Maple Syrup... Tried for the first time...

Black_Bear · December 16, 2005, 10:22:58 PM

isawlogs: yesireee, pork fat rules. (anyone watch Emeril?)

Yes, the maple toffee you refer to is what we call sugar-on-snow. My papere used to boil (slow controlled boil) up big batches of it for the family and friends. Everyone would get together and chew on sticky syrup wrapped around a fork. This was usually served with a sour pickle that would complement the extreme sweetness. And usually lots of beer also.

Brad: Did you mean Canucks? Like from Vancouver. Interesting story about Tim Horton.

Brad_S. · December 16, 2005, 10:42:06 PM

Yes, I did, and I knew the correct spelling too. :

I don't know how I screwd that up so bad. I fixed it now. Thanks!

asy · December 16, 2005, 11:03:37 PM

Quote from: isawlogs on December 16, 2005, 10:05:08 PM
Asy you need to come around here in the spring ... And we will go the the sugar shack and have a real dinner . supper ... breakfast ...ccall it what you want ... lunch ... everything is cooked in or simmered in or soaked in maple syrop ...

I find that the best to have with maple syrop is porc ... Piggy and syrop ... Hummm... gooood .

I wish....

I really really wish.....

asy :D :D :D

isawlogs · December 16, 2005, 11:28:50 PM

Asy

That chicken done yet ... I'm getting hungry . ;D ;)

Saki · December 16, 2005, 11:38:12 PM

Man Corley5 has got my recipe. That is my favorite way to put away a stack of flapjacks. Lots of times the waitress will look at me like I'm crazy when I ask for a little container of peanut butter to go with my breakfast. Oh well, I am normally being accused of much crazier things than that so I figure being labeled crazy for asking for peanut butter with my breakfast is like giving a parking ticket to John Dillinger :D. Have also persuaded lots of folks to give it a try and converted a bunch of them in the process.

OLD_ JD · December 16, 2005, 11:45:18 PM

Quote from: Brad_S. on December 16, 2005, 09:41:30 PM
I figured the Canucks knew he was a hockey player! I grew up near Buffalo and was a huge hockey fan back in the day. I remember well the day they announced his death. I can only imagine what he would think if he came back today and found his name on every other building around here!

I stole this from the net.

just for the record...Tim Horton was on defence line whit the jersey #2 for the sabre if i'm right ;)

Black_Bear , whit my reverse osmosis machine i go from 2-3% of sugar rate up to 8%....that save a lot of energie and time 8)

Don_Papenburg · December 16, 2005, 11:53:50 PM

My wifes cousin makes maple cream . He heats the syrup and whips it witha big mixer till it turns into a creamy product ,almost like a peanut butter consistancy. Good stuff. Maple syrup is good on oatmeal also. and over real homemade ice cream.

OLD_ JD · December 17, 2005, 12:40:17 AM

Don,did u own a Diamond T truck ???...any pic of it ???..men those wore the day's where they where making "real" truck ;)

Ernie_Edwards · December 17, 2005, 03:24:30 AM

Quote from: Flyboy on December 16, 2005, 05:54:52 PM
;D ;D Here's another "Old Sinsabuckwad Trick, Get a good rolling boil going on in your sap pan, dip in your Mr. Coffee decanter and run the sap through your coffee maker. You might not be buying that cafe latte ever again. 8) We always drink Maxwell house but I spose any coffee'd work.

Flyboy,

Gotta try that. How far along is the sap when you run it thru the coffee maker, tic or tin?

Cooking in the sap sounds good too, but it is too shallow for other than hard boiling eggs in my evaporator. The way they used to do it on the farm with a deep pan would sure lend itself to some experimentating.

Here I am just starting to enjoy winter and now all I can think of is when will it be over to fire up the sugar shack again.

Ernie Edwards

crtreedude · December 17, 2005, 06:56:05 AM

I think this thread is a revenge for me posting about the weather here (a touch chilly - might have to put on socks this morning). >:(

I love pancakes, maple syrup - and yes - peanut butter...

I wonder what teak taste like tapped? :

We have nearly 2,000 different trees - surely some of them can be tapped!

SwampDonkey · December 17, 2005, 08:11:25 AM

Quote from: Black_Bear on December 16, 2005, 08:52:47 PM
Fellas, don't forget about sugar-on-snow. I'm quite certain this is a French-Canadian tradition that has been handed down from generation to generation. Sugar-on-snow socials and community days are quite popular in the northern parts of New England during the spring.

I don't know about french or not, but my grandmother used to make toffee on snow. I believe mollasses and butter was used.

SwampDonkey · December 17, 2005, 08:12:49 AM

Quote from: crtreedude on December 17, 2005, 06:56:05 AM
I think this thread is a revenge for me posting about the weather here (a touch chilly - might have to put on socks this morning). >:(

I love pancakes, maple syrup - and yes - peanut butter...

I wonder what teak taste like tapped? :

We have nearly 2,000 different trees - surely some of them can be tapped!

Grow some rubber trees, then tap away. A new line of business for ya. ;D

SwampDonkey · December 17, 2005, 08:14:15 AM

Quote from: Don_Papenburg on December 16, 2005, 11:53:50 PM
My wifes cousin makes maple cream . He heats the syrup and whips it witha big mixer till it turns into a creamy product ,almost like a peanut butter consistancy. Good stuff. Maple syrup is good on oatmeal also. and over real homemade ice cream.

My cousin makes the cream spread also.

