Syrup and helpers

[chasesugarbush]

Well guys and gals I have a question, this is my 3rd year sugaring and I built a new 20x16 sugar shack this year and added double the amount of taps as last year. Great runs and some long boils on my 3x4 flat pan. Now my question is how much syrup do I give the guys that help with the boil downs? Just curious what others are doing. I want them to all stay happy but I have invested to much of my time and money to just give all the finished product away.
I have made 12 gal so far this year and after this weekend I will b at probably double that!!
Thanks in advance
Bryan

[Asthepotthickens]

First off I though to myself dumb question, then I thought I do the same thing it's a great outing for the friends that come up to help us. We always send them home with a quart of the batch that they helped make and they know if they run out we have a basement full.

[mapleack]

I've got two retired neighbors that are there to help almost every day we boil. Anytime they run out of syrup I give them a quart. They know its for their own house use only and each probably get four quarts per year. Cheap labor and good times! I'm going to ask around for younger help to get the taps all pulled and washed next weekend, I'm going to ask for 4 people and offer a quart and lunch on me.

[Galena]

I learned the basics of sugaring from a local couple. I drove the old pickup during sap runs, loaded in the back with empty pails and lids and (sometimes) younger helpers around their spread-out sugarbush, and helped dump it into the holding tanks. As they fill close to 3-4 deep freezes with bottles of frozen syrup, I got approx a quart a season from them.

Also I know that I can take my sap overflow down to them and toss it in to be boiled down with their sap, if need be, which I have done a couple times in the past. Then I go back at the end of the season and get my share. They've also happily given me a quart of black syrup when asked, and spare glass jars, so can't complain.