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J.P. is drilling the hole into a Maple tree and I am following behind and pounding in the taps.
Pictured below is Valerie and Jim who helped us with the tapping.
We finished tapping yesterday and now today the sap ran enough where we had an opportunity to check the lines for leaks and do the necessary repairs.
Hopefully we will be boiling soon. Till then...
Stack 'Em Up
Whatever you may call
them--battercakes, blini, blintzes, crepes, flapjacks, griddlecakes,
hotcakes, johnnycakes or pancakes--they stack up to a plateful of good
eating. Experiment with thick batters and thin, make them sweet or
savory, and try out all sorts of toppings and stuffings. Have a great
time indulging in pancakes this week AND do not forget the Pure Maple Syrup from Justamere Tree Farm to drizzle over the top. http://justameretreefarm.com/maplesyrup/
Happy Eating!
Here we are with our van almost loaded with Sassafras handles. We did not go home till it was filled to the top. We needed to cut down Sassafras this time of year before it buds out and therefore the bark stays on. We will dry the sticks in our loft of our barn. As you see below we have them piled high. We will turn each stick into a broom handle when dry.
We planted 100 Sassafras seedlings on our property last spring and we are anxious to see how they survive our winters. Spring will tell!
Sassafras has three different shaped leaves as seen on the right. This makes it very unique from other deciduous trees. Also it smells very yummy when you are cutting it down!!
Tapping news will be next. Till then.................
Marian, Valerie, and Margo return from checking the sap lines. We were making sure they were all ready for the next step of drilling. There is a lot of snow in the woods and we still need to use our snowshoes.
Margo started last week and is apprenticing with us part time during the sugaring season. She wants to learn everything about sugaring and experience the whole process. Margo is a Plant and Soil Science Major at U-Mass. We are happy to have her!
Our next adventure is tapping the trees. You don't know when the sap will flow since it only flows at Mother Nature's whim. Once the contrast of warm days and cold nights gets it going, you can't schedule it or moderate its pace. Because sap can only sit so long before it starts to spoil, you've got to check your taps and lines daily.
And always- from Native Americans to Colonial settlers- the advent of sugar season was cause for celebration. The Iroquois devised elaborate dances to coax spring from the hills and sap from the trees. Sugaring meant that the doldrums of winter were about to be broken. We are ready for spring!!!
J.P. is checking the black line for debris, animal chews and making sure the pitch of the line is downhill.
Another day, I am with clippers and hand saw clearing the path for the black tubing. It is important to clean the branches away from the tubing so that the sun can hit the lines and keep the sap flowing. This particular line follows our creek bed.
It was a beautiful day to be in the woods working.
Today we received a stainless steel tank which will be used for sap collection. We are in the process of replacing all our plastic tanks with stainless steel tanks. We were able to sell all of our plastic tanks to a man who runs a orchard, and he will recycle them and use them for irrigation.
Pictured below is Jim helping us in straightening the stack on the sugar house. With all the heavy snow that has collected on the roof, it broke a guide wire loose. We had to do some creative maneuvering to fix this problem. At the time of this picture the stack is still not straight!
Gluten Free Banana Apricot Muffins- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Directions-
Mix butter, maple syrup, eggs, and bananas together in a large bowl. Stir in baking soda and salt. Stir in almond flour, walnuts, and apricots until just combined. Spoon batter into the muffin cups. Bake 25 to 35 minutes, until the muffins are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
Enjoy!
