Maple Cream pics

[HanginAround]

Okay, I promised some pics of maple cream making, so here they are. A note on terminology... some places call maple cream something you spread, which is what we would call butter. What we make is called maple candy in some places, soft maple sugar, and fondant or nougat in others. This is the only area I know of where this product is really popular, and my uncle and cousin make several 130 lb batches a month all yr and almost daily during the season. Most is sold in 1/2lb and 1lb blocks, but a lot is also made into leaves of different sizes, and in tiny ice cream cones. He has had some leaves dipped in milk and dark chocolate in the past too... delicious! The cream is very fine textured and smooth, nothing like the crystally sugary leaves and blocks I've had in New England.

So... cook 12 gals of light syrup to I think +27, and here's the important part to make smooth cream... cool to about 80F. This is the biggest difference from the crystally stuff they make in NE, where they stir it quite hot. The sugar pan is in a cold water bath (see the tap on the wall?)

http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/peteb/maple/HPIM0547.JPG

It helps to have some people to trade off with, because it takes about 20 minutes, and pretty hard on the arms at this cool temp:
http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/peteb/maple/HPIM0549.JPG

The colour change at first is more because of the air getting stirred in rather than actual crystallization:
http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/peteb/maple/HPIM0550.JPG

You'll know it when it starts to change, there is no mistake... once it starts, it all happens at once, the whole pan will set in about 30 seconds:
http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/peteb/maple/HPIM0551.JPG

http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/peteb/maple/HPIM0552.JPG

http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/peteb/maple/HPIM0553.JPG

You now have a solid mass of fudge-like cream, so you break it all up into chunks for re-heating:
http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/peteb/maple/HPIM0555.JPG

It goes back on the little candy arch for reheating only this time, in a double boiler rather than right on the fire... see the water pan under the sugar pan?
http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/peteb/maple/HPIM0556.JPG

It's stirred for about 15 minutes until it is all hot and fluid again... the towels are to keep the water from boiling up on your hands:
http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/peteb/maple/HPIM0560.JPG

http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/peteb/maple/HPIM0561.JPG

Ready to go into the tins:
http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/peteb/maple/HPIM0563.JPG

Mmmmmmmmmm:
http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/peteb/maple/HPIM0564.JPG

Cooling:
http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/peteb/maple/HPIM0565.JPG

Enough dregs in the pan for everyone to get a feed, plus some for public samples:
http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/peteb/maple/HPIM0566.JPG

After they cool in the tins, they are taken out and set to air dry for several hours, usually overnight... this helps them shed a bit of moisture so they don't wet the papers so bad. They are then wrapped in very light paper printed with a label... sorry, I don't have a pic of them wrapped, I'll have to get one. Ideally, it should be soft enough to cut with a butterknife without having to hammer or pound, either flake, slice, or chunk it off to put on your toast, or eat by itself. Sometime if it's just a little soft, the syrup will seperate a bit and soil the paper, which isn't bad except it doesn't look good on the shelf. If it's too hard, it takes more work to chunk it off the block so is less appealing and harder to eat.

Hope you enjoyed. Questions and comments welcomed!

[Fred Henderson]

Nice tour and lecture. Thanks.

[Parker]

Very well done,,I think I will try that (on a much smaller scale)

[royalmaple]

Very interesting and great pictures,hanginaround.

I hear you parker, I may have to adjust the amount being made down just a hair, unless I want to make a good % of a seasons crop into a batch. Then I'd burn it or something and there goes a season in front of me.

Ouch, that would leave a mark.

[mapleguy]

Doesn't this guy do a good job? He's my son of course! Have a good day and good sugaring.
When I was a kid (some time back) the local producers used to cook this to a hard sugar temp, stir it hot, then fill sap cans half full. Since the cans are cone shaped it would come right out when coold and that was our sugar supply for porridge, etc. Just shave off whatever one need for the day.
there were no stainless pans around then, it was cooked and stirred in cast iron pots over an open fire.

[HanginAround]

Thanks guys, appreciate the comments.

