Maple sugar by accident

[ClarkFarmMapleSyrup]

today I was trying to make a small batch of candy. I got it up to about 245 and took it off when I realized it got that high up so fast. then I brought it into the house, and began to stir, but it set up fast and it turned to sugar clumps. I've never madesugarbefore, so I just started to siftit out. I took some what ofa bread tin and started to crush the clumpls with a blade of a nife, and beat it down to small pieces. I am wondering,, what is the shelf life on the sugar if sealed in the proper containers, and also if this stuff will even keep, because I wasn't intending to make sugar? Do any of you small scale producer know where to get a sifting device for sugar, or something that helps to break up and mix the clumps out with?
Thats for all help to come!

[wiam]

Sugar is the best way to store maple. Very long shelf live. I use a couple of different straining screens I got at Walmart in cooking section. Smaller one has probably 1/8" holes bigger one has a little bigger. I run it through bigger holes first then smaller. Save the middle stuff and sell it as maple sprinkles. I have a heavy duty blender I run bigger clumps through then sift it again.

[unclebuck]

When we make sugar we bring it up to 265 degrees and start to stir until it all sets up we then break up the larger pieces and then sift it thru an old flour sifter it works great long shelf life like wiam said

[Sugarmaker]

Just checked in for a minute. Most of the time I will be over on the sugarbush info forum. But Clark, If you want to make nice sugar just take the syrup to 260 F like uncle buck and then take off the heat and stir! You will have the nicest sugar with no sifting.
Regards,
Chris

[tbear]

Let me see if I have this right. I take finished syrup and put it in a pot and heat on the stove to 260*. Then I pour it into a differant pan and stir, stir ,stir. Am I close? Also, If I have maple sugar could I just add water and have maple syrup again? That'd be great for backpacking! How do you handle any sugar sand that might (probably would) be created from heating the syrup that high?

[wiam]

tbear, you do not have to put it in a different pan to stir. I have never made sugar back into syrup but am told it can be done.

[hounder]

I also made sugar, but was trying to make candy. I read through all the posts as it was my first try making it. Brought it up to 242 degrees and started stirring at 170. I stirred maybe 20 times and it started to change from clear to a swirl. I grabbed my ladle and went to scoop and it was completely crystallized. I almost panicked but grabbed cookie sheets and wax paper and got it out of the pan quick! I would have to assume that my candy thermometer is bad? Made really nice fine maple sugar though! Had a good laugh.

[happy thoughts]

If I have maple sugar could I just add water and have maple syrup again? That'd be great for backpacking!

I think that should work. Sugar is just dehydrated syrup. You'd just need to figure out how much water to add to reconstitute it back to the density of syrup. Go by the weight of the sugar, not it's volume, when figuring. You'll likely need to heat it all a bit so the sugar dissolves completely.

[wiam]

100 years ago I believe most maple was stored as sugar.