sparks from flying out into the room. Lay it on top of the stove and set your pans on top of it to prevent the debris from getting into the syrup. If it's falling from the stovepipe, remove the rain cap during the cooking process. You may even be able to use a 45 or 90 elbow at the top to divert the smoke away from the pans.
@simplewoodslife 5 ай бұрын
DOUG!!! How's it going old friend? Was hoping we'd see you around with the maple season back in town. Good call on the screen, I'll have to see if I can get my hands on some. I used to have some but tossed it in a metal-donation bin a few years back. Classic case of "I'll never need this"... sigh, this is why you can never think that way! I do have a few elbows around as well from the mark 1 evaporator, wonder if I can jerry rig something like that up. We filter so many times as we go that's it's not the end of the world, but I like the thought of prevention first. Keeping as much out of the boil as you can makes sense to me.
@dougroberts3643 5 ай бұрын
@@simplewoodslife I've been here the whole time. I didn't go away. I've just been keeping my big mouth shut for a change. Lol.... I bet my wife wishes I would do the same around her. 😂
@simplewoodslife 5 ай бұрын
@@dougroberts3643 🤣🤣🤣🤣 that's awesome. My wife concurs with yours I'd wager.
@RedFowl9492 5 ай бұрын
Hey thanks for the shout out. We were watching your video tonight when my son yelled Dad its us were on tv. All my stuff is frozen this week but the barrels are full I might boil tomorrow if i can break up the ice.
@simplewoodslife 5 ай бұрын
That is awesome! 🎉😂 Hey you and the gang are running one impressive operation over there, knowing how much work 18 is, all I can do is tip the cap. I think I'm going to try and boil this week as well. Today wasn't too cold, but -18 with the feels like and the wind was relentless so we made other plans 🥶
@RedFowl9492 5 ай бұрын
@@simplewoodslife thank you its more than i can handle on the barrel stove im hoping to upgrade to a oil tank and get a better burn going. Feel free to come help anytime your board lol. My youngest said tonight when i told him we could maybe boil tomorrow for family day "awhh mannn why are we always doin maple syrup" haha
@simplewoodslife 5 ай бұрын
Lol, our kids are zero assistance now. Might just come by! An oil setup would be wicked. Watched Modern Self Reliance put something like that together a few years back - pretty massive when all was said and done, but with your volume yeah, totally makes sense.
@carrolljoey9704 5 ай бұрын
I live right below you in Michigan they're calling for 50° weather next week in Michigan all week long
@simplewoodslife 5 ай бұрын
I hope so! We're not looking so great for the next few weeks, either the night temps are right or the days, but not combined... we'll see though, because the weather network likely doesn't know what's happening AS I TYPE THIS, let alone in a week 😂😂😂
@evilmonkeygaming7200 5 ай бұрын
very nice
@simplewoodslife 5 ай бұрын
Glad you liked it, thanks for the kind words 😊 next we're going to continue boiling and hope the weather gives us something to work with a touch more consistently. Fingers crossed!
@evilmonkeygaming7200 5 ай бұрын
hoping for the best @@simplewoodslife
@ganjaman3912 5 ай бұрын
My apologies if I missed this mentioned in the video. How do you store your "75% boiled down sap" until ready to finish it all together? . Just found your channel today, and you guys seem like some good folks. Thank you for the information you are sharing.
@simplewoodslife 5 ай бұрын
Hi there, thanks for your question! We'll move it to the fridge if the temps are warm (currently stored in a good sized pot), however with the temps being what they are, it's sitting on the garage floor and is cold as cold can be. Because of our small setup, we end up combining previous sap boils into our next boil mixing with fresh sap, all the way down to the final boil. It's not the least time effective manner, but it's always been decent for us and with the addition of last year's hydrometer we can pin point our Brix measurement to perfect, and are super happy with the results. Glad you're here! Next boil should be going live on Friday.
@ganjaman3912 5 ай бұрын
Awesome, thank you very much for the reply. We will be attempting our first boil ever tomorrow. We only have 15 taps and a small setup, so the idea of boiling to 75% or so is an appealing idea. Take care, and thanks again.
@simplewoodslife 5 ай бұрын
@@ganjaman3912 no problem at all! Was there two years ago with 8 trees and a cinderblock setup (same pans), have moved into the barrel now and 18 taps and learned loads. If you have any questions along the way I can try to help you out as I'm sure I encountered it recently too lol. Not sure what setup you have, but I will say for the final finishing last year we invested in a hydrometer (www.bit.ly/3wqOTcd) and that was a night and day game changer for the final syrup. Like literally went from novice to pro with that device 🙃
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