Start small, maybe do it on the kitchen stove. Not absolutely sure on the temp, I'll try to find out for sure. Go slow, the higher you cook maple stuff, the bigger chance you have of burning it, don't get your heat too high. Of course if you guys are experienced candy makers, you know the issues and can jump in and experiment.

Edit: Dad, we posted at the same time. What about the temp, is that right?? Did your blocks of sugar get hard as a rock when you were young... how did you shave it off? Oh, and now that you posted a few times, you should go post in the "introduce yourself" thread.

[mapleguy]

Temp is + 26 or +27, depending on how hard you want it to turn out. If cooking older syrup ( 6 months or more) you may need to go another degree or 2, due to some of the sugars turning to invert sugar as it ages.

[rschoo]

Awesome guys! This is what I love about this site, someone taking the time to educate us all. Thanks!

[Russell Lampron]

Hangin'-

Great pics and descriptions of what is being done. How many gallons of syrup does it take to make that much candy? I remember seeing some molds like that around when my grandmother used to make candy when I was a kid. She never made that much at one time though.

Russ

PS: Stupid question, I went back and read it and saw that it says 12 gallons.

[markonsite]

Hangin; this is exactly what mine looked like. Thanks for posting the pics! I think the next batch I will cook it a degree or two less so it stays creamy, although the wife and kids loved it as fudge.

Thanks for the help!
Mark

[HanginAround]

You're welcome Mark. Thanks for the comments guys, makes the effort more than worthwhile.

If you're making a small batch, just heat it in the microwave to make it fluid again... use a big pyrex measuring cup if you have one, has a little spout to pour from even.

If you guys make some of this into leaves and blocks, you'll be the envy of the producers in your area.... so much smoother than what I've seen in New England and Ontario, you might just stick with it. The cones are great too, because they make a good $1 impulse item for kids at the market or fair. Get the tiny size that's only about the size of a quarter on top... your maple supplier can get them, or dairys or food service companys should be able to get them too.

[Parker]

Do you mean something like an ice cream cone that you put the cream into? Or are you talking about a mold that you pour the cream into thats the shape of a cone??gonna run down to the sugarhouse now and grab a quart to cook up befor work,,,this time I will watch it a little closer and cool to 80 deg befor stirring,,,,,,

[markonsite]

Hangin, where did you get the wood spoons or did you make them? Also, how do you package the blocks od cream and who do you sell to?

Thanks,
Mark

[HanginAround]

Parker, they are a real ice cream cake cone, but kinda "sample" sized.... 2 1/2 inches high and about an inch or so over. They are available from your Lapierre Waterloo dealer and I found them in the D&G catalogue for $17.50 for a box of 900. Maple suppliers also have boxes to pack them in... 9 hole or 12 hole with cello window.

The wooden paddles are available from the maple equip. suppliers as well. CFIA don't want anyone using wood anymore because they aren't food grade and can't be sterilized (where ya think the sap came from??), but don't think they've ever made too much fuss other than mentioning it.

The blocks are wrapped in a thin paper, almost like a very thin wax paper, and it's printed on the flattest side as a label. Some people have small boxes to pack them in too... lots of work making a box for every 1/2 lb, but they don't get crappy looking on the shelf so fast. You can also put it in plastic tubs same as your butter (spread). My cousin sells cream wherever he sells syrup, in the spring you'll find it on the cashier counter at convenience stores, all year at the farmers market and his big retail costumers like grocery stores.

Talk to your maple supplier about getting things they don't normally stock, or at least get a catalog, because there are lots of things available through Lapierre or D&G that your local dealer may never get until someone asks for it. Too bad there aren't too many great on-line catalogs available... Dominion and Grimm has their's on PDF at least.

