Hello everyone,
I haven’t been making maple sugar for the past year and have been drying it on pans with a dehumidifier. But I can’t get it as dry as I want it, how is everybody drying there sugar.
Thanks, Jon
Hello everyone,
I haven’t been making maple sugar for the past year and have been drying it on pans with a dehumidifier. But I can’t get it as dry as I want it, how is everybody drying there sugar.
Thanks, Jon
I bring mine into an air conditioned house, spread out on sheet pans and turn it over a couple times a day. It drys from 1 to 2 days doing it this way. Sugar made from darker syrup doesn't ever get as dry as lighter syrup due to invert sugars. I've had lighter syrup get perfectly dry like white sugar. Sugar from darker syrup usually ends up like brown sugar.
I then package it with a desiccant pack or two depending on size of package.
Mike
450 taps on vacuum - 2018 - 150 gal
530 taps on vacuum - 2019 - 190 gal
520 taps on vacuum - 2020 - 196 gal
515 taps on vacuum - 2021 - 150 gal
24 x 32 Pole Barn Sugar House 2018
Smoky Lake 2x8 Silverlake Raised Flue w/ concentric exhaust 2018
Memprotec 350H RO
Smoky Lake Water Jacket Bottler 2018
Smoky Lake Filter Press 2018
Smoky Lake Water Jacket Draw Off Tank 2018
I'm still tinkering with the process, but I have been using the drying function on my oven the last few batches and I've been having better results. It's under the convect options. The oven comes with a stopper to cover the switch for the door so the oven door can stay open, but is tricked into thinking the door is shut. That way the fan still runs and the humidity can escape. I can set it to 140 deg or 190 deg.
I've been using 190 deg. Each batch is about 1.5 to 2 lb and I spread that amount out on parchment paper on two cookie sheets, so it is only about 1/4" deep.
I check it every ten minutes or so. Sometimes that's all that it has needed. A few weeks ago when it was crazy humid - even with the AC, it took about 30 minutes. If it is really wet, it starts to crust up as it dries, so I stir and break it up each ten-minute check. I'll spoon some on the sheet to see if it will creep.
When it is dry enough, I let it cool to room temp then run it through my food mill. If I do about 1/4 cup at a time, I don't have any trouble crushing the chunks into the size I want.
This is all a trial and error hybrid of what others have posted. Put your results on this thread for others to see. Good luck.
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.
Has anyone tried a food dehydrator with the fruit roll sheets? I have a dehydrator with adjustable temp.
Steve
2017
2x8 Mason drop tube evaporator
420 Taps
3 surflo pumps on 5/16
79 gallons of syrup made
2016
New kitchen addition to sap house
400 taps
52 gallons syrup made
Folks,
Interesting! I have never dried maple sugar! What am I missing? We only make 20 lbs per year.
Regards,
Chris
Casbohm Maple and Honey
625 roadside taps + Neighbors bring some sap too!
3x10 King, WRU, AOF and AUF
12" SIRO Filter Press.
2015 Ford F250 PSD sap hauler
One Golden named Maggie, Norwegian Forest Cat named Lucy
Too many Cub Cadets
Ford Jubilee and several Allis WD's, and IH tractors
1932 Ford AAB ton and a half, dump truck
www.mapleandhoney.com