Day 167 of 365

Keeping it sweet

If you've ever been to Amish country you'll know that the home made goods are pretty amazing and maybe some of the recipes have been passed down for generations. When we visited our favorite ranch in the state of Wisconsin we've sampled so many amazing Amish made goodies. A few years ago we bought a gallon of maple syrup and I was hesitant to spend the $40 bucks.

Having the experiences of the last few days collecting, boiling and preserving this delicious treat I have determined that gallon price to be a bargain.

On the 167th day I thickened my liquid gold and packaged it for future use.

The final cook-down process happened in my crockpot. I left it on low heat for the day and when I came home it had thickened into something wonderful.

Those hours of research suggested I filter the thin sap one time and the thicker sap once more. I followed that plan, so happy that all the filtration happened when it was free flowing. Once it hit syrup consistency there was no way it was going through that filter again.

If you've ever grown a garden that required canning, processing syrup is stickier and a little bit more treacherous. If you're wondering why, its because I felt like Pooh Bear after discovering a honey filled hive. All I wanted to do was lick my paws.

After all is said and done I cooked about 30 gallons of sap down to 8 pints of syrup. I'm satisfied and might just do this again. I was a tiny bit stressed about getting this done for my adventures. Once the pressure is off I might enjoy it more.

Pancakes anyone?

Love & Light