Sap Update

[TrickyBob]

Sap season is coming to an end, a lot of days I get yellowish sap (I toss it) but some days I get clear, depending on weather. The trees are starting to get buds and my fridge/freezer is running out of room. I will pull the taps out Easter weekend. 

I have about 6 gallons of sap and have started boiling it down. We tried outside but not only is it cold out there but our propane set up wasn't cutting it. Since I didn't have a mass volume of sap and don't really care/like my cabinets (our whole kitchen will be gutted soon anyway), I decided to move it indoors. 

I put a tinfoil tent over it, to usher the steam out the front and away from the cabinets. It has been working perfectly, nothing is sticky, nothing is wet, nothing is peeling off. 

I have been reducing by about 1 inch per hour, so every hour I dump in more. Skimming the foam off the top is interesting, the foam browns quick and sticks pretty well, it sort of looks like dirty taffy - lol. Either way, it gets discarded. I taste everything, it tastes like gross. Not water, not sugary, just unappealing. 

The sap has started turning a light amber color, but I still have 2.5 gallons of sap to get into the pot yet. 

It's been boiling away for 7 hours now, I'm sure it has 7+ more hours to go until I get all of the sap in the pot. 

Either way, my kitchen is perfect for anyone who has a cold or stuffy nose at the moment. 

[pantsparty]

This post is proof Laura Ingalls has been reincarnated.

[speckledfrog]

I read this as saD update and kept waiting to get to the sad part. Sounds like your experiment is going well.

[TrickyBob]

Mar 17, 2013 22:19:53 GMT -5 speckledfrog said:

I read this as saD update and kept waiting to get to the sad part. Sounds like your experiment is going well.

It was only sad when I burned my boob on the steam.

[pantsparty]

Mar 17, 2013 22:20:31 GMT -5 TrickyBob said:

It was only sad when I burned my boob on the steam.

[TrickyBob]

Thank you! I think it's pretty awesome too. I started it out as a tiny side hobby but to really sit down and think about the fact that I am making syrup, in my kitchen, that a TREE gave me. When all is said and done, it will have cost me $23 to make over a quart of syrup. Real maple syrup.

[tacokick]

That's really fun!

[daisyheadmaizie]

Mar 17, 2013 22:18:07 GMT -5 pantsparty said:

This post is proof Laura Ingalls has been reincarnated.

This is what I think shout every time I read her updates. The sugar dance was one of my favorite parts.