[Parker]

The batch this morning came out much better than the last (and that was not bad) still have room for improvement,,started boiling my quart at 4:50 and was up to temp by 6:30 (just doing 1 quart on the electric range) I only had time to cool it to 150 deg befor I started stiring,,came out much finer texture,,cant wait to have enough time to let cool to 80 deg.......I think this could be a good seller,,,,,Thanks for the information

[Sugarmaker]

Hangin and Dad,
Thank you both for sharing your ideas and suggestions. Great pictures. :!: I knew the first time I read Hang's posts that this guy was going to be a great asset to the small maple folks. I've made this soft candy by accedent but it has been one of my goals for years. The folks coming to the sugar house love it. I do need to do some more work on a smaller scale. but I have made it, placed in a Pyrex 1 quart measuring cup and reheated, then poured into mold. This stuff melts in your mouth. I cant seem to get it so that it will not melt in warm temps??
I think I got it::: :) +27 degrees, cool to 80 deg in cool water, and stir by hand (not a mixer), then the gentle reheat process and pour into molds. I will try it!
Thanks, again.
Chris

[HanginAround]

Parker, I saw what time you posted this morning, and I though geez, he's really excited to get up and do this! I know you get up earlier than I do on your worst day :D Glad it turned out, let us know about your next batch.

Chris, thanks for your confidence, LOL. I'm not even a maple producer, just an interested party 8O What I have is huge interest and curiosity and exposure to a lot of producers, and industry people. Dad (mapleguy) is a huge resource (as a dealer and as a born-into-the-business old guy), as are my uncle and cousin (12,000 taps), but I have also been visiting sugar camps and asking dumb questions for years. I still have lots to learn, LOL, maybe after I actually own a tree or two :D

Oh... and certain batches might seperate a bit anyway, depends on invert, or if you missed it by half a degree when you made it. A certain amount of seperation you might just have to accept. Try going another degree, but the trade off may be an occasional batch that's a bit harder than you like. It's all good though! Let me know how it works.

[HanginAround]

I visited two farmers markets this morning and took a couple pics of cream two producer friends of mine had on display. You can even see in the pics the super smooth creamy texture of it. We have three Sat morning farmers markets in town, and my uncle's stuff is at the third one, so no pics of his.

Click for full-sized images:
http://www.ThePixPlace.com/usr/4822/i_HPIM0011.JPG (http://www.ThePixPlace.com/img82953.html)

http://www.ThePixPlace.com/usr/4822/i_HPIM0012.JPG (http://www.ThePixPlace.com/img82954.html)

http://www.ThePixPlace.com/usr/4822/i_HPIM0013.JPG (http://www.ThePixPlace.com/img82955.html)

http://www.ThePixPlace.com/usr/4822/i_9670HPIM0014.JPG (http://www.ThePixPlace.com/img82958.html)

http://www.ThePixPlace.com/usr/4822/i_7746HPIM0015.JPG (http://www.ThePixPlace.com/img82959.html)

Anyone who tries this let me know how it goes, see if I succeeded in converting some people :D

[markcasper]

Great Photos!!! Looking at those bricks of cream makes my mouth water! Mark

[Sugarmaker]

Hangin,
Nice pictures of the cones! I like the Idea! Cream in the blocks looks good too.
Chris

[HanginAround]

Looks nice doesn't it? Thanks for the comments.

I don't really prefer cones from an eatin' point of view, the cone absorbs moisture so isn't as crisp as at the DQ, so takes away from the product, but it's great from a marketing point of view, very good impulse item and kids love 'em. My cousin's cones and leaves are more likely to be in a little cello bag with a tag folded and stapled over the top, but he does a lot more gift shops, etc, where they sit on the shelf unattended for a couple months.

[Parker]

Is there a certin type of bag he uses that will REALLY seal ? Does the staple break the seal? I would like to figure out a way to pack this stuff so it will last a while,,,I am going to make another bacth this morning,,,,,
,I need a 12 step program to break my addiction to this confection,,,,I will weight 300 pounds if I keep on "sampleing" the fruits of my labor,,,,cant get over how it melts in your mouth,,Ray and I have polished off almost all of both batches I have made allready

[Russell Lampron]

It's addicting aint it Parker. I can think of worse things you could be eating.

