Birch sugar part 1

Most people are finishing up their Maple syrup season around this time of year (April 1st)... that means that it is time to begin tapping the birch trees.  I am tapping Sweet Birch trees since they grow in abundance on the farm, but you can also can get syrup from Paper and Yellow Birch trees.   In fact, there are many trees you can tap for syrup including Hickory, Sycamore and Elm.    Sugar Maple sap, however, has a very high sugar content and produces a lot of sap.   Other trees may not be worth the effort
(Calories spent vs. Calories earned - *ha ha*)  

I have been mulling over whether or not to tap some birch trees this spring as an experiment (really, what sort of question is that - of course I want to).  At any rate, what called me into action was digging the tip of my knife into this tree and seeing the sap pouring out.   I immediately gathered my supplies and started collecting.

Sap dripping even as I am drilling for the tap!

Birch sap is wonderful.   It has a mild sweet wintergreen taste which adds to the delight of drinking the cold spring-water like sap straight from the tree. 

My tapping equipment list:  String, spile, hammer, knife, drill and bucket. 

Tapping trees is ridiculously easy.   If everyone knew how easy it was to make syrup, every front yard would have buckets hanging from the Maples. 

An enormous Black Birch tree!

Black Birch is very easy to identify once you know what to look for.    This is a mature tree, about 20" in diameter.  Notice the lenticals on the large flat pieces of bark (the parallel lines). 

A slightly more sophisticated approach to collecting sap - these 5 gallon buckets are great because they keep the rainwater (and flies) out and can hold a whole lot of sap!

                                                

Once I collect the sap, I begin the syrup making process by boiling it down at home until 2.5 gallons makes about a pint of liquid.   This Sweet Birch sap only contains about .5-1% sugar when you start boiling it - ouch!   Maple sap can contain 2.5% - 6%.   This makes for a whole lot of boiling and means that you need a whole lot of sap to make a little Birch syrup.  There is a company in Alaska that sells it for over $300 a gallon.  The sap pictured here still needs boiling (I'm guessing it will reduce down another 3/4) until it becomes syrup.    

Early morning ice formations hint at a good Maple sap day

I love being in the woods in the morning.  This little snake was still lethargic in the cold weather, but seemed to be enjoying the sunshine immensely.  

A tiny tip of a Japanese Knotweed shoot.   These are a nasty invasive plant but they are very edible.   They are a little like rhubarb in flavor.  Last year I cooked them with pasta but I think they will lend themselves better to jam or pie.  This is one plant which I will happily over-harvest with hopes of holding it at bay as it tries to crowd out or native species.