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threlayer
04-01-2009, 09:18 AM
There are three sugar maple trees in the house I moves from years ago (8,10,12 inch diams, probably larger now). I never tapped them, but I wonder how much syrup I could have gotten from those.

Maple syrup is a little intense for me straight; so I'm always using mixtures, but I really like the flavor.

hockeybobby
04-10-2009, 06:37 PM
Hey HB, how's it running? I read an article recently that maple syrup prices here in the States were at a record high. Is this the case also up north?

It's running great. We have more sap than we need right now, but at this stage of the season, it's not as sweet, and makes a much more caramelly tasting syrup. It's Canada Number 2 Amber which is best for cooking. The price of bulk syrup in barrells up here recently doubled from $2 to $4 per pound. That is the syrup that big packagers like the grocers etc use to process into their own bottles and put on their shelves. It's still reasonably priced at the farm gate though...maybe a buck or two more per Liter.


There are three sugar maple trees in the house I moves from years ago (8,10,12 inch diams, probably larger now). I never tapped them, but I wonder how much syrup I could have gotten from those.

Maple syrup is a little intense for me straight; so I'm always using mixtures, but I really like the flavor.

At those diameters you could have put a single tap in each and probably got 3 Liters of syrup for the season. Each tap = 1 Liter is how we equate it. You'll get about 30 to 35 liters of sap per tap, which boils down to 1 liter of syrup.

I talked to a young couple today whose farm laneway is lined with sugar maple trees all the way up to the house. About 50 trees. We tap their neighbours laneway trees on the next farm over, so I wanted to line this farm up too for next year. Gathering sap in a laneway is the funnest. Driving down the center of the driveway with these big old trees on either side is awesome. I gave the couple a bottle of still warm fresh made syrup, and shook hands on our arrangement for next March. We'll give them 4 or 5 bottles of syrup in return for letting us harvest their tree sap.

Down to the last weekend. I looked ahead, Monday and Tuesday at the forecast for this weekend, and it was shaping up to be perfect for our maple syrup making purposes. I had a five day weekend starting Thursday, and every day was supposed to be sunny and 5 to 10 degrees Celcius during the day, and minus 3 to 5 degrees at night. Perfect for making the sap run, and perfect for getting outside and working.

We've had a great season...having done two batches today, we are now over 400 liters of syrup. That's a good year. And at this point in the season we are starting to get the feeling that we've had enough. So we decided to start pulling the taps, and have all the equipment gathered up by the end of the day Sunday.

Today, out gathering sap on the side of the road, in the sunshine, and peacefulness, I had the perfect moment. My buddy was taking his turn gathering the sap with his pails, and I was bringing the truck along beside him as he walked. Then The Who's "We Won't Get Fooled Again" (http://video.google.ca/videosearch?q=won%27t+get+fooled+again+the+who&hl=en&emb=0&aq=1&oq=Won%27t+get#) came on the radio. I cranked it all the way of course, with the windows open so my buddy could hear it good too. We both had big grins on our faces. For a second, I was at their concert when I was seventeen again.

Perry
04-10-2009, 11:21 PM
I like to make maple glazed baby carrots. I just boil them with brown sugar and maple syrup until they're tender. Then I add some butter, salt and pepper. Everyone loves them! It's been my signature dish for years :D

hockeybobby
04-13-2009, 02:20 PM
^^^mmmmm Nom

Ok...all done. The final tally on the season is 492 Liters of maple syrup. A new world record, and a famously great season. We cooked our final boil today (the second batch of the day), and did most of the cleanup and organizing. We'll all put in one more day next weekend of cleaning and putting away, and then we'll have a beer, and bullshit about next year.

I'm tuckered out. It was a busy long weekend, but I'm so pleased at how well it went, and how beautiful the weather was.

Till next year...

Say goodbye to the Maple Fairy:

http://th06.deviantart.com/fs23/300W/i/2007/347/5/6/Sexy_Pin_up___Maple_Fairy_by_chibi_ninja.png

mediocrity
04-14-2009, 02:50 AM
HB, you make me miss home.

hockeybobby
04-25-2009, 09:04 PM
^^where's home m?

Me and my sexy bottle of hockeybobby syrup enjoying a quiet moment on the deck:

21770

21771

21772

21773

;)

JayATee
04-25-2009, 09:25 PM
Now I'm craving pancakes...

mediocrity
04-25-2009, 09:26 PM
^^where's home m?

Me and my sexy bottle of hockeybobby syrup enjoying a quiet moment on the deck:

21770

21771

21772

21773

;)

Home is Ottawa, On. ;D

hockeybobby
03-07-2010, 06:14 PM
The 2010 maple syrup season is....Game On.

Got word that tapping started this weekend up at the farm. The weather has been awesome. I can't help with the more physical work this time around (recovering from an injury), so I'll be sticking to some cooking and bottling. Also, the firebox on our big wood stove is getting a spiffy new insert this coming week.

