It's sugaring time

[Kurt]

Something a little different
It has been very cold this new year and the January thaw was short. I tapped one tree like I do every January to catch the early flow when the sap is the sweetest but the thaw was short and just the last four days it finally made it in the mid 30's to mid 40's and the flow has increased enough to fill 2 5 gallon buckets a day from the 10 trees I tapped this year. This year the sap is very sweet here must be from the heavy rains we got last year. I just finished boiling down 20 gallons and I almost got a whole gallon of very sweet syrup. Usually it takes 35 to 40 gallons to get what I got from 20.
This batch I quit boiling when it reached 125 degrees about 15 degrees above normal boiling point a little less then I usually pull it off. I better get more jugs washed, It will be a good year.
   

[mherth]

Wow, now that’s really neat and a lot of work. Do you need to add anything or just use as is?
Mike

[Kurt]

Mike just cook down the raw sap till the temperature reaches the syrup thickness you like. I cook mine from 15 degrees above the normal boiling point. around here it is 210 degrees at my elevation. If you like it foe ice cream topping or make ice cubes for your fermented brews the #1 stage is good. For pancakes or other good stuff #2. It is a little thicker but thinner then Log Cabin. Or at 25 degrees above normal it gets pretty thick. 35 above you get sugar crystals forming. Above this you get something like toffee. Good chewing and your denture teeth get stuck LOL.

[mherth]

I like it in all the ways you mentioned, but I never thought to try it in my favorite elixir.

[Rowdy Rick]

Something a little different
It has been very cold this new year and the January thaw was short. I tapped one tree like I do every January to catch the early flow when the sap is the sweetest but the thaw was short and just the last four days it finally made it in the mid 30's to mid 40's and the flow has increased enough to fill 2 5 gallon buckets a day from the 10 trees I tapped this year. This year the sap is very sweet here must be from the heavy rains we got last year. I just finished boiling down 20 gallons and I almost got a whole gallon of very sweet syrup. Usually it takes 35 to 40 gallons to get what I got from 20.
This batch I quit boiling when it reached 125 degrees about 15 degrees above normal boiling point a little less then I usually pull it off. I better get more jugs washed, It will be a good year.

Kurt, are you tapping ash maples or sugar maples? Been a lot of years since I have done it, really miss that syrup!

Rick

[Don McDowell]

If you need some place to store that, I know just the place.

[Kurt]

Rick I have a variety of Maples I planted 47 years ago on this 10 acer hill that only had one Hackberry and some red cedar trees. Most are Norway and sugar along with white pines and Dogwood, Ash and a lot of other fast growers along with nut trees. But the Maples are used for filling the gallon jugs
What I should do is head to the Mississippi and tap those on the Islands

Carolyn just told me you been spending time and having fun with the Little one again.
Kurt

[Randy Bohannon]

You're a regular Calvin Coolidge Kurt, I admire your commitment to keeping tradition alive and well.

[SgtDog0311]

What Randy said!!

[Kurt]

Hey guys it's good to keep some of the good tasting traditions alive. I been showing the Grand Kids some of the old ways of doing things.
I have a extra good meat grinder I wanted to give to the older Grand Daughter because she is just about of Collage and making her own way so we been giving her Kitchen things and I told her you can have this grinder....her answer was what am I going to use it fore? I told her what to use it fore and her answer was I can buy hamburger, sausage and jerky in the store