Boiling day - first attempt. Thought it made sense to do a small batch (alpha test) and see if it comes out OK.
11am - It didn't take long to get the 3.5 gallons boiling on the gas grill with the grate removed. The grill is in rough shape, but it works. The smoke from the years of grilling is strong and I hope it doesn't affect the syrup flavor.
12pm - Sap is turning darker already and smells sweet. The wind picked up and when it gusts, the sap stops boiling. The heat plate is disintegrating.
1pm - Brought sap inside 10" pot. After about an hour in the large pot, I transfered to a small pot (2 qt. or so). Syrup is now about 2" deep and temperature is rising.
2:30pm - Really tastes like syrup, but it's very thin. It foams up quickly and I have to lower the heat.
3pm - DONE! Just as every how-to warns, the temperature rises fast. Filtering was slow because we did it a little at a time and it cooled/thickened. The end result was two 1/4 pint jars full of syrup. Light amber, but good tasting. A nice ending to the small batch. About 5 hours of work, 4 hours of boiling - something I hope to reduce if I can keep the boil going longer outside.
2:30pm - Really tastes like syrup, but it's very thin. It foams up quickly and I have to lower the heat.
3pm - DONE! Just as every how-to warns, the temperature rises fast. Filtering was slow because we did it a little at a time and it cooled/thickened. The end result was two 1/4 pint jars full of syrup. Light amber, but good tasting. A nice ending to the small batch. About 5 hours of work, 4 hours of boiling - something I hope to reduce if I can keep the boil going longer outside.
3 comments:
Such a tiny amount! I hope to be trying some soon!
Nice to see that you set up a blog with some comments. I passed the link to a few people who are interested in making their own. Are they too late for this season if they are down in RI?
Hi Aaron,
I like the blog site. It was very easy to set it up.
Daytime temps up to 45 and nighttime temps below freezing are ideal. When the temperature starts staying above 45 deg., the sugar turns to starch.
I looked at the weather and it's borderline. Suggest looking for a sugarhouse online (that's based in RI).
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