I'm not sure what all this means! The microbiome is likely to be far more complex than this, with many species contributing to flavour. There's a lot of biology to #BackYardSugarBush2023!

And that's a wrap for #BackYardSugarBush2023. We made just over 23 L of syrup from 768 L of sap (about 2/3 from our own 4 trees; about 1/3 from a neighbour's super-prolific tree).

And here's the batch. It came to 5.4 L, a little less than I expected - closer to 36:1 than the 32:1 we were getting earlier in #BackYardSugarBush2023. (And way off from the 26:1 we got in #BackYardSugarBush2022!) I'll check my arithmetic tomorrow...

#BackYardSugarBush2023 ends today. Little sap run today, and no more freezing nights. On the right: 36 L of sap from the last few days, nearly ready to filter and finish. On the left: 158 L of sap spanning April 1 - 8, just coming to a boil for flitering.

We are definitely in the final days of #BackYardSugarBush2023. After Sunday night, no more forecast lows below freezing. So I expect a little sap run today (not much, only +1), some tomorrow, and some Monday - and that will be that.

No sap run at all yesterday - it neither froze overnight nor got much above freezing during the day. Today may be different: low of -9 C last night, and it should be +7 by midafternoon. Will the floodgates open? #BackYardSugarBush2023

Our fourth batch of #BackYardSugarBush2023! This time just 4.0 L (+ 100 mL not shown, ladled out of the filter), from 132 L of sap. The colour is still quite light - this year's syrup is lighter than other years. I wonder why?

And the latest batch, done and cooling! This is 5.2 L (another 150 mL or so refused to go through the filter; I ladled that off and it can settle out in the fridge). Nearly 14 L made so far, and at least one more batch to come in #BackYardSugarBush2023!

Look at this beauty! The latest batch, almost ready - this needs to be filtered, then one last finishing boil. This is from 94 L of sap, and should make ~3 L of syrup. #BackYardSugarBush2023

Another big boiling day. Found a narrower pot so I can fit THREE on the stove at once. We need to keep up with the trees; a weekend away means the snowbank is full of sap bottles and the weather suggests hard running all week! #BackYardSugarBush2023

Then I realized "But you'd need to collect from thousands of flowers and use really small spiles to tap them".

Then I realized I'd just "invented" bees, and honey.

I guess I'll stick to making syrup and refrain from inventing stuff... #BackYardSugarBush2023

So last week, I spent a fun hour talking with @JeanneCBC of the CBC's @infoamfred about #BackYardSugarBush2023. That hour got boiled down (maple syrup pun alert) to about 10 minutes, and you can listen to it here: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-25-information-morning-fredericton/clip/15973415-backyard-tapping

Second batch of the day! 4.7 L, from 149 L of sap.

So that's 8.5L so far from #BackYardSugarBush2023, which is a lot since we've only been running 2 weeks. We will see what the *next* 2 weeks brings...

First batch of #MapleSyrup from #BackYardSugarBush2023! This is 3.8 L of syrup. And the house smells *wonderful*.

We have syrup! On the left, not quite done yet (red line on hydrometer isn't visible). On the right, the red test line is visible - syrup! Now into the jars. #BackYardSugarBush2023

While an "off" day is disappointing in some ways, it's a welcome respite in others. In just 13 days we've collected and boiled over 250 L of sap. No syrup yet, but quite a few bottles of "almost syrup" needing a finishing boil. Maybe tomorrow? #BackYardSugarBush2023

Nice to have @infoamfred's @JeanneCBC visit #BackYardSugarBush2023 today! And of course I made her help out with today's sap collection. 32 L since this time yesterday, and more to come today.

Enough microbiology for today! Now off to collect sap - from a neighbour whose tree produces more than she can use. #BackYardSugarBush2023 is getting an assist from a second back yard!

This will cool outside overnight, then we'll pour it into bottles to hold in the fridge until it's time for a finishing boil. Maybe by this weekend, if the weather holds? #BackYardSugarBush2023

Tomorrow we boil again (and with an earlier start). 26 L of new sap today (just over 3 L per tap) - got to keep ahead of it! #BackYardSugarBush2023