tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-241265868354812543.post8488715876839299995..comments2023-09-23T03:45:00.200-04:00Comments on Chicken Scratch: I Do Not Like This, Sam I AmJocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14823007336688773304noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-241265868354812543.post-3769634318429216542012-03-14T10:18:25.680-04:002012-03-14T10:18:25.680-04:00Two words for you...rocket stove! Google it. Le...Two words for you...rocket stove! Google it. Let me know what you think. Love your posts. Thanks.Barbarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10605947945913276509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-241265868354812543.post-26274577079142052372012-02-09T13:11:52.697-05:002012-02-09T13:11:52.697-05:00Oh why oh why dont I have some maple trees handy? ...Oh why oh why dont I have some maple trees handy? We make our own jams & jellies but syrup too! I hadnt even thought of that!Although, with all the hoops you jumped through would have killed me! <br /><br />This was a delightful story and I look forward to reading more on this adventure you are on.Julie https://www.blogger.com/profile/02735645334288735352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-241265868354812543.post-86770020283461148802012-02-08T17:08:38.664-05:002012-02-08T17:08:38.664-05:00Yes, I usually chalk a lot of things up to learnin...Yes, I usually chalk a lot of things up to learning experiences! lol! But there is lots of good info here! Thanks!<br /><br />http://theredeemedgardener.blogspot.com/2012/02/why-grow-your-own-veggies.htmlClint Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12125748678345517185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-241265868354812543.post-34121245025632325832012-02-08T06:03:15.147-05:002012-02-08T06:03:15.147-05:00Very interesting post! We adore Little House in th...Very interesting post! We adore <i>Little House in the Big Woods</i> as well as maple syrup. If we had some trees, we'd be trying this too! Good for you for giving it a go. <br /><br />Good info in the comments too. I'd encourage you to try this again next year too. Chalk this year up to learning. It's got to get easier! And maple syrup is oh so worth it(?)Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-241265868354812543.post-39228824663869396232012-02-07T14:03:51.184-05:002012-02-07T14:03:51.184-05:00Our first year we boiled sap on an open fire. It ...Our first year we boiled sap on an open fire. It took many days and we lost a big roasting pan full just as it finally got to the syrup stage because we weren't watching closely enough and it scorched. Aargh! We have silver maples, no sugar maples, and the ratio is 60 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup, so that's a lot of work to lose. Also, it was really smoky - more smoky than we really like.<br /><br />Friends told us they use a turkey fryer, but the downside is that there is not as much surface area. The second year I found a "fish boil" system, similar to the turkey fryer, but with a big deep rectangular pan with a cover. I put it right on the patio and can keep an eye on it through the kitchen window and easily run out to add sap. I set the cover atop the pan cross-wise to help hold in the heat; I don't think it really slows down the evaporation.It takes us about one tank of LP gas to boil down one gallon of syrup last year, so it isn't really frugal, but that's not exactly the point. The silver maple syrup is light and vanilla-y --incomparably wonderful. If you are using sugar maple sap, it should take about half as much LP and perhaps half as much time. <br /><br />Last year, I found an induction cookplate on clearance at a discount place that I also tried for boiling the syrup. It is electric but boils water very fast without using much electricity. It worked well,but the pan for it didn't have much capacity, so I used it to supplement the fish-boil system. (You can see some photos on my blog - click on the "maple syrup" label.)<br /><br />One warning--someone told me they boiled their sap down on their kitchen stove and all the wallpaper curled up and fell off the walls!Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13867572450926221667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-241265868354812543.post-76581142877093262602012-02-06T21:18:59.992-05:002012-02-06T21:18:59.992-05:00Nobody better waste a drop of that hard earned syr...Nobody better waste a drop of that hard earned syrup! Maybe you should go find out how your neighbor does it?Michaelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05806716677546687464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-241265868354812543.post-10076016412277533832012-02-05T23:53:20.767-05:002012-02-05T23:53:20.767-05:00I have heard that boiling it inside leaves sticky-...I have heard that boiling it inside leaves sticky-grimy-soot everywhere... did that happen to you?Prairie Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03036436697268048651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-241265868354812543.post-13141419892057296212012-02-05T21:44:31.943-05:002012-02-05T21:44:31.943-05:00Don't give up! Sugaring can be a long process,...Don't give up! Sugaring can be a long process, but so worth it! Last year we got 7 1/2 gallons, from only 25 taps, and some of the tees are soft maples, which don't have the sugar content of hard maple, so it takes even more sap. But I don't shy away from using syrup in my baking, etc. like when we bought it. And there is no comparison in flavor. I love our smoky flavored syrup! Hang in there!<br />Blessings, KellyKellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15833956523945847589noreply@blogger.com