Boilin', Boilin', Boilin'...and More Boilin'....

We had so much sap, about 70+ gallons, that we couldn't wait until Sunday to get our boil on as planned. So on Saturday we fired up our ghetto'vaporater and started sugarin. We boiled into the early evening on Saturday, closed up shop, and started up again Sunday morning. We boiled and boiled and boiled..Zenka didn't get back home until 10 at night with our big pot of syrup -- I'll be finishing it down on the woodstove inside today. I expect at least a gallon, probably more!

Here's how Zenka's Hi-Tec Low-Tec Sugarin System works:

The sap from the blue storage drum is flow-controlled into the "warming pan" where the sap is pre-heated.

Then the warmed sap overflows into the boiling pan (stainless steel sink sunk into the Riteway woodstove).

Here's what sugarin in full action looks like (exciting, huh):

If you had smellivision, you'd be able to smell a slight maple scent..this is the first day of boiling, notice the sap is still quite clear. By day two it became much darker, more of a...hmmmm...maple color!