Sad that I am only just now discovering this video at the beginning of March. After watching this video I did some research and it appears that the best time for tapping black walnuts is when daytime temps are in the 40s. For me in my part of middle Tennessee, this would be late December until early February. Guess I got time to do more research and buy supplies 😆
I collected about 55 gals of black walnut sap this year making about a gallon of syrup. My syrup is very runny although it tastes good-yours looked awesome. Any suggestions?
In previous years we have had that same problem, but this year the consistency is perfect. Thermometers can be off in their calibration (check it in boiling water), only within a degree or so of accuracy (unless you get an expensive one), and boiling point changes based on elevation, so you may have some math to do to figure out the perfect syrup temperature for your batch. For those reasons, we now only use one to know when we're getting close to the end of the process. This year we bought a honey refractometer that reads from 58-90% on the Brix scale and used that to confirm that we were at the correct sugar content (66.9) with our syrup. So I definitely recommend getting a refractometer if you don't have one!
Hey “neighbor”! I’m also in Middle Tennessee! Just discovered this video, never heard of Walnut syrup before, so since I have acres of walnut trees, I’m very interested. Just needed to know time to collect, and your post answered my question! Thanks!
It takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup - just like maple. The difference is that the walnut trees give you a lot less sap than maples do.
How long you boil depends on how much sap you are trying to convert to syrup. I probably boil 20-30 gallons a day for 3 or 4 days before I stop adding sap and finish boiling it to the consistency of syrup. I recommend using a thermometer to get a general idea of how close you are to syrup. Once you get to about 218 degrees Fahrenheit, I recommend boiling on a stove top or other easily controlled heat source and using a refractometer to check the sugar content. You want to get right around 67 on the brix scale and then immediately can it.
I have had a lot of variation in how much each tree will produce. Some trees take a few days to get a gallon from a tap, and other taps may produce as much as a gallon each day. It's hard to say what you will get, as a lot of it depends on the specific tree, how big it is, how healthy it is, as well as how cold the night is and how much the day warms up. But if you are used to maple sap, know that at least for me, the walnut produce a noticeable amount less in the same conditions. Though I've not measured the difference I'd be surprised if they even made half as much sap as maple. But the flavor makes it worth the effort! And you could always make a maple-walnut blend if you don't get much walnut.
It looks that way if you are used to corn syrups! That's why it's best to use a refractometer to tell when it is finished. Otherwise you may go too far with it and end up with a lot of crystalizing in the syrup.
Sad that I am only just now discovering this video at the beginning of March. After watching this video I did some research and it appears that the best time for tapping black walnuts is when daytime temps are in the 40s. For me in my part of middle Tennessee, this would be late December until early February. Guess I got time to do more research and buy supplies 😆
Cool! We have 2 huge black walnuts here in Arkansas but no maples. Glad to know we can tap ours for a homeschooling project!
I'm doing this to my trees!! The final product looks so delicious.
It's so good! Enjoy!
I collected about 55 gals of black walnut sap this year making about a gallon of syrup.
My syrup is very runny although it tastes good-yours looked awesome. Any suggestions?
In previous years we have had that same problem, but this year the consistency is perfect. Thermometers can be off in their calibration (check it in boiling water), only within a degree or so of accuracy (unless you get an expensive one), and boiling point changes based on elevation, so you may have some math to do to figure out the perfect syrup temperature for your batch. For those reasons, we now only use one to know when we're getting close to the end of the process. This year we bought a honey refractometer that reads from 58-90% on the Brix scale and used that to confirm that we were at the correct sugar content (66.9) with our syrup. So I definitely recommend getting a refractometer if you don't have one!
Hey “neighbor”! I’m also in Middle Tennessee! Just discovered this video, never heard of Walnut syrup before, so since I have acres of walnut trees, I’m very interested. Just needed to know time to collect, and your post answered my question! Thanks!
How many gallons of sap does it take to make a gallon of syrup?
It takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup - just like maple. The difference is that the walnut trees give you a lot less sap than maples do.
What does it taste like? Is it sweet?
🕊🤘🕊 thx , great video!
What time of year do you tap a tree
You'll want to tap in the late winter when the daytime temperatures are above freezing and the evenings dip below freezing.
What about the flavor compared to maple?
You didn’t tell us how long you boil it?
How long you boil depends on how much sap you are trying to convert to syrup. I probably boil 20-30 gallons a day for 3 or 4 days before I stop adding sap and finish boiling it to the consistency of syrup. I recommend using a thermometer to get a general idea of how close you are to syrup. Once you get to about 218 degrees Fahrenheit, I recommend boiling on a stove top or other easily controlled heat source and using a refractometer to check the sugar content. You want to get right around 67 on the brix scale and then immediately can it.
how many gallons of sap can I expect for each tree?
I have had a lot of variation in how much each tree will produce. Some trees take a few days to get a gallon from a tap, and other taps may produce as much as a gallon each day. It's hard to say what you will get, as a lot of it depends on the specific tree, how big it is, how healthy it is, as well as how cold the night is and how much the day warms up. But if you are used to maple sap, know that at least for me, the walnut produce a noticeable amount less in the same conditions. Though I've not measured the difference I'd be surprised if they even made half as much sap as maple. But the flavor makes it worth the effort! And you could always make a maple-walnut blend if you don't get much walnut.
What month is this?
Why not show the process ?
Thank you for the video suggestion! I'll see if I can put one together the next time we make walnut syrup!
I want to order a few sap taps so I can make black walnut syrup. I've been hoping to do it for like two years.
Looks like water
It looks that way if you are used to corn syrups! That's why it's best to use a refractometer to tell when it is finished. Otherwise you may go too far with it and end up with a lot of crystalizing in the syrup.