So after seeing Uncle Ray guzzle down his own body weight in birch sap everytime I see him on the ruddy screen, I decided to get up and give it a go, and hope to god it hadn't been over-hyped. So Benop2 (from this lovely forum) and myself descended on the birch trees of Delamere forest park to drain their lifeblood. Alright, so it wasn't quite that sinister...
The weather was rather cold when we got there, and was actually snowing by the time we found a section of birch off of the trail. It was actually surprising how many trees were dead around the park. To my untrained eye, it was an awful lot of rot. Even the Polypore looked different, as though something had eaten away at what should have been a smooth white underside, but which now resembled battered polystyrene. That said, we set up out taps fast. Of course, being a first time, this was far more awkward than I had been led to believe. Piercing the tree, then shoving a stick in there to direct the flow sounds easy, but we quickly found that once the sap has chosen it's path, it's stubborn as hell in hearing any other suggestions!
Me beside one of the first taps
We set up about five taps on various trees in our little area and let them drip away contentedly. We opted to begin with a plan of action centered on letting gravity do most of the directing for us. Hence:
Here's an attempt to redirect a flow that already deciding to head southward on the bark. Worked for about 2 drips then went back to its original course, accompanied by some choice words from us trying to educate it in the error of its ways:
We finally got a system going and were hopeful of the outcome.
While we waited, I decided to show Benop2 how to set a tarp up, and let him go wild with his new laplander for the awning sticks
Although I didn't get a picture of it, I got to use my monkeyboy stove on my new dutch steel mug for the first time outdoors. Boiled it up a treat in about 5 minutes and we warmed ourselves from the inside out with coffee and mocha. Before this though, we realised that the ground beneath the tarp wasn't so well suited to sitting on, and I opted to try out my very first bushy seat! As a concept, it seemed sound. Use 2 tripods and prop sticks between them to form a low bench. With the angle of the tripod legs, the bench was really quite flat and comfortable. For me. Benop2 opted to rest his rear end gently down to test it and for a moment it seemed to be ok. We could see one of the tripod legs sliding slowly into the mud beside us then stop as it bottomed out. "Seems to work does-...." CRACK!
Well, it was worth a go... A central support might have been in order...
Well, after about 5 hours, we had to make for the train station. Discovering that the spout will work providing it goes in before the sap runs down the tree, we gathered more in the last half hour than in the whole ruddy trip! With such healthy flow from the trees, it was slightly annoying to have essentially wasted so much of the sap. Regardless, we were proud of the achievement of having tapped any, and headed home with our slightly less than visually appetizing sap in hand.
Pleased as punch...or sap...
With an idea in mind to freeze a bit and add it to mead (my mouth waters at the thought!) we kind of lost the whole manliness and primitive survival element of bushcraft by our sad, and only choice of ice cube holder...
...and by the only glasses available...
That rag is our filter. Thankyou Jamie Oliver's Bistro for the napkin you so nicely and unwittingly provided to the cause!
I would describe the taste as a cross between cucumber and elderflower. Refreshing and light. I will most definitely be repeating that little bimble!
Cheers,
Matt
The weather was rather cold when we got there, and was actually snowing by the time we found a section of birch off of the trail. It was actually surprising how many trees were dead around the park. To my untrained eye, it was an awful lot of rot. Even the Polypore looked different, as though something had eaten away at what should have been a smooth white underside, but which now resembled battered polystyrene. That said, we set up out taps fast. Of course, being a first time, this was far more awkward than I had been led to believe. Piercing the tree, then shoving a stick in there to direct the flow sounds easy, but we quickly found that once the sap has chosen it's path, it's stubborn as hell in hearing any other suggestions!
Me beside one of the first taps
We set up about five taps on various trees in our little area and let them drip away contentedly. We opted to begin with a plan of action centered on letting gravity do most of the directing for us. Hence:
Here's an attempt to redirect a flow that already deciding to head southward on the bark. Worked for about 2 drips then went back to its original course, accompanied by some choice words from us trying to educate it in the error of its ways:
We finally got a system going and were hopeful of the outcome.
While we waited, I decided to show Benop2 how to set a tarp up, and let him go wild with his new laplander for the awning sticks
Although I didn't get a picture of it, I got to use my monkeyboy stove on my new dutch steel mug for the first time outdoors. Boiled it up a treat in about 5 minutes and we warmed ourselves from the inside out with coffee and mocha. Before this though, we realised that the ground beneath the tarp wasn't so well suited to sitting on, and I opted to try out my very first bushy seat! As a concept, it seemed sound. Use 2 tripods and prop sticks between them to form a low bench. With the angle of the tripod legs, the bench was really quite flat and comfortable. For me. Benop2 opted to rest his rear end gently down to test it and for a moment it seemed to be ok. We could see one of the tripod legs sliding slowly into the mud beside us then stop as it bottomed out. "Seems to work does-...." CRACK!
Well, it was worth a go... A central support might have been in order...
Well, after about 5 hours, we had to make for the train station. Discovering that the spout will work providing it goes in before the sap runs down the tree, we gathered more in the last half hour than in the whole ruddy trip! With such healthy flow from the trees, it was slightly annoying to have essentially wasted so much of the sap. Regardless, we were proud of the achievement of having tapped any, and headed home with our slightly less than visually appetizing sap in hand.
Pleased as punch...or sap...
With an idea in mind to freeze a bit and add it to mead (my mouth waters at the thought!) we kind of lost the whole manliness and primitive survival element of bushcraft by our sad, and only choice of ice cube holder...
...and by the only glasses available...
That rag is our filter. Thankyou Jamie Oliver's Bistro for the napkin you so nicely and unwittingly provided to the cause!
I would describe the taste as a cross between cucumber and elderflower. Refreshing and light. I will most definitely be repeating that little bimble!
Cheers,
Matt
