Making Boreal Birch Syrup

Making Boreal Birch Syrup in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. www.birchsyrup.ca
This video shows the step-by-step process for making birch syrup from the sap of white birch trees. The process is similar to that of maple syrup making, however, it takes much more sap, time and effort to produce birch syrup.
This syrup can be produced across Canada as birch trees spread from Newfoundland to the Yukon.
For more information on birch syrup visit: www.birchsyrup.ca

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• boreal
• birch
• syrup
• production
• thunder
• bay
• ontario
• canada
• forest
• non-timber
• products
• white
• maple
• sugar
• sugarmaking
• sugarhouse
• sugarbush
• sap
• www.birchsyrup.ca
• bushcraft
• traditional
• craft

[93Dwightfreeney]

great vid but i hope you guys are patching up the holes you made so they dont "bleed" to death or catch diseases

[davechallen]

@93Dwightfreeney

Definitely. We put cork plugs into each spile hole at the end of the season.

[321098aj]

is there any way to make the prosess faster? maybe make a bigger hole? or would animals do something if i do so?

[davechallen]

It's best to not make the hole bigger. In fact, it's best for the tree to use even smaller spiles (taps) which we are experimenting with this year. A larger hole may encourage disease and damage the tree.

[CearaQC]

What about the paper bark birch?

[davechallen]

White birch and paper birch are the same species.

[peneddy330]

@Caretika it takes almost 3 times as much sap to make birch syrup compared to maple.. it is more expensive because of this.. Not too many people out there making it yet but it is growing.. I do alot backyard maple syrup making for fun,( about 125 taps) and give it all away to friends and family.. I really want to try the birch syrup making this year, just to see how people like it. btw im in NY

[Tithis]

I do maple syrup as a hobby and looked into doing birch. While we have a good amount of birch trees around here they all seem to be quite young and thin. Its rare for me to see one of tappable size in the woods, I only really see them in peoples yards.

Guess if I wanna taste some I'm just going to have to order it.

[Muddy69Honda]

does the birch sap season start before or after the maple season , cause ive noticed that they dont run at the same time , but wen im done with the maples im to tired to do the birch

[akriotgrl]

i harvested sap as a sapsucker in alaska earlier this year...it was a lot of hard work and a lot of fun!

[annut123]

So the birch sap starts after the maple sap is done? Hmmm, maybe I'll try making it next year.  Will order some first to see how it tastes!

[Sturlagodo]

I like the video - and the music! What band is this?

[ZebbMassiv]

no cordless drill?

[flamedrag18]

every consider growing a patch of just birch in the area? prepared to tapping, ect.

[CanadianOutdoors]

TBay!

[93Dwightfreeney]

@davechallen cool i never tried cork plugs thanks for the idea