Yay! Fresh maple syrup.

[Rattlecan ★]

After my uncle's funeral yesterday, I made a trip out to the Mennonite farm where I have been buying my syrup for the last several years and picked up a gallon.

 Made another stop at my favorite butcher shop for a stick of summer sausage.

 If you're thinking that's a strange combo, just remember maple syrup goes with everything.

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

I still have two quarts from last year, so I didn't make any this year.

[Digital_photog ★]

4 gallons of new syrup.  The last 8 years we have a deal with some Amish neighbors. They use our cooker and we get syrup.  Last year they added reverse osmosis so now they only have to do about 20% of the cooking they did before.  The last 2 years they have made over 200 gallons.  I still have our original smaller evaporator but haven't used it for a few years.  When we made 200 gallons we had to cook 24 hours a day with both evaporators.  RO has really cut the work down.

[Longjohn ★]

I still have some from last year.  I see smoke coming from all the sugar shacks of my neighbors so it should be plentiful again this year.

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

2 hours ago, Digital_photog said:

Last year they added reverse osmosis so now they only have to do about 20% of the cooking they did before. 

I found some plans online to DIY one. Might do that next year, especially if I tap the trees across the street, too. 

Ordinarily, I boil in a stainless steel buffet pan, on my outdoor cooker until it starts getting close, then finish indoors.

[Digital_photog ★]

4 minutes ago, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said:

I found some plans online to DIY one. Might do that next year, especially if I tap the trees across the street, too. 

Ordinarily, I boil in a stainless steel buffet pan, on my outdoor cooker until it starts getting close, then finish indoors.

He built his own.  It isn't that hard.  Then he finishes it in my 2x8 ft King evaporator.  The small one is a 2x4 ft.

[Randomguy]

4 hours ago, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said:

I still have two quarts from last year, so I didn't make any this year.

I know some guy that could use some.  

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

4 minutes ago, Randomguy said:

I know some guy that could use some.  

Well tell him it's too late for him to come help me tap and boil.

Maybe next year.

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

14 minutes ago, Digital_photog said:

He built his own.  It isn't that hard.  Then he finishes it in my 2x8 ft King evaporator.  The small one is a 2x4 ft.

I'm building one of these:

 

and when my BILsaw the frame and 3 93,000 BTU burners the first thing he said was "build an evaporator tray and use it for syrup, too"

[Square Wheels]

I go through about 1 or 2 quarts a year.  I like to harvest mine at the grocery store.

[Randomguy]

17 minutes ago, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said:

Well tell him it's too late for him to come help me tap and boil.

Maybe next year.

That might be fun!  Can we drink beer?

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

9 minutes ago, Randomguy said:

That might be fun!  Can we drink beer?

Actually, boiling sap involves drinking beer, by its inherent nature. I mean all you're doing is watching something boil...

 

[Digital_photog ★]

31 minutes ago, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said:

Actually, boiling sap involves drinking beer, by its inherent nature. I mean all you're doing is watching something boil...

 

Ours is like this.

 

[Randomguy]

35 minutes ago, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said:

Actually, boiling sap involves drinking beer, by its inherent nature. I mean all you're doing is watching something boil...

Can I bring strippers?

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

15 minutes ago, Digital_photog said:

Ours is like this.

.....a bit overkill for one tree....

 

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

14 minutes ago, Randomguy said:

Can I bring strippers?

I'd be pissed if you didn't .

[Digital_photog ★]

Just now, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said:

.....a bit overkill for one tree....

 

We ran about 300-400 taps and were cooking 24 hours a day at peak run.  With the RO the Amish family are running 600 taps and cooking less than 8 hours a day.