Tapping Walnut Trees For Syrup

[Benn Gleck]

I know I know, it's maple trees that you're supposed to tap for syrup but I saw mention of tapping walnut trees in the back of a beekeeping catalog.

I only have a couple maple trees at my BOL but I have a BUNCH of black walnut trees.

So I'm going to talk to my Amish friend (who taps his maple trees) about how to do it and then I'll try a couple this year to see if it works.

Anybody ever tap any trees?

[slingshot]

I don't know about black walnut tree sap, but the hulls on the nuts have a bad chemical in them, not supposed to compost them. I know the wood stinks when it burns and you can't barbecue with it. Right now I'm very skeptical of black walnut syrup from the sap. I hope somebody replies that has first hand experience and has successfully made syrup from that sap because I'm loaded up with black walnut trees. It would be quite a resource for me if it turns out to be feasible!

[Klayton]

just as slingshot said (and I just mentioned this in the pasture thread) walnut does have a chemical (to protect it) might want to see if it is found in the sap as well as the husks, barks and roots...

[Benn Gleck]

I googled it and it says that you can tap Black Walnut trees for syrup. Now it says it's syrup doesn't have as much sugar content as a sugar maple but that just means you'd have to collect more of it. It says you can also tap Birch trees.

[Klayton]

good to know Benn, wish you luck in that endeavor... keep us posted on how it turns out...

[jhon smith]

Black wlanuts are extremely slow growing and have very deep tap roots.
If you want them to live, leave them in place. Transplanting nut trees doesn't work very well in my experience.

[Benn Gleck]

Ok, I tapped 5 walnut trees and a box elder this weekend. I've been reading up on the subject a bit and found that people also tap box elder trees for the sap and it supposedly makes a decent drink straight out of the tree, we shall see.

I'm just doing this to learn how to. The spiles (taps) and bags were given to me by my Amish friends they have 200 taps out, so they're serious.

If you guys are interested I made a video and posted it in the registered member subforum. Please excuse my crude attempt at a video. :)

[Jon Doe]

Ya'll probably know but Birch is also a tree that can be tapped - years ago I read the inner, fiberous material between the bark and the wood could be also be eaten. Tasted like wood to me, but it was deep winter at the time and the sap wasn't running yet. There wasn't a negative reaction so maybe there was some truth to it although I'd hate to have to rely on it.

[Davar]

Hickory is also tapped for syrup. Have you ever considered timbering a few walnut trees? They get a nice penny if you sell it to a mill. They even buy big branches. I heard a 24" diameter tree can bring in upwards of $2,000.

[slingshot]

Hickory is also tapped for syrup. Have you ever considered timbering a few walnut trees? They get a nice penny if you sell it to a mill. They even buy big branches. I heard a 24" diameter tree can bring in upwards of $2,000.

I don't know about now, but yesteryear walnut trees were very valuable. In fact, we even had "tree rustlers!" Yep, for real. The "rustlers" would weld car mufflers to their chainsaws, slip onto somebody's land and cut walnut trees to sell them. Ain't that a kick in the head! People will steal anything! LOL

[Benn Gleck]

Hickory is also tapped for syrup. Have you ever considered timbering a few walnut trees? They get a nice penny if you sell it to a mill. They even buy big branches. I heard a 24" diameter tree can bring in upwards of $2,000.

We've considered selling the trees for timber. Probably should let them grow a few more years though as most of them are about 1' in diameter. We do have one that is huge, it's V'ed about 3' from the ground but the two trunks are prbably 3' in diameter.

[DIM TIM]

Saw your video there Benn...Pretty cool, so keep us posted as to how the experiment turns out.

[Benn Gleck]

Saw your video there Benn...Pretty cool, so keep us posted as to how the experiment turns out.

Thanks DT. I harvested two gallons of sap from five trees in a week. I made a video of boiling it down but I haven't had time to upload it yet.