Smokey syrup

[Galena]

Many years ago, I knew someone who would sugar in the oldest way possible - boiling in a huge cauldron (cast iron possibly) hung over a wood fire. His syrup was always clear and chunky with sugar crystals. And every so often he would produce a batch that had a definite woodsmoke taste.

Wondering if there is any way to replicate that smokey flavour without having to have a ginormous cauldron and woodfire?

[Scribner's Mountain Maple]

Yeah burn it a little. No really I don't know.

[Zamkev]

Speaking from no experience......but I guess if you really wanted to simulate a smokey taste.....you could try to put a pot(or warming tray) of sap on the BBQ with the cover closed. Take some soaked wood chips and wrap them in tin foil and poke holes in the tin foil. Put the foil "smoker" somewhere close to the heat source in the bbq and let the sap boil for a while with the smoke circulating under the cover. You could then ad the sap back to your usual method and I would think that there ought to be enough smokey flavor to resinate.

Just an idea.

[innoxen]

Hello..... I believe my second year we ended up with a batch that had a smokey flavor..... So what to do?? what to do??? Well I tried to figure out what I did and have no idea.... But I was cooking outside on an open pit style with 2 stainless steel pans I had a friend make.... Used wood that was scrap from when the tree trimming for power lines was done.... so a mix of wood... I do remember getting serveral face full of smoke... We continued to make more and we made 6 or 7 different batches.... and it was the 3rd or 4th batch that was smokey.... On a great note, we took that smokey batch and made maple bbq sauce.... And litterly ' holey smokes' it was awesome... Please post if you find away.....

[happy thoughts]

Speaking from no experience......but I guess if you really wanted to simulate a smokey taste.....you could try to put a pot(or warming tray) of sap on the BBQ with the cover closed. Take some soaked wood chips and wrap them in tin foil and poke holes in the tin foil. Put the foil "smoker" somewhere close to the heat source in the bbq and let the sap boil for a while with the smoke circulating under the cover. You could then ad the sap back to your usual method and I would think that there ought to be enough smokey flavor to resinate. Just an idea.

I like that idea :) This is how we add a smoky flavor to food on the BBQ- wet wood chips that smolder under cover. We soak the chips in water for about an hour then place them on the coals in a piece of foil or foil pie pan. You could play around with types of wood as each adds it's own smoky taste. Fruit woods like apple are my favorite. For smoked syrup, I'd probably go with smoking near syrup in a shallow pan as that would seem to me the easiest to smoke with the least effort. It would also seem easy to get a good idea of the final product by tasting.