DougM
04-19-2005, 11:11 AM
We got started sugaring using my grandfather's equipment after he became physically unable to do it. He's in a nursing home in Tennessee, and my aunt lives nearby and visits fairly often and coordinates his care, etc.
My dad had told me that Grandpa somehow talked one of the maintenance men into tapping a tree or two at the home, so when I sent syrup to my aunt I asked how his tapping went. This is the reply I got:
He tapped 4 spouts and I guess total I got about 5 gallon of sap. A real experience for me. I had never been around it before even though they did it at their house. I had sent for a small book on home maple syruping and read it. It recommended using the plastic gallon water jugs, so that is what we did. I knew I couldn’t cook it at the house, so I carried it to work. We have an electric stove in the lunch room and a big pot that they cook soup or beans in some, so I put it on one morning at 5:30 am when I got here and kept it on high all day, adding sap as needed. I had about 5 quarts when I carried it back home. I cooked it down and had about a pint. I took it to him to taste and he said it wasn’t right. I took it back and cooked it again. He had said you watch it off a spatula until it globs some (good description). That time when I poured it in a jar, you couldn’t cut it with a knife. I knew your Aunt Patty had helped them so I asked her what to do. She said add some water and recook it. I added about a quart of water and cooked it again. That time I ended up with about ½ pint and it tasted much better. I took that to him and he said it was good. So much for my experience making maple syrup.
So, my 93-year-old grandpa who is in a nursing home is still sugaring as best he can.... it really must be a sickness. :)
My dad had told me that Grandpa somehow talked one of the maintenance men into tapping a tree or two at the home, so when I sent syrup to my aunt I asked how his tapping went. This is the reply I got:
He tapped 4 spouts and I guess total I got about 5 gallon of sap. A real experience for me. I had never been around it before even though they did it at their house. I had sent for a small book on home maple syruping and read it. It recommended using the plastic gallon water jugs, so that is what we did. I knew I couldn’t cook it at the house, so I carried it to work. We have an electric stove in the lunch room and a big pot that they cook soup or beans in some, so I put it on one morning at 5:30 am when I got here and kept it on high all day, adding sap as needed. I had about 5 quarts when I carried it back home. I cooked it down and had about a pint. I took it to him to taste and he said it wasn’t right. I took it back and cooked it again. He had said you watch it off a spatula until it globs some (good description). That time when I poured it in a jar, you couldn’t cut it with a knife. I knew your Aunt Patty had helped them so I asked her what to do. She said add some water and recook it. I added about a quart of water and cooked it again. That time I ended up with about ½ pint and it tasted much better. I took that to him and he said it was good. So much for my experience making maple syrup.
So, my 93-year-old grandpa who is in a nursing home is still sugaring as best he can.... it really must be a sickness. :)