Sugar time!

Ok, I know it’s been about 80 degrees and amazingly beautiful recently and we are all in spring and summer mode, but, I finally solved some technical issues and can use my blog again.  So, I have to share our early springtime adventure.  As I eluded to previously, and as most of you know, we (well mostly Brad) rigged up a boiler this year and made some of our own syrup!  What a fun!  The season started surprisingly early and our boiler wasn’t quite set, so the first weekend we boiled on the grill and didn’t even have a candy thermometer.  But, boy was it yummy nonetheless.  That week we bought a 50 gallon drum, used a kit to convert it to a stove from the local hardware store, and added a pan welded by a friend to come up with:

(Brad is not going to be happy about that pic . . .)  We boiled four batches and ended up with over 3 gallons (in case you don’t know it’s about 30 gallons sap to 1 gallon syrup and it takes a LONG time).  Here are some pictures from our adventures:

Collecting sap

 

 

 

 

Boiling well into the night (and then I would finish it on the stove)

Cousins Bree and Jacob visited (along with Amy and Bernie):

  

Sugar on snow!  Actually, we have been enjoying syrup on lots of things.  Joseph loves adding it to yogurt, oatmeal, and even to dip apple slices in.  Of course it is amazing on vanilla ice cream and pancakes, French toast, waffles, and my special waffle breakfast sandwiches.  I am also now experimenting using it in savory recipes, like on chicken and pork chops and plan to try it as a sweetener in baking. 

Loot

We also visited Grandpa’s horses at the Russell farm where they live and work:

  
The sugar house there

    Headed out to gather sap

 

Back at our house: