The sub freezing weather that blanketed our region from March 12 to March 18 gave the maples a chance to “ recharge ”. On the 19th, bright sun and rapid warming initiated sap flows that reached 125-150 gallons per hour! In the 72 hr period, we collected over 7000 gallons of sap and produced 170 gallons of rich maple syrup! I reviewed our records back to 1994 and there was no run that approached this volume!
The sap flow diminished after 72 hours as the temperatures lingered in the 50’s and 60’s. We’ve had smaller runs since, and the measured sugar content of the sap has dropped from 2.2% to 1.2%. This often is a sign that the end of the season is rapidly approaching. We had freezing temperatures the last 2 nights and will have temperatures approaching 50 today.We plan on boiling tomorrow and will critically evaluate the taste of the sap and syrup to see if it’s our last run.