Making Birch syrup.....and what to do with it

                Making Birch Syrup 

And what to do with it

I have been sugaring this month.....what is sugaring? Well it's collecting the sap from trees and boiling or evaporating the water out to make syrup or sugar. In the springtime the thawing process causes sap from the roots to go up the tree to feed the branches to make buds and leaves. You can tap those trees for the sap to make syrup. Most common would be maple syrup. 

This season's maple syrup harvest was dismal due to the cold spring/extended winter we had in northern Wisconsin. Sap was just not running. 

Birch tends to run right after maple stops so I moved my taps and it is flowing out!

 You tap a birch much like a maple, drill a hole , pop in a tap and add a bucket. One healthy tree will produce 1-2 gallons of sap per day. Each morning I collect sap. Processing the sap into syrup takes lots of time. You will want to start the process in a deep pot, like a large stock pot or boiler canner. Best case scenario is outside over a wood fire but sometimes I have to boil in the house due to weather or grass fire danger. I get the sap boiling and let it reduce down to about half. That's where you really need to watch it for burning. Birch sap has a different sugar than maple and it burns easily. After it starts to turn an amber color I keep it just below the boiling point and evaporate from there. Once it is down to a 1/4  I transfer it to a crockpot set on high and let it evaporate uncovered overnight.

In the morning I put the remaining Sap  (it's super dark brown by now) in a small pot on the stove and bring it to a boil to check the tempature. Once it reaches 220° I test it with a hydrometer. At about 65° brix it is ready to filter through a coffee filter and bottle.

Now what do I do with this stuff? It's thin, tastes like earthy molasses and spices and nothing close to pancake syrup! 

I have found the best use to be in marinades for meats. It's really good as a sugar substitute for savory dishes. Pork chops soaked in birch syrup are my favorite! Got a few birch trees? Try some syrup! I get about 2 cups of syrup out of 20 gallons of sap. It's a labor of love and a unique taste and experience .

See you next time- Joy