How To Make Black Walnut Syrup
“It’s good in your morning coffee,” says Lester Peters about the black walnut candy he likes to add for sweetener. As he enjoys it, he can look out the window at the black walnut trees he collected sap from to make syrup and candy with the help of his wife, Linda.
“We were surprised when we learned the settlers used different varieties of trees for sap, including nut trees, maples, birch, alder and many others,” Linda notes. The couple decided to tap the 20 or so black walnut trees in their yard 3 springs ago, and they’ve been doing it ever since.
“It’s as sweet as maple syrup but has a different flavor,” Lester says, noting it’s a mild flavor and not at all bitter.
The process is similar to tapping maple trees starting in late winter/early spring when day temperatures are above freezing and temperatures drop below freezing at night. He drills holes in the trees to insert plastic connectors for 1/4-in. tubing that drips into a milk jug.
Peters notes that the trees don’t produce a lot of sap, about 2 gal. a day total, but he accumulates enough to make a couple dozen pints of syrup with some left over to make candy. Like maple sap, it takes about 40 gal. of sap per gallon of syrup. After straining the sap, he pours it into a 5-gal. turkey cooker and boils it for several hours until there is only about an inch of syrup left to finish boiling down on the kitchen stove. To make candy, it’s cooked longer - to 235F degrees - then poured into molds.
“It’s very simple. Anybody can do it,” Peters says.
He plans to continue the spring time tradition and notes that he also has birch trees he could tap.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Lester and Linda Peters, 12753 Butler Ave., Plainfield, Iowa 50666 (ph 319 276-4734; leslinpe@butler-bremer.com).
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How To Make Black Walnut Syrup FARM HOME Food “It’s good in your morning coffee ” says Lester Peters about the black walnut candy he likes to add for sweetener As he enjoys it he can look out the window at the black walnut trees he collected sap from to make syrup and candy with the help of his wife Linda “We were surprised when we learned the settlers used different varieties of trees for sap including nut trees maples birch alder and many others ” Linda notes The couple decided to tap the 20 or so black walnut trees in their yard 3 springs ago and they’ve been doing it ever since “It’s as sweet as maple syrup but has a different flavor ” Lester says noting it’s a mild flavor and not at all bitter The process is similar to tapping maple trees starting in late winter/early spring when day temperatures are above freezing and temperatures drop below freezing at night He drills holes in the trees to insert plastic connectors for 1/4-in tubing that drips into a milk jug Peters notes that the trees don’t produce a lot of sap about 2 gal a day total but he accumulates enough to make a couple dozen pints of syrup with some left over to make candy Like maple sap it takes about 40 gal of sap per gallon of syrup After straining the sap he pours it into a 5-gal turkey cooker and boils it for several hours until there is only about an inch of syrup left to finish boiling down on the kitchen stove To make candy it’s cooked longer - to 235F degrees - then poured into molds “It’s very simple Anybody can do it ” Peters says He plans to continue the spring time tradition and notes that he also has birch trees he could tap Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Lester and Linda Peters 12753 Butler Ave Plainfield Iowa 50666 ph 319 276-4734; leslinpe@butler-bremer com
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