The process of making syrup is an easy one: Tap trees, collect sap, boil it down to evaporate the water content and concentrate the naturally occurring sugars in the sap. But if you're a homesteader new to sugaring, how do you evaporate gallons of sap effectively and efficiently? In this post I'm going to help you choose the right evaporator for backyard sugaring by sharing the pros and cons of a few methods that have worked for us, from DIY set ups, to investing in equipment that makes the job easier and more fun. Choosing the Right Evaporator for Backyard Sugaring The DIY Evaporator Our first year or two making black walnut syrup in NE Missouri, we relied on a very simple system: … [Read more...]
Backyard Sugaring: Get Ready for Sugaring Season Before the Snow Flies!
Since our move to Vermont, I’ve been dreaming of maple syrup, and thinking ahead to what we need to get ready for backyard sugaring season. Back in Missouri, we tapped the trees available to us: black walnuts. Black walnut tree sap makes a delicious syrup with a woodsy, earthy, nutty flavor, but I really prefer the clean, bright sweetness of maple syrup for baking and cooking. Fortunately, we are renting a property that has a small sugarbush of mature sugar maples. Right now, we’re preparing the supplies we’ll need to tap our backyard trees. In this post, I teamed up with Vermont Evaporator Company to help you get ready now so you can head into sugaring season ready to make syrup! What … [Read more...]
Making Syrup in Your Backyard
Did you know that you can make syrup from trees growing in your own backyard? It's true! You don't need a lot of acreage and a sugarbush to tap trees and make delicious syrup. Our family tapped only 14 black walnut trees last winter, and made 5 quarts of syrup - enough to last our family of four for close to one year! Tapping is easy, fun, and is a great activity to do with children. Plus homemade syrup is an outstanding natural sweetener to add to baked goods and desserts. Here's how to get started making syrup in your backyard. Making Syrup from your Backyard Trees Step One: Identify tappable trees Even if you only have one tappable tree in your … [Read more...]