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["bluestem_farm@juno.com" <bluestem_farm@juno.com>]

Michele,

I can only answer half of your question.  When I make syrup I cook it inside despite all of the evaporation.  I figure that the wood in the house dries too much over time, anyway... but our house may not be as tight as it should be.   My guess as to why they say that you shouldn't let it cool is that if you do and if it stays room temp. for too long things can start to grow in it, and your syrup can get wierd.  But if it cools down fairly quickly and if you boil it hard when you start it up again you should kill anything that got started.  I only boil mine down about half as far as it should go most of the time; it spoils faster after you open the jars, but I don't like things super sweet so it works for me. 

Muffy Barrett
SC Wisconsin

-- Michele Stanton  wrote:

Hi All,

I have mature red maple trees, at least one sugar maple, and would like to try sugaring. I also have boxelder trees.  I have also heard the advice about not cooking down the sap indoors unless I want to wash all the walls and ceilings, etc. I was also told that syrup should be cooked continually and not allowed to cool until it is ready to seal. 

 

So my question is: how can you safely cook down the syrup with standard home kitchen equipment outdoors?  Is it really necessary to keep it cooking through the night, in otherwards, continuously until it is sufficiently boiled down, as opposed to cooking it during the day, letting it cool in a covered container at night, and then resuming the cooking the next day, etc.?  My largest pots are a regular black enameled water-bath canner, and a pressure canner, and if the ratio of sap to finished syrup is 30:1, that's a lot of evaporation. Those of you who have tried it at home-- how did you do it?  Do you mind sharing your tricks of the trade?

 

Thanks

Michele Stanton

 

 

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