Tapping!

We've started!  We are tapping trees in our yard this year - another one of those projects we've been meaning to try, and this year we are prepared just in time for the tapping season to start.  There is a short window of time, usually in March-April, when the nights are around -10C but days are around +10C, when the sap runs well.  We don't have sugar maples, but we do have other trees that are possible to tap.  Although less well-known, the birch, black walnut and Manitoba maple trees can also be tapped for a tasty light syrup.  We have 8 of these trees (which are mature enough) to tap in our yard (so that makes about 24 taps), and we're going for it.  We like to do things on a small budget, so though we did buy spiles (at $2.50 each), but since sap buckets cost $7 each we have rigged up our own buckets and lids using food grade plastic pails.  Once we've tapped for a week or so, we'll boil it all down over a long all-day outdoor fire - until the consistency seems like syrup. 

Here's a simple and quick summary for any of you urban homesteaders who want to try this yourself.  Of course, there are lots of great resources at the library and online that will give much more detail about the process (and we are still learning!), but we have heard and read stories of good success with these types of trees.  We are hopeful that all our efforts will be worthwhile.  More updates to come.

1. Once the daytime temps are around 10+ C but nights are still below 0 (around -10C)  you are ready to start.  Choose healthy mature trees, best if they have a good south facing exposure to the sun during the day.
2. Drill holes at a slight upward angle, using a 7/16 inch drill bit.  Make sure to get the woodchips out of the hole before tapping in your spile.  You can drill 2-3 hole per tree. 
3. Tap in spile using a hammer.  Hang your bucket or pail securely below, using a hook or nail, so that spout drips directly into container.  Add a tight lid to help keep out debris and squirrels!
4. Check your buckets every day, or even twice a day depending on how much the sap is flowing.  Empty into larger foodgrade pails or jugs and store in the cold until you are ready to boil.
5. To boil sap, build an outdoor fire or use a camping stove.  This will take at least 8 hours, which can be done in one day or over several (as long as sap is kept cold inbetween boilings). 
6. Using a stainless steel pan or pot bring sap to a temperature that is 7.5 degrees over the point of water boiling.  Keep it at this temperature, stirring and skimming off foam.
7. Once sap has boiled down significantly (the ratio is about 8 litres down to 1-2 cups) strain it through a filter (cheesecloth or other filter) and hot pack it into glass jars. 

March: Equinox, World Water Day, & Earth Hour

A few upcoming dates this month to watch for:

March 20 - Vernal Equinox (aka. First Day of Spring!)

A date most of us think of as the official changing of the seasons, the vernal equinox marks the date when the sun crosses directly over the equator allowing both day and night to be about equal (equinox = "equal night"). The equinox occurs twice a year (vernal and autumnal equinox), and these brief but monumental moments owe their significance to the 23.4 degree tilt of the Earth's axis. Because of the tilt, we receive the Sun's rays most directly in the summer. In the winter, when we are tilted away from the Sun, the rays pass through the atmosphere at a greater slant, bringing lower temperatures. If the Earth rotated on an axis perpendicular to the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun, there would be no variation in day lengths or temperatures throughout the year, and we would not have seasons.

Modern astronomy aside, people have recognized the vernal equinox for thousands of years. There is no shortage of rituals and traditions surrounding the coming of spring. Many early peoples celebrated for the basic reason that their food supplies would soon be restored.
Taken from: www.infoplease.com

March 22 - World Water Day
www.worldwaterday.org

This is a day of action to promote water as a public good, not a source of profit. Access to clean affordable water is a human right, and work is being done around the globe to achieve the goal of water justice now.

Resources:
www.RightToWater.ca
www.canadians.org/water
www.blueplanetproject.net

Some Water Conservation Tips:

- use natural cleaning products to reduce harmful chemicals washing down the drain
- reduce water consumption in home bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry
- repair leaky taps, install low-flow showerheads & water-efficient toilets
- recycle water (e.g. dishwashing water can be used in the garden)
- replace lawns with water-wise natural landscaping and native plants & grasses
- collect rainwater in rainbarrels for watering yards/gardens

March 28 - Earth Hour, 8:30-9:30 pm
www.earthhour.org

An annual international event organized by World Wide Fund for Nature/World Wildlife Fund held on the last Saturday of March, that asks households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights and electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change. Started in 2007. Takes place on March 28, 8:30 pm local time.
Obviously one hour of reducing our power is only a symbolic gesture, but hopefully does get both citizens and governments taking futher action toward general energy conservation.