Russ

[Fred Henderson]

Get yourself a vac bag sealer. Works good for deer meat. :D

[Parker]

the bacth I made this morning will not set all the way,,,,this is the first bacth I cooled quickly to 80 deg. then started stiring,,I stired for 1 hour,,it is now the right color BUT it will pour out of the bowl,,looks kinda like cake frosting,,,,the previous bacthes I let cool to a temp around 150 deg then stired and into the molds once the color changed,,they came out fine,,am using the same bacth syrup,,guess Ill theow in the microwave-heat up agine ?????????

[HanginAround]

Parker, there isn't really any reason why cooling it further or faster would cause it not to set... I don't think anyway. I would say if you're using the same syrup, the invert should be fine, so that only leaves cooking temp... you might have missed it by a degree or two. Microwaving won't fix that issue unless you do it enough to actually bring it up another couple of brix, but then you're back to cooking it again, better do it on the stove. Sorry it didn't turn out for ya, either re-cook it or use it as butter. If you're sure your temp was where it was supposed to be, it still won't hurt to go another 2 degrees and see what the results are. Your invert could have been borderline, the atmosphere changed since you calibrated, or it might be out a degree over it's range, hard to say.

My cousin does have a vac bag sealer, but it's relatively new, so don't know how much he has used it and what the verdict is.... for years he always just used an open top cello bag like this:
http://cellobags.com/assets/images/autogen/a_square_cello_bags.jpg

Just fold over the top of the bag and staple a folded cardboard label over the top. It isn't airtight perfectly, but should be good for awhile. I'll have to ask him for more details about shelf life. You can freeze it no problem, and he usually keeps several ice cream tubs (3 gal size) of it in the freezer for making the smaller things like cones and leaves because they are too hard to do from a big batch anyway, he just reheats and makes what he needs.

You guys should go to AA and tell them you want to start drinking in order to help curb your maple addiction 8O :D

[Russell Lampron]

Hangin,

The AA thing wouldn't work for me. One of the best parts of sugaring season is drinking a shot of hot syrup out of the canner and chasing it with a boiling soda (beer).

Russ

[Russell Lampron]

Parker it sounds like you made maple butter. It is good on pancakes, donuts and other things just the way it is.

Russ

[Parker]

When it came out of the microwave (it was in there for a long while) it was a liquid,,,I whipped it for about a minute then poured it in the molds,,,it did set up, but nowhere near as firm as the first 2 bacthes,,,it is lighter in color than the 2 previous bacthes and much softer,,,BUT is grainier,,,dissolves faster ,,,,,,,,,,,,,but it was the smoothness i was going for,,,,,,,I did not check the boiling temp of water this AM,,,,,,LESSON LEARNED,,,,,

[HanginAround]

Parker, that must be it... just missed it by a degree or two I bet. If you're worried about it happening again, won't hurt to go a degree higher than you think you should either. I'm sure you're not going to give up now :D

By re-heating a significant amount, you partially dissolved some of the sugar again, but then without sufficient cooling to promote small grain growth, so that's why it got grainy again. In order to "fix" butter into cream, I think you would have to heat it enough to get it 100% dissolved again, cooked a couple degrees higher and then cooled to 80 again, so the process of crystallization starts fresh without any of the old crystals rushing it. Sugar crystals grow on one another, so any existing crystals promote the growth of new ones, even when it's hot, and when they grow slowly at hot temps, they grow bigger as well, thus graininess.

[markcasper]

Hangin around, Does your relative have a web site to order from? I would like to order a brick of cream to compare to my cream. I cannot believe that they can make a 12 gallon batch and get it ultra creamy. I have made small orders of cream for years, anytime I try to do more than 1/2 gallon, it always ends up on the grainy side. I attribute that to it not cooling fast enough. Whenever I have made a pint or 2, it always will end up just heavenly.

Well your not going to pay the bills going at that rate!

Another thing I would like comments on is this. I always have read to add a small amont of seed (previously made cream) to the current batch for faster crystalization. I might add that the "seed" has always been from a super fine, no large crystals cream.

It does shorten the stirring process up, but the outcome has always been a grainier cream. My observation is that just simply adding the seed does something to the whole batch and messses it up. I have always had great batches of cream turn out when one started stirring from scratch. Thanks, Mark

[HanginAround]

Mark, cousin Dave just got back from Green Bay, you should have had him take some :D

He doesn't have a web site, mail order is a business in itself, and so is commercial shipping of maple products to the states, too much to get into. I might be persuaded to pick some up and ship it to you if you want.

I'm not a chemist, but do remember some chemistry from high school a looonng time ago, and did take some materials science in uni., almost as long ago. Here's what I know (or think I know) about crystal growth, and it applies to solids in general (i.e. quenching steel for hardening, etc) and particularly super-saturated solutions like maple products that are cooled and then forced to crystallize. Slow crystal growth always means larger crystals. If crystallization starts but is not complete for a long time, you get large crystals (i.e. stir hot, crystallization starts, but cooling is so slow that crystals continue to grow). Introduction of seed crystals in a super-saturated solution jump starts the process, so crystallization starts sooner (crystals grow on the existing lattice structure), but if crystallization is slow, it still results in large crystals, I would think regardless of the size of the seed crystals. If you cool almost to room temperature, the product stays as an un-crystallized super-saturated solution, but it's rareing to go, it really wants to be crystallized, all it takes is something to get it started, physical manipulation of the molecules by stirring, or introduction of seed so they have something to grow on, or a combination. But when it starts, it happens very quickly because it's so cool, the degree of super-saturation is actually much higher (warmer solutions can hold more in solution), and ends much faster because there is no residual heat or solution to keep the process going, resulting in very tiny crystals. Growing crystals is not an exact science in this biz though, mainly because each batch is a unique mix of different sugars and other minerals and contaminates, each having the ability to affect the outcome.

I would say what you observed would be what I would expect based on what I know. I don't think I know anyone that adds seed product to butter or cream. I have heard tell of it, probably on the net, but was thinking it would be more likely to be done when the product wouldn't set properly, as in having high invert sugar.

As far as the speed of cooling, I don't know for sure, but I can't see it having that big effect. I do know that there are usually large crystals on the surface as it's cooling, but as long as it isn't disturbed, 99.9% stays liquid until you stir. Yrs ago we always sat the pan out in the snow, and now have a water bath that it sits in, so cooling is relatively quick, not sure what happens exactly if cooling takes place over a very extended time, maybe the large crystals have too much time to propagate.

Or I'm out to lunch and someone will tell me so :D

[markcasper]

Hamngin round, Do you mean that your cousin was at the national convention?

What you have to say about the cream making seems to make sense. You seem more advanced in the science (mechanics) of structure than I am. I just learn what did and didn't work and then ask someone else. The North american producers manual is one place that suggests adding "seed" to a batch of cooled syrup before stirring and then making cream out of it.

My wife said that the bricks should be called butter and the tubs cream. I told her thats nnot the way it works in Canada. Does you cousin have quite a market for these products? How do they store those bricks and what is the shelf life? Are there alot of Canadian producers that make these products, or is it only a few and localized.

I will never use "seed" anymore. When I taste grainy cream and fine fondant type cream, it makes all the difference. The fine grained smooth stuff is so delicious that I almost would eat the whole tub, where as if its grainy, you almost want to spit it out. The structure makes all the difference!

As far as crystals forming on top of the chilling syrup. I have always misted the top with a spray mist of water just after the boiling subsides and right as the cooling process is starting. Seems to keep the top from getting a crust on it.

Also, when reheating the cream for packing, a hot water bath or a form of low heat is desirable, otherwise the cream will be ruined. Mark

[HanginAround]

Mark, he was at the international convention yes, he was the delegate for NB. Only two other people went from NB that I know of, and they are employees of Infor (NB gov assisted organization for forestry and maple information).

