mtbguy

there's more to it than than, but your adviser is at least partly correct. The dark syrup is largely created by carmelizing some of the sugars in the sap. Sap out of the tree in the early season is almost totally sucrose, and there are very few microbes in it. Surcose will not carmelize well at the temps we cook to. The microbes, that become more and more abundant in the sap as the season warms, turn the sucrose into fructose and glucose. Those sugars will start to carmelize at our cooking temps. The microbes are also know to multiply in population faster when the sap is concentrated. Sap that has been run through an RO will not keep as long because of this.

So ... we brought in some sap, put it through the RO and let it brew for a couple days and then tried to get some dark syrup, something most people try to avoid, but our customers want it. It's still stewing out there so we'll try another pot tonight. If it's darker we fire up the evap.

This has the makings of a totally screwed up season with the weather ahead. The tree tops around here are already looking thicker. Cooooooommmmonnnn Cooold.