I'll update as things move along. Feel free to post any questions or comments.

hockeybobby
03-23-2010, 07:23 PM
A story in today's local papers about the health benefits of Maple Syrup:

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/dietfitness/diet/article/783558--here-s-why-maple-syrup-is-very-good-for-your-health?bn=1

Our first run of syrup is done and gone to all my hockey buddies. It was a little darker than we would have expected for first run. It was a record warm winter up here, so that may have an effect.

hockeybobby
04-04-2010, 08:48 PM
Final boil today. Our total for the 2010 spring season was 331 liters....down from last year. It was a really short season, but the quality was great.

Most of it was sold, but now the fun comes. Gifts for friends and family.

sxcbbw
04-04-2010, 09:30 PM
You make maple syrup?! This is the part where I'd swear incoherently but even that's not coming. WOW! Oh, man that's beautiful. It's kinda hard to get over here, and all we get is the pansy-ass Grade-A pale yellow stuff. :( Not even our health food stores sell Grade-B maple syrup. Gah! And I have so many recipes that call for this! GAH!

Excuse me, I'm going to go sulk a moment.

hockeybobby
04-05-2010, 09:22 AM
You make maple syrup?! This is the part where I'd swear incoherently but even that's not coming. WOW! Oh, man that's beautiful. It's kinda hard to get over here, and all we get is the pansy-ass Grade-A pale yellow stuff. :( Not even our health food stores sell Grade-B maple syrup. Gah! And I have so many recipes that call for this! GAH!

Excuse me, I'm going to go sulk a moment.

We normally get very light syrup...what we'd grade as Canada #1 light or extra light....for our first run/boil. This year was strange and there was no light stuff at the beginning. We started off with Canada #1 medium, and ended with Canada #2 amber. It's all beautiful, tasty syrup. The amber is what I use for everything...cooking and pancakes/french toast etc.

I don't think you'd have a problem using light syrup in your cooking. It doesn't have that rich mapley taste that the dark stuff has, but it still tastes mapley and is very sweet. The light is usually more expensive, but eh, if it's all you've got available, go with it.

MissShyGirl
04-05-2010, 09:51 AM
Haha I still remember hockeybobby carrying a box of maple syrup into the strip club :laughing:

hockeybobby
04-05-2010, 10:20 AM
Haha I still remember hockeybobby carrying a box of maple syrup into the strip club :laughing:

Strippers like maple syrup too. :P

hockeybobby
04-14-2011, 04:35 PM
The Universe was especially kind this year. I had the pleasure of cooking maple syrup with my two best hockey buddy/teammates, on the most beautiful sunny spring day I could have hoped for.

We made a case of perfect amber syrup, but it's the memory of the day that I'll treasure.

AngelCummings
04-14-2011, 04:45 PM
^^where's home m?

Me and my sexy bottle of hockeybobby syrup enjoying a quiet moment on the deck:

21770

21771

21772

21773

;)


crap, i wanted to see what you look like :'( lol

Anyway, Ben and Jerry's has this maple blondie brownie icecream that is to die for. It's a limited edition flavor, but they need to make that sh*t permanent!! lol. It's vanilla icecream laced with ribbons of maple cream and generous chunks of soft, chewy, maple blondie brownies. best. icecream. ever.

hockeybobby
04-14-2011, 06:19 PM
crap, i wanted to see what you look like :'( lol

Here you go Angel, for a limited time, just like the maple syrup season:

(deleted)

AngelCummings
04-15-2011, 12:52 AM
yayyyy thank you for giving me the privilege of viewing you in all your maple-syrup-loving, Canadian glory ;D

Jessie_tinydancer
04-15-2011, 07:33 AM
We have a pancakes franchise here and I nearly through a chair through the window when I saw they were serving... maple "flavoured" syrup. Sacrilege!

hockeybobby
04-15-2011, 01:58 PM
^^^Haha...exactly! We've been spoiled forever. Only the real stuff will do now...otherwise, why bother even having pancakes or french toast?

I gave my physiotherapist a little gift bottle (like the one in the pictures) of fresh syrup today. She said I was the best patient ever. Haha. The funnest part of making it is giving it to people.

Apparently, maple syrup is good for you:
Maple Syrup = Superfood (http://pepperpot.ca/health/canadian-maple-syrup-superfood-that-might-even-help-fight-diabetes/)

Optimist
04-16-2011, 05:20 PM
I have two words for you Bobby.........maple DOUGHNUTS! Amazing!

hockeybobby
04-18-2011, 02:33 PM
Here's another good one:

bacon topped maple cream stick (http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/best-donuts-in-columbus/page/4)

Haha

chanzep
04-18-2011, 02:57 PM
This thread is making me hungry, I had Maple syrup when I went to Toronto it was great!

AngelCummings
04-18-2011, 03:37 PM
Here's another good one:



Haha

There was a bacon crumble-topped maple donut featured on an episode of "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" on Food Network