ClassicCar

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Don't know what this has to do with Hudsons, but I can see one out the window.

Just got a new gallon of Maple Syrup. Living here in the Adirondacks, we go thru at least one a year. We used to make it on the farm and sell it for $10. Now it's $45 and worth every penny if ya have to make it.

Had to go in the woods and tap (drill holes in) the trees with the snow right to your hips, drive spiles (wooden or metal tubes)hang buckets and covers and gather the sap every day at least. We used a horse pulling a 150 gal tank on a sled. Horse knew exactly where to stop, even within an inch or so at the 1000 gal storage tank. Some of it had to be gathered with a wooden yoke on your shoulders (hanging on my cabin wall) and 2, 5-gal pails hooked to crotched sticks hanging from ropes. And don't spill any! It took on average 40 gal of sap to make a gal of syrup. Most outfits use tubing and gravity today.

Sap was evaporated over a fire in an 'Arch' burning 4 ft wood, with large cast-iron doors and a big draft plate at the bottom. On top were large flat pans where it boiled until it smelled nice, then was carefully finished to 11 3/4 lbs/gal or around 220 deg. Strained and canned.

Maple Cream, Soft and Hard Sugar was boiled down more and stirred. A favorite was Jack Wax where you boiled it down until it 'Haired'. (formed a string or hair when poured from a spoon.) Then was spooned on pans of snow where it hardened into a taffy consistency to pick off with a fork and eat it. There were huge Jack Wax parties. I made some this week. You have to watch it like a hawk or it will boil over on ya and make a huge mess. As it boils it gets harder so you have to add a spoon or so of fresh syrup to make it soft again.

Dad used to stay up all night and boil. If it started to boil over, the fat in a few drops of milk would settle it. Or hang a piece of bacon over the pan at the right hight. Kinda miss those days, but it was a lot of work.

Vern, (Mud Road Sugar House, Johnstown, NY) The guy we get it from now, has a reverse osmosis machine he calls 'Sweetie'. It takes about 85% of the water out and makes a much faster process. Here's a pic of the Jack Wax I had tonite. You should try it.