Mad scientist sap house cooking.

[Tweegs]

We all spend long hours in the shack, ya gotta get hungry.

On the odd day when the wife is home I can get her to whip up some chow, but I’m usually left to fend for myself.

It’s a one man show out there and you know how busy it gets, not much time to tend something on the grill.

Since I prefer a hot meal out there, I took a steel block, drilled a hole just big enough to hold a small diameter SS rod to which I could skewer a couple of hot dogs on. Set the contraption next to the stack and give it a turn now and again.

Oh, I change it up with a brat once in a while, but I gotta tell ya, come the end of the season I really get sick of dogs. With all that heat and steam, someone’s sure to have come up with a way to cook a burger, yes? A pork chop? Something? Anything?

C’mon folks, I’m dying here! :lol:

[happy thoughts]

Ya gotta love yankee ingenuity! How about shish kebobs? :confused:

Too bad corn on the cob isn't in season :)

[philkasza]

You could put a small gas burner in the corner of the shack or right along the evaporator where you are drawing off syrup, then again maybe rivet a small piece of SS (L- shape) right to the stack. Whatever you do just remember that a slow-cooked burger is about the best:) AND keep your nose open, if it starts to burn while you are busy don't forget the evap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sam

[Ohio Maple Blaster]

Sugarhouse by me has a hot plate with a pot of boiling sap for hot dogs to feed visitors coming in to check it the process. Along with the usual sap coffee and other goodies.

[Winters Harvest]

To reheat cooked foods, I have been known to set a dish on top of the preheater hood. The dish will get hot but does not overcook it too quickly due to the indirect heat, so when you get time its there and ready.

[Potters3]

cut up a potato, onion, mushroom, zuccini, summer squash. (any combo you like) wrap in tin foil, with big pads of butter salt pepper. Put just inside the door to the arch somewhere between a half hour and a hour you got a taste treat.

[Rhino]

Hot water off our piggy back heats up cans of soup, sausage, and the hot water can also be used to make up instant potatoes and stove top stuffing. Our hunting shack (home away from home), is close to a 40 away from the syrup shack so alot of meals are just whipped up in the syrup house. usually there is always bags of snacks sitting close by also.

[SWEETER CREATIONS]

I guess I'm spoiled my dear wife brings dinner to the whole crew every night . Pipping hot and usually devoured with in seconds . Hungry bunch of wolves out there you know

[heus]

I must be a cheater. I have a microwave in the sugarhouse and a coffee maker. Oh yeah and a tv, vcr, cd player, radio, etc:cool:

[Tweegs]

Yea Baby, that’s what I’m talkin’ about!

Kee-bobs and foil dinners!

Harkens me back to the old Boy Scout days, used to wrap up some burger, spuds, onion, and anything else not too fast to catch, in foil and toss it on the coals (of course, there was the time we got the oatmeal everyone thought was instant, but wasn’t…bleh!, gotta cook that stuff a spell).

The arch is kinda like a blast furnace though, afraid it might melt the foil. (Tried to cook a hot dog in there once, charred on the outside, cold in the middle…just like the boy scouts.) Maybe atop the hood though?

That’d be a no-go on the microwave, power is via battery and inverter until I get the gumption to run some wire. Besides, my wife would skin my hide and bat me dizzy with it if I took to the notion of relocating her microwave.



I must be a cheater. I have a microwave in the sugarhouse and a coffee maker. Oh yeah and a tv, vcr, cd player, radio, etc:cool:

Show off! :lol:


Keep it comin’ folks, even the crazy isn’t so crazy when you’re starving!

[mapleack]

I used to do mountain pies in the ash pit all the time when we fired with wood, now with natural gas = no more mtn pies.

[maplefrank]

I used to do mountain pies in the ash pit all the time when we fired with wood, now with natural gas = no more mtn pies.

not to be stupid:o.........but what is mpountain pie??????????

[Tweegs]

not to be stupid:o.........but what is mpountain pie??????????

Aye, was wondering the same, myself.
Every image I could conjure that included pies, ash pits and mountains didn’t make it on the menu.

Anyone ever use a Dutch oven out there?

[happy thoughts]

Aye, was wondering the same, myself.
Every image I could conjure that included pies, ash pits and mountains didn’t make it on the menu.

Anyone ever use a Dutch oven out there?

