I'm so thankful for your generosity in sharing this content. I understand and appreciate all the hard work that goes into it. Please know that you have inspired me on my own path and I'm overjoyed to support you and be part of this community. Kindest thanks, Sarah
Loved your organic expressions !! Inspired me for my upcoming rpm daily videos I will be creating in the coming 30 days … certified organic adventures envolving the principles of how we miraculously navigate gravity
Two questions! One copying from the fruit wine post because it fits here better, and the second re: maple sap flowing..
One, a sort of generic question for you: any experience using fruit juice or fruit concentrate for wines? We're in a similar winter situation as you, fruit is a good ways off and we were thinking of making it with something storebought, thought of the juice or frozen concentrates and wondered how well they work. I mean, I am sure you'll end up with wine if you put sugar, water, flavor, and yeast together and wait, but wondering if it is not very worthwhile as far as the quality of the finished wine or if it could be something good. If you've not tried, no worries of course, we can experiment, just curious.
Two, so you tap maples even before the end of winter? Do you take advantage of any warming? I was under the impression (we're got verrrrrrrry little experience, couple seasons of birch in AK and one with maple in way north/UP of MI where spring comes in late May) you wait til the weather is warming up for the last time, like right before spring. But sounds like you can do it anytime? Can you use the same taps several rounds?
You can definitely use fruit juice (or even dried fruit, or actual fruit jam, or canned fruit) as a base for wine. Make sure the ingredients are just fruit juice and sugar, no preservatives of any kind and no "natural flavors" or other ingredients.
If it's a plain fruit juice with no added sugar, then the process is pretty straightforward and you just substitute it. With sugar in there, it's trickier as you have to reduce the sugar in the recipe...but by how much is going to be a guess. Always reduce it by more than you think, as you can add more sugar later, but you can't take it away.
You can also make wine with lots of other things as a flavoring, even homemade jam or dried fruit. If using jam, you'll need a good bit of pectic enzyme. With dried fruit, it may need to be simmered to soften and extract flavor.
But yes, you can make wine that way.
For your tapping question, for maple, you can tap anytime the daytime temperatures are above freezing and the nighttime temps are below freezing. It's the freeze thaw cycle that makes it work, and that happens anytime from January to the end of April, depending on the year. There's breaks in the season where things get too cold or too warm for a week or two at a time, but on average, the season is around 6 weeks spaced out sometime between January and April (at least here).
For birch, you are correct, you tap when it's all the way warming up. The sap run for birch is determined by the soil temperature, so the daytime and nighttime temps are dependably above freezing. For us, that's usually April sometime each year, right before buds break.
Hi Ashely! Your content is so amazing - I was just talking with friends about medicinal herbs and this morning clicked on (and shared) your medicinal plants to grow article. Its wonderful - accessible with many links. Thank you for all that work! Best, Jenn
I'm so thankful for your generosity in sharing this content. I understand and appreciate all the hard work that goes into it. Please know that you have inspired me on my own path and I'm overjoyed to support you and be part of this community. Kindest thanks, Sarah
Thank you!
Loved your organic expressions !! Inspired me for my upcoming rpm daily videos I will be creating in the coming 30 days … certified organic adventures envolving the principles of how we miraculously navigate gravity
Two questions! One copying from the fruit wine post because it fits here better, and the second re: maple sap flowing..
One, a sort of generic question for you: any experience using fruit juice or fruit concentrate for wines? We're in a similar winter situation as you, fruit is a good ways off and we were thinking of making it with something storebought, thought of the juice or frozen concentrates and wondered how well they work. I mean, I am sure you'll end up with wine if you put sugar, water, flavor, and yeast together and wait, but wondering if it is not very worthwhile as far as the quality of the finished wine or if it could be something good. If you've not tried, no worries of course, we can experiment, just curious.
Two, so you tap maples even before the end of winter? Do you take advantage of any warming? I was under the impression (we're got verrrrrrrry little experience, couple seasons of birch in AK and one with maple in way north/UP of MI where spring comes in late May) you wait til the weather is warming up for the last time, like right before spring. But sounds like you can do it anytime? Can you use the same taps several rounds?
Maria :]
You can definitely use fruit juice (or even dried fruit, or actual fruit jam, or canned fruit) as a base for wine. Make sure the ingredients are just fruit juice and sugar, no preservatives of any kind and no "natural flavors" or other ingredients.
If it's a plain fruit juice with no added sugar, then the process is pretty straightforward and you just substitute it. With sugar in there, it's trickier as you have to reduce the sugar in the recipe...but by how much is going to be a guess. Always reduce it by more than you think, as you can add more sugar later, but you can't take it away.
You can also make wine with lots of other things as a flavoring, even homemade jam or dried fruit. If using jam, you'll need a good bit of pectic enzyme. With dried fruit, it may need to be simmered to soften and extract flavor.
But yes, you can make wine that way.
For your tapping question, for maple, you can tap anytime the daytime temperatures are above freezing and the nighttime temps are below freezing. It's the freeze thaw cycle that makes it work, and that happens anytime from January to the end of April, depending on the year. There's breaks in the season where things get too cold or too warm for a week or two at a time, but on average, the season is around 6 weeks spaced out sometime between January and April (at least here).
For birch, you are correct, you tap when it's all the way warming up. The sap run for birch is determined by the soil temperature, so the daytime and nighttime temps are dependably above freezing. For us, that's usually April sometime each year, right before buds break.
Hi Ashely! Your content is so amazing - I was just talking with friends about medicinal herbs and this morning clicked on (and shared) your medicinal plants to grow article. Its wonderful - accessible with many links. Thank you for all that work! Best, Jenn
Thank you Jen, I'm so happy it's helpful to you!