Maple Syrup

Two days ago we boiled a gallon of maple syrup. It took around 8 hours. That is one pint an hour!!

With a total surface area of 900 square inches, we let the boil roil! That was a key to getting the mix of hardwood and Pine coals to keep a nice steady heat. The first pan catches the cold sap and quickly brings it to temperature. The second two pans boil the sap, and we add to them from the first. We finish the syrup on a small soup pot over the propane flame.

Here’s my new haircut, but it does not make sap boil.

Today we have around 30 gallons of sap to boil. Eight hours at 1 pint and hour = 50 gallons of sap. So 30 gallons of sap is a little more than four hours of boiling or one-half gallon. Wish us luck.