I bet you already know what these are but maybe under a different name. They're little pies or sandwiches made out of bread and fillings and cooked inside a folding long handled 2 piece iron grill over a campfire

[DrTimPerkins]

We're not all mad scientists you know...sometimes we just get slightly annoyed. :)

[markct]

The little flat part along the stack is the cooking area of choice for any narrow food, hot dogs, brats etc. a good bit of leftovers get heated up on the top of the steam hood. On days that we arnt boiling, or the off season when its just a weekend hand out place, we have the woodstove to cook on and make most anything you would on a stove.

[Jonnyp390]

I was just finishing up a huge pot of white chicken chili and I had an idea. I think I'm going to save what ever left overs I have and freeze individual portions in quart size ziplock bags. That way I can throw a brick of frozen chili in a pot or metal mixing bowl, set it on the edge of pan or next to the stove pipe and it should warm up nicely. I'll let you all know if it works.

[Tweegs]

We're not all mad scientists you know...sometimes we just get slightly annoyed. :)

Beg to differ. :D

I work in automotive R&D in a field called Electromagnetic Compatibility. It’s akin to stuffing a vehicle in a big microwave and turning on the juice, you know, to see what does happen that shouldn’t, or should happen that doesn’t.

You can’t see, smell, hear or taste radio frequency waves, which befuddles most and leads them to believe we are practitioners of voodoo, black magic…the dark arts. Often we’re held with the deepest suspicion when others can’t figure out what’s wrong with their stuff. It’s not unlike the witch trials in days of yore, guilty until proven innocent.

Of course, you have to be half a bubble off to work in this field. Whereas doing that windmill arm thing while teetering on the edge of senility would be a disqualifier for most positions, we consider it a prerequisite.

Before starting this thread I thought if I could get 3 phase power, a bank of amplifiers, and an array of antennae (my precious) out to the shack, I could whip up anything my little black heart desired. My wife felt otherwise, that it was a bit much to roast a leg-o-lamb and ruled out 3 phase power (hey, you have to be half a bubble off to marry someone in this field, too).

No, Dr. Tim, many of my colleagues here think I’ve gone quite mad, plumb loco in fact. :lol:

[TerryEspo]

I WAS going to say I enjoy a can of Campbells Clam Chowder, it comes with a easy open top, place it near the stack partially open, enjoy once warm. BUT after reading the reply from TWEEGS, I better stay outta this post, lol. :lol:

Good luck to all this season.

Terry

[DrTimPerkins]

No, Dr. Tim, many of my colleagues here think I’ve gone quite mad, plumb loco in fact. :lol:

Hey Tweegs.....better to keep them half guessing. That way they're never quite sure. :lol: Sounds like you'd fit in pretty well at our place, although you have to have a pretty high tolerance for bad puns.

[maplefrank]

I bet you already know what these are but maybe under a different name. They're little pies or sandwiches made out of bread and fillings and cooked inside a folding long handled 2 piece iron grill over a campfire
not to act stupid again......(don't have to act........just act naturally!!) what kind of fillings do you use????????? i had one of these once, we call them pie irons, i like this thread since i have the prob of what to eat when i spend hrs in sugarhouse, eggs an hot dogs only go so far, i do enjoy sap coffee, tea and hot cocoa though.....

[mapleack]

I like pizza mountain pies myself. Pepperoni, sauce and cheese!

[Revi]

Our saphouse is close enough that we can order out for pizza. The road isn't that great, so one time I saw the pizza delivery person go by the sugarhouse, and called his cell phone. He had some choice words about the road, and finally got turned around and delivered our pizza. We gave him a very generous tip, but he still didn't seem too happy.

[happy thoughts]

what kind of fillings do you use????????? i had one of these once, we call them pie irons, i like this thread since i have the prob of what to eat when i spend hrs in sugarhouse, eggs an hot dogs only go so far, i do enjoy sap coffee, tea and hot cocoa though.....

Pie iron!!! That's the name I couldn't think of when I replied, lol. sheesh! We've only done the fruit fillings so far as the iron was new to us last year but you can do any type of grilled sandwich, cheese, ham and cheese, reubens, tuna melts, leftover meatloaf melt etc. When I grill those kinds of sandwiches in a skillet I sometimes spread mayo on the outside of the bread instead of butter for a nice crispy coating. That should probably work in a well seasoned pie iron as well. I think you can even make french toast in them if I remember what was in the packaging that came with the iron. Try a google search for pie iron recipes. You'll probably find a bunch more ideas.
Bon apetit!

