Sugaring

Sugaring is over, finally.

Here's the syrup in the pantry, less one pint for me for ice cream, 1/2 pint I gave to Clayton and two pints for hooch. The most sap we ever got before was just over 50 gallons. I started boiling on the 5th and boiled the last batch on the 29th. 168 gallons of sap! It made 4 gallons and 1 pint of syrup, so that's about 42 gallons for 1 gallon of syrup. If you notice, the last jars on the left are dark. These two batches came after the trees started to bud. They taste a bit different and aren't as sweet, but they're still good. I read where some syrup made after budding can be very bitter tasting, so I guess we lucked out. This was a lot of work! So if you want some syrup, come see me. Bring two forms of I.D. and pass a background check and sign a form stating that you will only eat it on ice cream and we'll see if you can have some. Be good, be careful be sure you don't over cook your sap. Ta.

Happy birthday Peter!

It's Peterbilt's 4th birthday.

 Here's a recent pic.

Here's my favorite pic. He sure has grown. Right Mom? Happy Birthday little man! Sorry the pics are so small,but if I try to make them bigger they get fuzzy. Have a good day Peter.

Love, Gramma and Grampa

More?

Again?

When will it end? Apparently never.

 

 

 

In other news..... Isn't my dog cute? Ta.

Apruary

 AAARRRGGGHHH! When will it end?

2nd calf

Mama Rita had her calf this morning.

 This is her 4th baby. Cute as usual and another bull calf.

 This guy is black, unlike his slightly older brother.

As you can see his brother is still brown. I don't get it, but oh well. In other news, I'm still cooking sap and bottling syrup. More on that later. Vaere bra, vaere forsiktig og pas pa at for a vaere hyggelige alle.

April Snowstorm

When April snowstorms,

Come your way,

They bring the back aches,

That last 'til May

We're having fun now. They're talking maybe 8 inches. Yikes! Supposed to get to 50 in Harrison Arkansas today and in the 70's by Sunday. Jus' sayin'. Ta.

Sugarin'

I put out 25 taps this year. The snow was still deep (turned out to be 2 feet) and it was tough on the old guy to slog out there. So I strapped on my Dad's snowshoes. 

 That was a little better, but the snow was melting and about every 4th step I had to stop and shake off the snow from the top of the shoes. Soo....

 Got out the Bobcat. Much better.

 Anyway here's my cooking operation. Don't let anyone see these pics, I don't want those people in Vermont to steal my process.

 Finishing up on the stove. Boiled down 12 gallons. Made a quart of syrup.

That means 3 half pints of syrup and one pint of hooch.

Got 12 more gallons in the fridge I'll boil down tomorrow. Supposed to get cold again so I'm hoping to get more sap the next few days and then it will most likely be done. Be good, be safe and be ever vigilant. Seeeee Ya.