Making Maple Syrup {Part II}

Tapping the Maple Trees {Part I}
A Look at Maple Tree Sap
Making Maple Syrup Intermission

The maple syrup adventure continues, you may remember we had already tapped trees, collected sap, and were ready to boil.
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The Mister is extraordinary at building things... and made us an on the cheap sap cooker that we use to heat a gigantic pot.  We built a wood fire, poured about 4-5 gallons of sap is in the pot, and then watched. 

 We talked and laughed and watched the pup silly antics.  This is Sammy.

The dogs chewed sticks to pass the time. 

I took pictures.  (Sammy again)

(Katie here)

See that steam coming out of the pot?  It's working.  Takes a lot for all that water content to burn off to leave the sweet sap.

The evening progressed and we saw the sun setting over the ridge.  I still adore the look of our woodpile all neat and orderly.

Felt really good to kick up my feet and soak the whole thing in!

At one point it got dark enough that we noticed a blow torch effect of the fire coming out of our stove pipe.  Hot dog roasting anyone?

The dusk turned to dark and it was a whole new experience to sit and chat with tree stumps as seats as the sap boiled and cooked... and cooked and boiled. 

So simple and joyful sitting around a fire.  The warmth to keep away the night's chill, the glow and laughing flames.  peaceful.  centering.  balancing. 

We fed the fire, checked the boiling sap.  Stopping every now and then to stir and have a taste. 

And a natural conversation about who knows what flowed between the Mister and I.  It reminds me of one of the moments that I first knew the Mister and I were a 'thing' because we can ramble on for hours and never get bored of each other's company. 

Finally late into the night, we checked the sap and noticed it had finally gotten low in the pot and changed colors from clear to a golden brown.  That was the signal to clean up for the night.  Douse the fire, transfer the sap to an inside pot, and call it a night.

---to be continued --- we did finish a batch of maple syrup this past weekend and even enjoyed it on french toast!  Our last installment will show the finishing and the actual syrup we made!