I'm glad you said something. I've been so busy lately I'm beginning to think the world is conspiring against me. Either that or someone has a switch in their pocket like a garage door opener and the thing's stuck on eat DanDays time. I thought I was at the weekend a minute ago. Oopsie.
So I stuck my head out and are you sure you meant me, DanDays? D.a.n.d.a.y.s like that?
You tapped the sap from the Maple. It comes out like water. We carried it in buckets. Some farms have pipe systems, gravity fed to the boiler house. I used to skip school and bring in sap in the fall.
You are correct that it is very much like making moonshine. But basically you are just boiling off the moisture to concentrate the sap. I have drank the sap it is water like and sweet. It is really good on ice or warm.
I miss stuff like that, great memories of keeping the wood fires and sap boiling for weeks. Thousands of gallons it seemed to make 50 or so of the syrup. Do not remember the exact ratio. Been 38+ years ago.
Holy Shit Man. You set me off on a.mission, and I found a photo of what we called the "Sugar Shack" when I was a kid.
Top right. The boiler shed, sap house, sugar shack... Thanks for that walk down memory lane. I needed that on my 20074 day on the planet. Just 3 hours and 45 minutes from the start of my 55th year. Some of the best memories were on that simple PA. farm...
Some great memories I'm sure.
When we gather the sap, we keep a few gallons just for drinking. My wife's cousin lives up the road apiece on a 100-acre farm. They keep the place in tip-top shape. On their property, they also have a Sugar Shack that dates back to late 1800. It amazes me how these structures were constructed back in the day, big timber with all of the joinery done by hand, no power tools.
The ratio of sap to syrup is 50/1, and as you know it takes lots of boiling.
We do it as a hobby and usually produce 2 or 3 gallons a year, depending on the run.
We enjoy giving some away, and a big fan of the syrup is @dandays. We have sent him a few bottles for the past couple of years.
Thanks for sharing this with me on your birthday. Do you get discounts at ihop now? You should. What I know about cooking syrup I learned from Sweeds blog. I've cooked many'0 gallon of shine though, that's why I'm made the comparison.
Built a handful of steam plants too so I understand the science. 1,000's of gallons for 50 sounds about right.
Oh wow! Look at those old Polaroids! I love this. I have always wanted to sip the sap right off the "tap" as it were. I've heard it has an amazing brilliance to it. I love natural, unadulterated syrup. But it's gotta be different straight from the tree, I figure...
I wonder -- do they have maple trees in Australia? I bet not. Maybe you should propose to bring some as part of your offering to be a contender for the coveted visit.
Scary thought in time for Halloween. My eating practices will spook the other guests and they'll point fingers at me and exile me to the kid table.
We are all going to watch and point. Guaranteed. Word to the wise. You may want the kids' table with this crowd.
I'm glad you said something. I've been so busy lately I'm beginning to think the world is conspiring against me. Either that or someone has a switch in their pocket like a garage door opener and the thing's stuck on eat DanDays time. I thought I was at the weekend a minute ago. Oopsie.
So I stuck my head out and are you sure you meant me, DanDays? D.a.n.d.a.y.s like that?
Rumour had it, you got maple syrup, and are cooking a brekki..?
Is brekki a game animal of sea food... LoL
Oh well damn! Yeah I got maple syrup out of a maple tree.
No...
You tapped the sap from the Maple. It comes out like water. We carried it in buckets. Some farms have pipe systems, gravity fed to the boiler house. I used to skip school and bring in sap in the fall.
You are correct that it is very much like making moonshine. But basically you are just boiling off the moisture to concentrate the sap. I have drank the sap it is water like and sweet. It is really good on ice or warm.
I am a Pennsylvania Farm Boy @dandays
I miss stuff like that, great memories of keeping the wood fires and sap boiling for weeks. Thousands of gallons it seemed to make 50 or so of the syrup. Do not remember the exact ratio. Been 38+ years ago.
Holy Shit Man. You set me off on a.mission, and I found a photo of what we called the "Sugar Shack" when I was a kid.
Top right. The boiler shed, sap house, sugar shack... Thanks for that walk down memory lane. I needed that on my 20074 day on the planet. Just 3 hours and 45 minutes from the start of my 55th year. Some of the best memories were on that simple PA. farm...
Ariel View.
Some great memories I'm sure.
When we gather the sap, we keep a few gallons just for drinking. My wife's cousin lives up the road apiece on a 100-acre farm. They keep the place in tip-top shape. On their property, they also have a Sugar Shack that dates back to late 1800. It amazes me how these structures were constructed back in the day, big timber with all of the joinery done by hand, no power tools.
The ratio of sap to syrup is 50/1, and as you know it takes lots of boiling.
We do it as a hobby and usually produce 2 or 3 gallons a year, depending on the run.
We enjoy giving some away, and a big fan of the syrup is @dandays. We have sent him a few bottles for the past couple of years.
I think he likes it!
Thanks for sharing this with me on your birthday. Do you get discounts at ihop now? You should. What I know about cooking syrup I learned from Sweeds blog. I've cooked many'0 gallon of shine though, that's why I'm made the comparison.
Built a handful of steam plants too so I understand the science. 1,000's of gallons for 50 sounds about right.
@thebigsweed check it out.
Oh wow! Look at those old Polaroids! I love this. I have always wanted to sip the sap right off the "tap" as it were. I've heard it has an amazing brilliance to it. I love natural, unadulterated syrup. But it's gotta be different straight from the tree, I figure...
I wonder -- do they have maple trees in Australia? I bet not. Maybe you should propose to bring some as part of your offering to be a contender for the coveted visit.
I hear they soak pancakes in Fosters down unda!
Yes! I have definitely missed you!
Lol. Good point.
Some of my best childhood memories were at the kids table.
Doooood. Katie's pool. They had one of those covers you could walk on, slide, diving board. The kids table at Katie's pool! I wonder how she is. 🤔
All this from a cat blog huh? Interesting.
Brian's dad worked for Coors. That was convenient. I don't remember either of them cats.
Diving boards, me and pools don't get on well.
Mine too
You and me at the kids table Denise. Shenanigans ensue. I pity the others on the table.
Oh, yes! I pity the fools!
The rest is pretty much history.
I'm game!