To catch you up, here are entries from the Sugarhouse Logbook: 3/28 Frozen ’til yesterday afternoon – sunny with good run in late afternoon, solid freeze last night. Thought today would be banner run but rain in the afternoon with south wind slowed it down. High into 40’s. Sap sweetness 2.4%. 3/29 Ran feebly all… Read More
The Art of the Draw
Chief of Operations writes: Our style of maple sap evaporator and our technique of drawing off syrup are rapidly becoming obsolete. Open pans, where you can actually see the myriad of bubbles dancing on the boiling sap, and the practice of manually drawing off the finished syrup, are considered “old school” by professional sugarmakers. Not… Read More
Preparing for Open House
WEATHER: Snow. It’s a white white white white world. HOW’S IT RUNNING: Ever since Wednesday afternoon the sap’s been flowing, but not well. At night it trickles, during the day it sputters (collectively, that is, with sap from all 9,700 taps flowing into one receptacle). SAP SWEETNESS: 2.2%. Good news. BOILING STATUS: Thursday was Day… Read More
Maple-Oat Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies
Maple Trout Lilli writes: My inspiration for these was a warm, spring, 50-degree day this past week and anticipating free cone day at Ben & Jerry’s. But, alas, it’s back to winter as I write, and free cone day isn’t until April 9th this year. But make these and you’ll feel like it’s almost summer,… Read More
Sweetening the Pans
WEATHER: The thaw set in on Thursday, slinking to 40 on Thursday, spiking to 50 midday Friday before settling back into the 40’s. Both days, the forecast predicted temps of ten degrees higher. Little sun, no freezing nights. Saturday morning starts at 35 and might stay there, with snow and/or rain. Tonight we’ll see a… Read More
It’s making us wait
Monday Morning Kitchen Talk, 9am: Chief of Operations says from his chair in front of the woodstove, Scheduling crew [to walk the tubing lines] is an absolute nightmare. Here they are, raring to go, and what do I tell them? They don’t want to sit around all day just in case it warms… Read More
Maple Trout Lilli Bakes Salmon for Dinner
From a well-lit kitchen in the yellow house at the top of fifteen broad stone steps comes the first food missive of Sugar Season 2019. Our Food Correspondent, Maple Trout Lilli, writes: MAPLE-MISO SALMON Weeknight salmon?? Salty miso paste and ever-so-sweet maple syrup are the backbone of this simple marinade…. It’s about as uncomplicated as… Read More
No Sap Run This February
WEATHER: More of winter. Squeaky cold. Wind-scoured snowfields. There’s no thaw in sight. TAPPING STATUS: Ross finished up Thursday the 21st. Chief of Operations moved on to main line work. THE COUNTUP: Day Nine, where we left off: 9352 Day Ten: 9738 Grand Total HOW’S IT RUNNING? It’s not. You have to look back to… Read More
A Short Walk in the Old Bush
Dear Reader, Since I don’t climb the hill to tap or check for squirrel chew I am free to follow impulses. On a recent cold day I snowshoed in the Old Bush, visiting my favorite places. The Old Bush is the terrain directly uphill from the sugarhouse; it’s the original 40 acres. At once I… Read More
The bears’ message board
WEATHER: Continued below freezing temps and powder snow. For Friday the forecasters predicted rain and high 30’s but here it snowed cottage cheese snow and never cleared 32. TAPPING STATUS: The crew worked Wednesday – Saturday in the higher terrain. Half the time the guys were pulling lines up out of the deep snow. All… Read More
The Nebraska Knoll Blog 