[maplefrank]

http://pieironrecipes.com/beef-stew-pocket-pies/

[feelthefever]

Wow I stumbled on this thread and now in addition to being overly ready to tap and boil I am hungry to boot. I do have a pair of pie irons, but never thought to use them while boiling. Someone already mentioned the recipe of two pieces of buttered (on the outside) bread with pie filling in the middle. In my family, we call those "pudgy pies" because we like to eat them .... a lot. 8-)

Can't wait to get cooking now as well. I have been limiting my cooking to boiling eggs in sap, but this year I think I am going to feast!

[Ausable]

[QUOTE=Tweegs;202714]Aye, was wondering the same, myself.
Every image I could conjure that included pies, ash pits and mountains didn’t make it on the menu.

Anyone ever use a Dutch oven out there?[/QUOTE

Yes a little - Made some simple Cobblers - Beef Stew ---still learning though. Hmmmmm! Use the Dutch Ovens at the Sugar Shack - that never occurred to me. Always use them in the Summer at the Campground. A Cherry or Apple Cobbler with Maple Syrup drizzled on the top while boiling sap - does sound good. Here is what I think I'll do ---- Don't want to burn the Sugar Shack down and will have to do it outside because of the fumes and still have snow - So - I have a large kettle charcoal grill I hate as I cant adjust the charcoal up and down to control the heat. So - to protect the Dutch Oven's baking ability from wind and snow. I'll remove the usless hardware from inside the kettle grill - put a metal plate on the bottom - put a shovel full of hot coals from inside the arch on the metal plate in the grill - set the prepared Dutch Oven containing Cobbler on hot coals and fill the Dutch Oven lid with hot coals - place the lid back on the kettle grill and I'm off to baking my first Dutch Oven Sugar Shack Cobbler - lol - Like a cake - when the toothpick comes clean - the cobbler is ready to enjoy. --- Thanks for the idea Tweegs.........

[Tweegs]

Now that is one heckofa idea!

I don’t have a charcoal grill, but I do have an old smoker I’ve upgraded myself out of. Could scavenge the base and hood…’cause a cobbler sure sounds good.

[Ausable]

Tweegs - Being You are interested - Here is one I like best and fairly easy. Line your Dutch Oven with heavy duty foil. For two reasons - Easy Cleanup and if You ever made a dish with onion and garlic the cast iron holds the flavor and a onion flavored Cobbler is not cool. lol . Ok Dump two cans of pie filling into Dutch Oven and spread (Cherry, Apple and Raspberry) all work good. Dump a Yellow Cake mix in a bowl and add 1 1/4 cups of water and 1/2 cup of oil (canola or olive works fine) beat well with a fork or whatever - pour this over the pie filling in the Dutch Oven and spread. Put the lid on the Dutch Oven and set on a hot bed of coals and put coals on the lid and bake. I have a tool for lifting the lid off to check progress - but - hook of sorts will work. Check like you would a cake - with a toothpick - when it comes clean - it is done. Using a Yellow Cake Mix is important - I tried white and took forever to bake. A Scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream goes good with it - But - Being You planted the idea in my head - to make it when doing a boil - some Maple Syrup drizzled on top seems appropriate. ----Mike----

[Tweegs]

Yea, that sounds good.

Used to do something similar with berries and a box of that Jiffy cake mix. Never thought to do it in a Dutch oven though, going to give it a whirl.

I’ve always cheated when it comes to Dutch ovens and used charcoal briquettes, so many under, so many on top, based on the size of the oven. Never used coals from the fire, is there some sort of correlation?

[Ausable]

I never have either - Always used charcoal - So - I'm gonna wing it. I've used campfire coals for other kinds of cooking. Got an Arch full of nice hot wood coals - so why not. Our ancestors cooked and baked in open hearths using hot wood coals. So - I'll give it a try. Can always add more if needed and the price is right. ---Mike--

[Tweegs]

Baked apples, Mike, in the Dutch oven…butter, nutmeg, cinnamon, walnuts, syrup over the top!

My chamber here at work is being renovated and I’ve really got nothing to do until it comes back on line again, somewhere near April 1st they tell me, but there’s long odds against that.

I try to stay productive, my antennas are all tweaked, cables all fixed, new software written, new ideas put in motion. Once the sap starts flowing I’ll be glad to come in and do nothing for a while, but right now I’m bored out of my skull…and hungry, too. :lol:

[farmer12071]

i have small gas finisher i usually dump a sap in get to a slow boil and throw in a few hot dogs ive even been known to cook up some corn beef in it,i have a homemade evap.that holds 44 gals and i boil slow and deep,till my tank runs dry,so im usually only feeding the fire,so i have time to cook dinner