Actually making maple syrup

Post by **GORDON** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:19 am

5 gallons of sap in the cooler, 3 more to bring in this evening, and 4-6 more gallons to collect over the next few days, depending on how many more milk jugs I have.

Topped off my 2 propane tanks this morning.

Going to borrow unk's outdoor propane cooker burner thing.

Looking good for this weekend.

Post by **GORDON** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 12:08 am

Going to be fucking cold tomorrow morning but I am going to start boiling sap at about 8am.

Post by **GORDON** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 8:28 am

Set up all the equipment on the porch. Started the boil. Then the snow started. Sure wish that had been in the forecast.

Post by **GORDON** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:25 am

Eat a dick, weather.

Post by **GORDON** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 8:27 pm

Over 12 hours later, and I am still boiling. Have at least another hour to go. Ugh.

It smells good and everything, but I don't think I have the kitchen equipment to do this properly.

Post by **GORDON** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 11:28 pm

Over 15 hours to boil 12 gallons of sap.

Tastes gooder than hell, but waaaaay too much work.

Post by **GORDON** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 3:02 pm

This morning after it cooled over night in the fridge, i took a taste..... SLIGHTLY less thick than the stuff you buy, but I am OK with that because I was worried I had overcooked it. Not much good instruction on the internet with this and I had to guess. It isn't runny by any means, it oozes off a spoon and leaves a string and whatnot, just slightly less thick. Sweet as hell. I will need to buy a bottle of the $8 real maple syrup just to compare, because this stuff is night-and-day from the fake "telephone pole syrup" you get from Log Cabin and Aunt Jemimah.

Sort of worth the work, but sorta not. Not sure if I will be doing this again.

Post by **TheCatt** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 5:19 pm

Log Cabin = yum

Post by **GORDON** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 6:13 pm

After tasting what I made yesterday, I now know that log cabin is shit.

Post by **TheCatt** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 7:20 pm

Eh, it's what I grew up with, and forever associate with growing up, etc. You can't get that from maple syrup.

Post by **GORDON** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:43 pm

That's like saying you enjoy beatings because you got lots of beatings growing up and now you're nostalgic for getting beaten.

But that's, like, just my opinion, man.

Buy the expensive stuff sometime... you can tell the difference.

Edited By GORDON on 1395535422

Post by **TheCatt** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:21 pm

My wife loves the expensive stuff, so yes, I've tried it in recent memory. It doesn't do it for me.

Post by **GORDON** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 11:01 pm

Ingredients comparison:

LOG CABIN, ORIGINAL SYRUP
INGREDIENTS: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Sugar Syrup, Water, Pure Maple Syrup, Salt, Artificial Flavors, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Sodium Benzoate, and Sorbic Acid, (Preservatives) Caramel Color.

Real maple syrup:
INGREDIENTS: Maple syrup

Canadians call the fake stuff "telephone pole syrup."

Just saying.

Post by **TheCatt** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 8:58 am

I'm not saying it's wonderful stuff. I know it's just sugar water. But I like it.

Post by **TPRJones** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 11:30 pm

Yay, syrup!

Post by **GORDON** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 11:37 pm

My 1.5 quarts will bring the canadian syrup cartel to its knees.

Post by **TPRJones** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 12:36 am

It's about quality, not quantity.

Post by **GORDON** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 2:00 pm

Had a big plate of waffles for lunch with my syrup that came out of the trees in my back yard (no big deal).

Not dead yet.

Post by **TheCatt** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 4:14 pm

Bacterial infections usually take time.

Post by **GORDON** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 4:25 pm

Nah, I'd be puking by now.

I know.