I just wanted to thank everyone who participated in this thread. Just made a batch of maple almonds, and WOW are they good. And so easy! These will make great little gift bags.
Thanks again!
I just wanted to thank everyone who participated in this thread. Just made a batch of maple almonds, and WOW are they good. And so easy! These will make great little gift bags.
Thanks again!
2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
2024: 17 taps, 5.3 gals
All on buckets
Much appreciated replies. Thanks.
Chad
2014: 12 taps, 5 gal buckets
2015: 15 taps on bags
2016: 150 taps: 100 on bags, 50 on 3/16" natural vac, 2x8 AUF/AOF Homebuilt Arch, 2x8 SL Drop Flu & Auto Draw, SL Propane Canner/Bottler
2017: 225 taps: Built Lean to, Added SL hood, preheater, concentric exhaust, SL SS 7" SB Filter Press
2018: 180 taps: Added Shurflo to 50 - 3/16", Auto fill sensor to head tank
2019: No tapping
2020: 175 taps
2021: 300 taps, homemade RO and releaser
2022: 600+ taps
Great thread.. saw it yesterday and had to make up some maple cashews today. Love the aroma as the maple syrup is approaching the 240 mark.
Yeah, it's a great way to get that special maple smell back in the house in the off season. I'll add a tip for anyone who is making a variety of nuts. I make my first batch with a hard nut like an almond, then I'll make the meatier/softer nuts. The first batch takes a little longer to crystalize and the nuts take a bit of a beating. After that, the mixing bowl seems to be primed and the taffy crystalizes faster, so it takes less stirring, so the nuts don't break up as much. I've found when I start with a pecan or walnut first, I ended up stirring longer and breaking more nuts into pieces.
Sean
Woodville Maples
www.woodvillemaples.com
www.facebook.com/woodvillemaples
Around 300 taps on tubing, 25+ on buckets if I put them out
Mix of natural and mechanical vac, S3 Controller from Mountain Maple
2x6 W.F. Mason with Phaneuf pans
Deer Run 250 RO
Ford F350
6+ hives of bees (if they make it through the winters)
Keeping the day job until I can start living the dream.
2011 - 6 buckets
Stove Top
2012 - 15 buckets
2013 - 19 buckets
Camper cook stove with 3 high propane burners
Custom made 42x14x7 maple pan with dividers
2015 - New 12x16 Sugar Shack
2015 - New Lapierre Propane Evaporator
2016 - 28 buckets
2017 - 30 buckets
2019 - 32 buckets
2023 - 32 buckets - Good to be back
.
I made some last year, so delicious, but the nuts themselves seem to be expensive, so adding cost of making and the syrup, I wonder what a reasonable price point is for a small, say 4 oz jar.
Anybody have a good inexpensive source to buy them? Especially pecans or walnuts.
2014 Year 1, 1 large front yard shade tree with 3 taps - 3 quarts of the best syrup I ever had.
2015 - Convince In-laws and Neighbors, bought F-150 and bricks. 20 taps, 4 gallons in pretty bottles.
2016 -- More friends and neighbors, should add another 20 +, built temporary shelter as sugar shack. F150 traded for Ram 2500. Big Blue new barrels for 116 gal storage. 8 gallons Syrup.
2017 - Mortared Brick Arch with serving pans, no make that an 18 x 48 CDL divided flat pan, 48 taps.
BJs has the best prices in this area.
Woodville Maples
www.woodvillemaples.com
www.facebook.com/woodvillemaples
Around 300 taps on tubing, 25+ on buckets if I put them out
Mix of natural and mechanical vac, S3 Controller from Mountain Maple
2x6 W.F. Mason with Phaneuf pans
Deer Run 250 RO
Ford F350
6+ hives of bees (if they make it through the winters)
Keeping the day job until I can start living the dream.
Thank You SeanD.
Best I found today was $4.99 for an 8 oz bag of pecan halves at Ocean state job lot. They also had walnuts at $3.99/ lb. I bought a few to get me started anyway.
I have been rinsing my filters in preheat sap, then refiltering the sand out. The concentrate I have is not finished, but definitely darker, so I will use this for nuts.
I am going to try the red copper pan also, supposed to be tougher than Teflon, and the sugar sticks to regular.
2014 Year 1, 1 large front yard shade tree with 3 taps - 3 quarts of the best syrup I ever had.
2015 - Convince In-laws and Neighbors, bought F-150 and bricks. 20 taps, 4 gallons in pretty bottles.
2016 -- More friends and neighbors, should add another 20 +, built temporary shelter as sugar shack. F150 traded for Ram 2500. Big Blue new barrels for 116 gal storage. 8 gallons Syrup.
2017 - Mortared Brick Arch with serving pans, no make that an 18 x 48 CDL divided flat pan, 48 taps.
Try the nuts before you candy them. I bought some walnuts at OSJL a few years back and I had to spit them out they were so bad.
Woodville Maples
www.woodvillemaples.com
www.facebook.com/woodvillemaples
Around 300 taps on tubing, 25+ on buckets if I put them out
Mix of natural and mechanical vac, S3 Controller from Mountain Maple
2x6 W.F. Mason with Phaneuf pans
Deer Run 250 RO
Ford F350
6+ hives of bees (if they make it through the winters)
Keeping the day job until I can start living the dream.
I did not read the whole thread, ( way too long, and I am too lazy). after you mixed nuts in syrup, did you roll them in some kind of sugar. or is that the sugar from the syrup? thanks, and very nice pictorial