I didn't get things set until this past week and missed the first rare warm week. The next warm period I was ready, but dog gone it all, I got distracted, and caramelized the very first batch. Think dark caramel burnt sweetness. I did manage to pull a tumbler of hot broth and make tea before I became distracted though, and it was good.
The past few days got just warm enough I filled a two gallon pail 3/4 full of sap. WOW. The sugar content is much higher this mid-winter tap off than last spring was. The taste is almost like sweet warm butter. Very, very rich in flavor. You sure can't get anything this good off a store shelf.
This year I did something different and its really worked out well so far. I bought gray plastic hose barbs and clear plastic water line from Menards. The hose barbs are 1/2" ID and the hose is 5/8" ID. The plastic walls on the hose barbs make the outer diameter 5/8" and there is no way I'd ever mate 1/2" hose and half inch barbs. The first tree hose barb is a 99* and starts the run around the tree. The next two are 180* Ts and short lengths of hose link them all together going around the tree. Last hose is a 20' line that runs to the house. It's suspended from the dog run for a down hill slope.
To drain my sap from the collection bucket, I just wheel out the door, and the bucket is right there at the corner of my ramp by the door. Gravity is my friend. Last year, I flipped the chair in the yard, I spilled buckets of sap, and rain ruined a couple of collections, just no fun, but lots of YUM. This year both FUN and YUM! I bet I could get hooked on this stuff. Withdrawal will be pain.
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11 comments:
Huck, I think this calls for an Irregular pancake breakfast!!!
Sounds like this stuff could be addicting.
I have a Belgium waffle maker and a yeast based recipe that will knock your socks off!
I haven't had the homemade maple syrup since I was a youngster. My folks used to tap the sugar maples Up North. The stuff's good.
I still have some left over from last year... we're hoping to set the taps this weekend and get a wood fire setup vs the propane $$ waster we used last year, it's just more work than I want to do right now, in lazy winter mode:-)
p.s. KK, post the recipe, LOVE homemade waffles, esp warm off the iron and topped with vanilla ice cream and maple syrup, yummmmmm!
Now I want waffles. And ice cream. I always want ice cream, though.
Tomorrow I'm going up to the VA ER and havng them look at my arm. I scalded it Wednesday night really badly. The bottom of my forearm. Couldn't see over the top of the boil off kettle and thought it was smoking. I grabbed it thinking I was burning another batch and no, it was half full and I sloshed boiling sap on my arm. Lost some skin, don't look good, but what can they do except tell me to change the dressing daily with their burn cream and gimme pain pills. ahhh pain pills. The real reasson I'm going,
Geez, Huck, I'm sorry to hear that. Burns are terrible. I'm sure you know, infection is a big concern. Do what they tell you to do (sounds like you already know), and, yes, when they ask you to rate the pain on a scale of 1 to 10, or 0 to 9, or whatever, always say the highest number. That way, you get morphine.
Huck, I hope your arm is getting a little better, it sounds excruciating :( Definitely pain pills, and the good stuff!!!
Maybe you need to bring your sap over to us once a week and we'll add it to ours, give you a portion at the end.... that way, if you're going to be mr klutzy, we'll keep all the skin intact on yer body as god intended;-) Get better, keep your wound clean, take a vitamin and drink lots of water to promote wound healing (yes, the naggy nurse..).
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