Native to eastern North America, black birch is most popular for its use in making birch beer. The yellow birch tree has been found to have a higher mineral composition, lower sugar content, and a higher ORAC value (measure of antioxidant capacity) than sugar maple. The paper birch has a lower sugar content than sugar maple (less than 1%), but is the sweetest of the birch trees. English walnut trees can be tapped successfully, especially when subjected to a freezing winter and spring. They are not typically found in the Eastern United States, but rather are grown most abundantly in California. These are the walnuts commonly eaten and purchased from supermarkets. It is more common in the Midwest than in the Northeastern United States.Ī cultivar of Japanese walnuts, heartnuts have sugar contents comparable to sugar maples, but produce much less sap. The black walnut tree is a valuable timber species, whose sap flows in autumn, winter, and spring. The timing and total volume of sap are also comparable to sugar maples. The butternut produces a sap that yields roughly 2% sugar – similar to sugar maples. The sap is usually consumed fresh as a beverage, and not boiled down to a syrup.īutternut, white walnut ( Juglans cinerea) Gorosoe, which translates to “The tree that is good for the bones,” is the most commonly tapped maple tree in Korea. Rocky Mountain maples are native to western North America, and have been used traditionally by various groups, including the Plateau Natives. The sugar content is comparable to that of sugar maples, but the volume produced is much less. They also grow in Texas, where they are referred to as Uvalde bigtooth maples. These trees are found primarily throughout the Rocky Mountain states. Native Americans have tapped these trees for centuries, and although the sugar content and sap flow are less than those from sugar maples, these trees can still provide a commercially viable source of syrup for the Pacific Coast.Ĭanyon maple, big tooth maple ( Acer grandidentatum) Research suggests that boxelders may yield only half the syrup of typical sugar maples.īigleaf maple is the main species of maple growing between central California and British Columbia. They’re not recommended as a first choice for sugar production, although maple producers in the Canadian prairies rely almost exclusively on boxelders for their sap. They are not as sweet as sugar maples, yet can be tapped regardless.Īlso known as Manitoba maple, boxelders can be found growing in urban areas and along roadsides. Native to Europe, Norway maples are now considered invasive throughout much of the United Sates. Like red maples, silver maples bud out earlier in the spring and have a lower sugar content than sugar maples (1.7% compared to 2.0%). The trees bud out earlier in the spring, which may reduce syrup quality near the end of sugaring season. Sap yields from red maples are generally lower than those from sugar maples, although some tapping operations utilize only red maples. Black maples tend to have leaves with three major lobes, while leaves from sugar maples have five lobes. The trees closely resemble sugar maples and can be distinguished by their leaves. Its sugar content is approximately 2.0%.īlack maples produce as much sweet sap as sugar maples. The sugar maple yields the highest volume and concentration of sap, making it a superior candidate for tapping. In it, I discuss how to properly identify 4 trees - including 2 maple and 2 birch - that you can tap for sap and syrup production. If that’s you, check out this recent video I created. Now… before we get started, I’m wondering if you’re the kind of person who would rather watch a video than read a blog post. Rather, I would like to provide a list of various trees (maples, birches, walnuts, etc.) that you can tap successfully to yield wonderful, sugary products. If you are unfamiliar with the process, there are a variety of great websites, videos, and books to guide you. In this post, I won’t be discussing the methods involved in tapping for sugar production. Even better, many other trees from other genera can be tapped to extract sap, which ultimately can be turned into delicious syrup. Most people associate syrup with the maple tree, and although much of today’s syrup does originate from the sugar maple, all species of maple can be tapped. This process, passed on from the Native Americans to the early settlers, is still quite popular today, and is responsible for one of the few wild foods that can be purchased commercially in most supermarkets. As winter wanes and spring approaches, wild foodists all across North America tap into the time-honored tradition of sugar production – mainly, the transformation of maple tree sap into maple syrup and sugar.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |