New to forum, first attempt at sugaring, syrup and bottling. How did i do.

[Sledheed]

I cooked my first two batches of almost syrup last night just to see if i could actually do it. Ended up with three and a half pints and could not be happier with my efforts. Had it on pancakes this morning. A little cloudy, chances are from not filtering enough. Its for me and some to give away.

[Ittiz]

Yeah filtering takes a lot of patience.

[Petroff]

Looks just like the syrup I made this year. This is my first year also. Mine is a little cloudy also but tastes great !!!!! one batch I finished I went a little higher on the temp. (I don't have a hydrometer yet) and the syrup is very clear but something has settled to the bottom of the jars... might just pour off the clear stuff.

[Run Forest Run!]

Congratulations on your first syrup!! Here's a tip.....keep it all for yourself. lol

[TerryEspo]

Hi Sled:

Welcome and what ya have there looks great !!

Enjoy it, filtering is later after you enjoy that stuff.

You will become one of us addicted peeps soon enough.

Good luck with all you do.

[maple marc]

Sled, congrats. Don't let the cloudiness get you down. It's the hardest part of the sport. Bottling into glass requires the utmost in patience, and equipment. Your jars will settle out eventually, leaving just some fine particles on the bottom. I've gone through a lot of frustration and heartache trying to make my syrup absolutely clear for our fancy glass bottles. Finally gave up on orlon cones last year and bought a filter press. Big help, but not still not the magic bullet. The canner is the final step, and it's the make or break. Raise your temperature just a little too fast or too high and bam.....you have cloudiness again. So guess what.......this year another piece of equipment--a water jacket canner. Bingo--nirvana, clear nirvana.

Marc

[Sledheed]

Thanks for the feedback, i appreciate the support. I an addicted. It is right up mu alley. Needed something to keep me busy between snowmobiling and mushroom hunting. My five taps has already morphed to 15. And just bought another turkey fryer today. I got it bad and loving it. Filtering is a pain. I do not plan on getting good at it. Then again, i did not plan on having 15 taps and two fryers either. Anyone know of a sugaring support group, jk.

[maplerookie]

Congratulations on your first syrup!! Here's a tip.....keep it all for yourself. lolYou greedy lady...lol. Unless you made a lot of syrup, you will want to keep all you made especially if you got kids that like it. one day you will go to the cupboard and find it is gone about mid September or so. then you will kick your self and say darn if only I hadn't given that pint to Uncle John. enjoy your syrup! Or make more than a gallon and keep 2 quarts or sothen give the rest out.

[MapleMoonChaos]

what you have there looks great to me. I remember my first season I only ended up with about two gallons but it is still the best stuff I've ever tasted. enjoy it while it lasts.

[KevinS]

Welcome to the insanity..
Maple rookie 2 Qts! only keep 2? If I did that I would not keep my wife in syrup more than about 2 months, that is if I did not eat any LOL Okay she does not eat that much... Just 1 tablespoon per day on her oatmeal. I have probably eaten over a quart since I started boiling this year

[maplerookie]

Welcome to the insanity..
Maple rookie 2 Qts! only keep 2? If I did that I would not keep my wife in syrup more than about 2 months, that is if I did not eat any LOL Okay she does not eat that much... Just 1 tablespoon per day on her oatmeal. I have probably eaten over a quart since I started boiling this year Kevin I was being conservative. I didn't boil for a couple years after my first attempt in 2011. So we weren real conservative. with our consumption. I guess I forgot about the syrup we got i n exchange for sap. You are right we have used quite a bit since we started boiling this season. I have a few gallons for the homestead and give aways to friends and family. I even sold a little to people at my job.. I feel sorry for people that don't live in the sugaring belt. but I guess they are happy with aunt jamima or whatever.

[Sledheed]

I have not burned up a batch yet. I am callng it a success. Now cannot stop collecting and boiling sap.