Regarding your wife's assertation, see my opening post on terminology. :D But even in Canada there are local variances... I don't think they make our kind of cream in Ontario at all, Quebec would call it something French if they make it, and that leaves PEI, NB, and NS. Northern NB is more French, so hard to say if they make it or what they call it. So this is kinda local to southeastern NB, where most producers make it. Some in PEI and NS do too, but not sure how widespread.

As far as shelf life, I would have to get some details from Dave. Of course every batch is different, if it starts to separate a bit, it soils the papers with syrup. Leaves sometimes get a chalky look to them if they've absorbed some moisture and dried again. If they're wrapped airtight, they last better. I'm thinking a month would be fine on the shelf, up to two months, but not positive.

When reheating a large batch, it goes in a double-boiler (larger water pan with a wood rack in it to keep the sugar pan from sitting on the bottom). See the pic on the first page. If he's going to make leaves and cones, it goes in the freezer in large chunks in 3 gal ice cream tubs, and then microwaved just enough to make it fluid to pour in molds or cones. You are right... if you put it back on real heat, you start to dissolve the sugars again, making it grainy, plus you cook it harder than you wanted too.

[rschoo]

HanginAround, you must be a regular listener of Dr. Science on National Public Radio.

Bob.

[HanginAround]

LOL Ummm, don't get PBS Radio here... we have Quirks and Quarks on CBC :D But no, I don't even listen to that.

[mapleguy]

It seems that a lot of you are trying this butter and cream recipes and getting mixed results. What it really boils down to at times is that this is not an exact science, mare a lot of trial and error and some good luck. Even with all conditions that we think are right at times it just doesn't come out exactly as expected. Just try again. I've done this many times and assisted many more times and now occasionally miss by a bit.
Murphy's law is always at work in the maple business, just when we think we have it all down pat, old maple murphy will show us we don't. When ever I've put on a training course I try to emphasize this over and over. Just to prove a point old murphy did that to me on one course when making a small batch of cream. Just wouldn't set up. Had to remelt and cook more. Guess the invert sugar was too high. Have fun and enjoy!

[Parker]

I think I have just not been following the recipe to the T ,,,rained all day here today so no logging tommrow,,,will try to make a real bacth of N.B. cream tommrow AM,,follow the recipe exactly,,,wish me luck

[HanginAround]

Good luck Parker, I really hope it works well for the sake of your frustration level.

[mapleguy]

JUst back from the sugar shack a few hours ago. Helped stir 80 pounds of maple cream yesterday afternoon, then after supper last nite my brother cooked 10 gallons of syrup for butter and set to cool over nite. today he cooked enough syrup for another 80 pounds of cream and we made the cooled syrup from last nite into butter with a new Lapierre butter machine. Put 95 pounds of butter through and put in bottles in a little less thanan hour. This machine circulates the syrup through a gear pump driven by a 2HP motor until it is ready to bottle (about 8-10 minutes per batch of about 2 gallons). Then we stirred the batch from this morning (with hangin round help) into cream which we put in 2 gallon plastic containers for future use. Great stuff. Remember when we talk gallons in Canada it's a 160 fluid ounce gallon - larger than US. In Canada a gallon of syrup weighs 13.2 pounds and in the US gallon size it weighs 11 pounds.

[Parker]

Well it was worth thw wait,,I finnaly got a bacth (1 quart) To come out right ,,,my past troubles were all from not following the directions exactly,,,,,,,,the stuff is wonderful,,,,,,now I am looking for some bigger containers to use in the process,,would like to make a 1 gallon bacth,,,,I was thinking I have a 16 gallon leader finisher-canner and a 35 gallon waterloo canner-finisher,,,I think the leader pan would fit inside the waterloo pan for making big bacthes,(If I develope a market) ,,,,,,,,,just gonna have to pick up some molds

[mapleman3]

whats everyone going to throw out their candy and cream machines now? if you do .. throw them my way... Mapleman3 Belchertown Ma. 01007 :D :lol: 8)

[HanginAround]

Congrats Parker, I'm very happy for you. :D Good stuff isn't it?
Now they're gonna kill me because we managed to keep this a secret in this part of the country for decades and now I posted it on the 'net 8O 8O