How to "SEASON" old steel pan,,NOT stainless !!

[TerryEspo]

Hello Everyone once again:

Tonight my son and I went an unburied the the old homemade arch and burned some wood just to see a flame, lol.

I have my old plain steel pan in garage, all clean, no rust,,,vegetable oiled and ready to go after a good cleaning (water boil) to get the oil out.

My question is how to do my first sap boil ?

I,m thinking I should boil water for 10 mins,,,,rinse,,,wipe it clean,,,,,boil water again and empty that,,,more wiping,,then boil maybe 10 gallons of sap to get sugar in the pan,,,throw out that first sap.

Will that sacrificial 10 gallon sap boil season my pan ??

How long should I boil the first sap I am throwing out ??

Is there a better metheod I should do?

Any tricks or advice is appreciated.

Thanks.

Terry

[michael]

don't know if this would be any help. I have a new 2/3 divided steel pan. Cleaned it out, and test boiled two times. We had 38 gal. of sap and took it down as far as I dared and chucked it. I was sad to dump it but feel my pan is ready. Over a week now, and not enough sap. Repliese here would be good for me to. Good luck.to all.

[michael]

Terry, Don't know if this will help.I have a new 2/3 divided steel pan. Test boiled on it twice and oiled it.We had 38 gal. of sap and took down as far as I dared, then chucked it. Sad about the sap, but feel better about the pan. No sap sense then. Good luck with season and the season.

[whalems]

Why are you throwing the sap out after boiling it? Once the pans have been cleaned with water boil sap= make syrup. I wouldn't think it is necessary to throw any of the sap out.

[michael]

don't know if this would be any help. I have a new 2/3 divided steel pan. Cleaned it out, and test boiled two times. We had 38 gal. of sap and took it down as far as I dared and chucked it. I was sad to dump it but feel my pan is ready. Over a week now, and not enough sap. Repliese here would be good for me to. Good luck.to all.

[TerryEspo]

Hi Michael:

Thanks for sharing. That is kinda my plan too. Boil, clean,,,,get some sap into the pan, boil that and toss it.

Let me know if your first real boil comes out clean and tastes proper, I will do the same for you.

Thanks.

Terry

[happy thoughts]

I too would question tossing the sap. The water boil should have gotten rid of all the veggie oil, and even if some remained all that's left will basically be the same as defoamer. Sap is a terrible thing to waste:(

[TerryEspo]

Maybe I will test the first sap boil with a clear jar then. Take a peek and see how it looks.

I trust the advice from the people here and if a couple guys think the sap should be fine, it probably will be fine.

Thanks for the help.

I will post what happens once old man winter gets outta here and I can collect some sap.

Thanks guys.

Terry

[C.Wilcox]

Wash your pan with hot water and a drop or two of soap. Rinse well, add sap, boil, make syrup. I see no reason to throw out sap that you've cooked down to syrup.

[happy thoughts]

Maybe I will test the first sap boil with a clear jar then. Take a peek and see how it looks.


Sounds like a plan:) I was thinking that since oil is lighter than water, the oil will float to the top. If you see a film floating at the top of the jar, you should be able to blot that off pretty easily with a dry coffee filter or even a white, unprinted paper towel.

Good luck:)

[Big_Eddy]

Wash well with water and a drop of non-fragrant soap, rinse well (triple rinse) with plain water and make syrup. If you really feel you have to "boil out" any remaining oil - use plain water. There's no advantage to boiling with sap and dumping it.

At the end of the season - do not clean the soot off the pan, and do not clean the sugar off the inside. They will protect the steel and prevent rust, assuming you keep it high and dry. Give it a hose off at the beginning of the season and add more sap.

My steel pan is 30 years old and has never been oiled, not does it show any signs of rusting.

[TerryEspo]

Thanks ED.

I will follow your adive.

Will keep all updated of what happens.

Thanks again.

Terry

[johnallin]

Terry, for what it's worth. I don't think you want any soap in that pan at all. Too **** hard to rinse out and the slightest hint of it will be magnified in your syrup. Remember it will be there long after you've boiled off 40 gallons of sap; and it will affect the taste.
Rinse the pan really good, boil the daylights out of it, rinse it again and maybe even boil it again....then make some syrup.

Just my 2 cents.

[packrat]

I made my pan out of new, oily material. Welded it. Sandblasted it. Washed it out with Dawn dish soap. Ya know, the same soap you wash your stainless steel pan with that you probably finish off in, and them jars you are going to put that syrup in. I made syrup with the first sap I boiled. Ya dont throw sap. If you feel you have to, then boil it on down and mail it to me.