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Pa and I boiled sap to syrup again this weekend. We started late so ... we ended late. Still fun but next time (next year) an early start is in order. This time around we gathered more sap , by adding 2 buckets , so the process we longer and in the end we had a higher yield. The sap was from the same tree but the weather was much different between the two weeks of collection. What a difference in the end result.

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2011

Happy St Paddy's Day from 10 Prospect Street

Backyard sugaring 3/12/11

Usually a lot of snow late in the season is not a good thing. But this year all the lingering snow got my attention. I noticed the maple in my back yard dripping a lot of sap. So I decided to see if I could make syrup out of it. I was hesitant at first but after a week of collecting the sap and a nice sunny 5 hours on Saturday the end result was truly worth it.

Once I tapped the old maple sap came gushing out. I used what ever I had around the house to contain it. I read some articles and the book Pa bought me and prepared myself for an experiment on the weekend.

When the sap came out it resemble water. Colorless , odorless, tasteless - really just like water. As you boil , the color , taste , smell and viscosity all changes.

I was lucky to have Pa there all day to help out. It was a first for the both of us - and we each had equal parts of turning the sap into syrup.

3/12/11

There are really only a few steps to this process. Tapping the tree , collection/storage the sap, straining the sap prior and during the boil and bottling.

3/12/11

Once the sap is boiling there really isn't too much to do - a lot of waiting. Luckily ,Pa and I had good weather.

3/12/11

We are nearing the finish line. 4 plus hours stirring to sap to make sure it doesn't boil over. We had to keep it at 220 degrees. at this point you can smell maple syrup in the air.

Once finished , we bottled it up, into two 8 ounce salad dressing containers. 8 gallons boiled off to 16 oz! Tasting the warm syrup was an awesome feeling. Not bad for two first timers. Maybe this is the start of a new hobby.

Anna and Owen

Anna loves being a big sister. Here a few photos taken recently of Anna and Owen. She can't wait for the day Owen walks and can play with her. Owen 7 month and almost 3 1/2 years old!!