Granulated Sugar Equipment

[Dennis H.]

Ok got a question for you all who makes granulated maple sugar.

What do you use to "grind/sift" The sugar?

Here is what I use, one of those manual food mills. I usually make sugar in batches of 1 gal of syrup, so about 7 1/2 lbs.
I stir the syrup after boiling and once it goes to crumb I let sit in oven to dry and then later will "work" it thru the food mill.

I am starting to get a good customer base who are asking for maple sugar and would like to be able to make more sugar quicker and less effort.

I was looking at trying to use a Squeezo type food mill. My thinking is that it is just like what I am using now but a little larger and being clamped to the counter top edge I woul dnot be chasing the large bowl and food mill around the counter top.

[maplenutter butter]

I make a decent amount of sugar and here's what I do. I heat my syrup low and slow to 260 degree(butter around the top edge of the pan to keep the foam down) I use a digital thermometer. (I believe an a good thermometer is key) I heat about a gallon of syrup a time. Often I do three batches in 3 different pans at a time. Here's where I have a cheap yet quick way of mixing, as soon as it hits 260 degrees I pour into a large stainless old kettle and I have 2 foot long stainless mixing wand (looks like a paint mixer) into my cordless drill and mix away. It will scratch the bottom of the pan. I then sift into large bowl using a mesh style strainer and throw any chunks back into the next batch. I let the sugar cool over night then package next day. I can complete this process in about 1.5 hrs. give or take. Hope this helps. (no need to put in oven)

[Dennis H.]

I am amazed that I only got your reply maplenutter butter.
I have seen those flat screen seizes at a few of the maple shows. I did not feel that they would give me a consistent enough sugar without a few larger crumbs so that is why I used the food mill.

I guess I may just have to give it a try with the squeezo food mill to see how it will work, worst case that I can see is that it just packs solid in the auger/screen.

[Sugarbush Ridge]

Some where I read that someone sold the crumbs for coffee sugar and was loved by those that tried maple sugar in coffee