SwampDonkey · December 17, 2005, 08:16:50 AM

Quote from: Black_Bear on December 16, 2005, 08:52:47 PM
SwampDonkey: Is the centrifuge you speak of a reverse osmosis machine? The RO machine uses a permeable membrane to diffuse the water out of the sap. Apparently it reduces the amount of the energy needed to boil a gallon of sap by 75%. Many big time players in syrup production throughout the midwest and northeast U.S. use the RO machine.

Yes, that is what I ment.

crtreedude · December 17, 2005, 08:27:13 AM

I think any maple syrup on snow is definitely out - unless I scrap the insides of the freezer...

SD - don't you think tapping rubber trees would create a syrup with a bit of a strange flavor, and it would be a little to chewy I am thinking.

SwampDonkey · December 17, 2005, 08:28:51 AM

Quote from: crtreedude on December 17, 2005, 08:27:13 AM
I think any maple syrup on snow is definitely out - unless I scrap the insides of the freezer...

SD - don't you think tapping rubber trees would create a syrup with a bit of a strange flavor, and it would be a little to chewy I am thinking.

Well I was thinking beyond that, I was thinking you good supply Firestone with some decent rubber for there crappy tires. ;D

mike_van · December 17, 2005, 08:54:38 AM

Swampdonkey - those crappy Firestones, the rear duals on my F350 [1994] have 78,000 miles, still [barely] legal - No syrup needed !!!!

Flyboy · December 17, 2005, 09:03:01 AM

Quote from: Ernie_Edwards on December 17, 2005, 03:24:30 AM
Flyboy,

Gotta try that. How far along is the sap when you run it thru the coffee maker, tic or tin?

Cooking in the sap sounds good too, but it is too shallow for other than hard boiling eggs in my evaporator. The way they used to do it on the farm with a deep pan would sure lend itself to some experimentating.

Here I am just starting to enjoy winter and now all I can think of is when will it be over to fire up the sugar shack again.

Ernie Edwards

Ernie: Depends on how much your needin your coffee, we have taken it right out of the storage tank, or for the 9'oclock refill taken it out of the pan. Just thin enough to go through the filter tastes the best.
Sugar on snow is the best 8) 8), Just watch out for Dat Yellar Snow ;D ;D

SwampDonkey · December 17, 2005, 09:40:52 AM

Quote from: mike_van on December 17, 2005, 08:54:38 AM
Swampdonkey - those crappy Firestones, the rear duals on my F350 [1994] have 78,000 miles, still [barely] legal - No syrup needed !!!!

Most tires have some natural rubber in them, around 14 %. ;D

http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Polyester/Tire-Production-DisposalOct00.htm

Deadwood · December 17, 2005, 01:34:27 PM

Sugaring is not huge here in Coastal Maine, but it is not a dying art either. A lot of people still sugar and I am forever thankful. I'm pretty young but I knew exactly what you meant by snow candy and the likes...very good, and I am glad to hear that a lot of people also tap Yellow Birch Trees. That's good as well. I never tried the Black Birch tree twig thing, but I don't doubt that it works.

I've also tried a dab of Maple Syrup in my coffee, but didn't care for it. My father likes his Moxie heated in the microwave and sipped straight. I tried that as well, but it's not for the faint of heart! (Probably a Maine Tradition only)

Here is a picture I took last year while out riding my snowmobile. The year before it was in operation, but last year I never saw it start up and I was snowmobiling on this trail until the end of April. I thought it made for a nice winter time picture.

[/img]

Ernie · December 17, 2005, 04:49:57 PM

Quote from: SwampDonkey on December 16, 2005, 05:06:24 PM
Crown Royal Rum ;)

When did they start making a Crown Royal Rum, I know they have cut back on the rye content of the old days but RUM :( :( :( :(

Ernie · December 17, 2005, 04:53:20 PM

Quote from: Murf on December 16, 2005, 03:31:03 PM
:D @ Ernie.......

Of course this brings up the other age old debate ......... Old (5 years minimum, 7 better) Cheddar Cheese.......

Orange or White ?????? :

As old as you can get preferrably orange then half an hour in the cold smoke house. Blast, I just gained another 2 kilos ;D ;D ;D

OLD_ JD · December 17, 2005, 05:03:06 PM

Quote from: Ernie on December 17, 2005, 04:49:57 PM
When did they start making a Crown Royal Rum, I know they have cut back on the rye content of the old days but RUM :( :( :( :(

Ernie ure right about that one ;)Crown Royal is canadien whisky (rye)..
so as my favorit canadien rye is Black velvet but not in sale in canada :(..i have to go in usa to find it :( >:( >:(..
about the 5 years or 7...i prefere 7 years whisky then chesse :D :D :D

SwampDonkey · December 17, 2005, 05:06:27 PM

Quote from: Ernie on December 17, 2005, 04:49:57 PM
When did they start making a Crown Royal Rum, I know they have cut back on the rye content of the old days but RUM :( :( :( :(

Ok, I'll take my ten lashings. ;D

asy · December 17, 2005, 06:34:23 PM

OK!

For those who might be interested...

Here's the full account of dinner.

I cooked fragrant rice, and made a bed of the rice on the plate (but not too much coz andy doesn't like rice)...

Then I made veggies thus:

THinly sliced sweet potato, chopped onion, corn kernels, leek and zucchini chopped up, fried in a little olive oil and maple syrup... The syrup caramelises onto the veggies, gosh it's good...

Anyway, so, I loaded the veggies onto the bed of rice, then ladelled the chicken and cream mix (mentioned previously) over the top.

The chicken was so soft after cooking for 2 hours on a slow heat, it was all fally aparty...

And, there was dinner.

Weren't any complaints, either.

asy :D