Saturday, February 27, 2010

Sugar Sugar

It is nice to have rather inexpensive resources like these bottles with lids to make my maple syrup look pretty cute.


Now, THAT is what I'm talking about!




The maple sap run has bogged down here in Michigan due to cold weather. I had a few gallons of sap collected and boiled it down Friday night. I was able to fill a few bottles with some very nice, light-colored syrup. The temperature is in the upper thirties (F) today, and the sap has started running again. I am hoping for a few weeks of weather like this so I can collect 30-40 gallons of sap. I am going to construct a temporary outdoor stove so I can boil five to ten gallons at a time in large, flat pans. I have a nice pile of firewood to use a heat source.
My next post will have photos of my outdoor Sugar Shack.




21 comments:

Debbie said...

When I lived in Maine I would always see the lines going from tree to tree collecting the sap. Would love to see it actually being made into syrup. Yummy! Can't wait to see your next post.

Debbie

granny said...

I love the fancy bottle !! We dont have the Maple thingy going on here in Australia..but I love to see the process on the many blogs I read lately :0)
Maple syrup is very dear over here,and I dont think I have actually tasted the fairdinkum stuff...but there is nothing better on pancakes,in my humble oppinion,lol.

Ginnie Hart said...

I can just imagine being like a liitle kid with you, Don, running around from one thing to another and having so many delicious results! I love it for you and Ruth!

Susan said...

Wow, two song references in one post! I love it!

You are getting serious...thinking about building a sugar house. Super!

We took a drive yesterday to our local maple syrup farms and they haven't even tapped the trees yet. I was very disappointed. I guess I'll have to buy another bottle from Trader Joe's until they get theirs going.

Don said...

debbie: If I had hundreds of trees, I would definitely have the tube system connected to a large storage tank. I can't imagine the time it took to gather all the sap from buckets! However, with just a few spiles out, it feels rather nostalgic to dump buckets into pails into evaporator pans into cute little bottles.

Don said...

granny: I agree about maple syrup and pancakes, a match made in New England, (or heaven). What kinds of interesting things do you eat down under?

Don said...

ginnie: come over any time and I'll give you photo ops!

Don said...

susan: the serious (real) maple farms around here don't tap until March 1. I was impatient.

I'm not sure I even like those two songs very much, but I certainly heard them a gazillion times back in the day!

Lanny said...

Okay, now I'm hungry! But the pancake chef has drifted back to sleep after early morning lamb check! Rats, I may have to get up and make waffles.

Don said...

Lanny: Aren't waffles harder to make? Either way, you have a good breakfast ahead of you.

laura said...

Don! You do NOT make maple syrup! You're making me awfully jealous of Ruth!
I was raised on the fake stuff, but I was in New Hampshire about 15 years ago and got a tour from a syrup maker: I had had no idea the process was so time-consuming and labor-intensive. Since that day, I use nothing but the real thing.

sandy said...

What a great bottle, good luck sapping!

Vickie said...

How interesting - I'll be looking for your syrup making coming up! I'd love to see that process!

Spencer said...

WOW!!! The syrup looks amazing. Like I have said before, "You are so LUCKY to have maple trees." And the bottles make it look that much better.Good luck with your SUgar ShacK.

Don said...

laura: I too was raised on the fake stuff. It is not quite as difficult to make as your beautiful paintings are!!!

Don said...

sandy: the sap is really flowing now as our daytime temps are in the 40's and 50's! I'm scrambling to clean buckets for storage until Saturday!

Don said...

vickie: I'm glad you aren't bored out of your mind reading my blog!

Don said...

spencer: I agree, those cute bottles make the finished product look like a lot of fun!

Don said...

請客: you're welcome!

Unknown said...

what a great resource for the cutest bottles EVER! i'm really glad you found it. did you know you are the cutest papa ever?

Charley said...

I love your blog and have it posted on mine with those that "inspire me to get out the camera!"

Have a great day!!!