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A Farm of My Own:  Hard Work  |
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nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl
3263 Posts
Heather
Wapakoneta
Ohio
USA
3263 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 06 2025 : 1:17:00 PM
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After milking the cows this morning I made brunch. Then I churned 5 quarts of cream into butter while also keeping an eye on the maple sap that's boiling into syrup. The sap is flowing so well it won't all get done today. Since the mixer was a mess and there was fresh butter I made some cookies to hold us over until supper. Now I have to go switch the laundry, add more sap to the boiling pot, and then get a roast in the oven for supper before heading out for the evening milking and chores. How on earth did this all get done before electricity and modern machinery? I'm so thankful for my kitchen aid mixer, electric washer, milkers, etc.
~Heather
I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world. George Washington
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4408 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4408 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2025 : 03:09:41 AM
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Heather, wow you did a great job today. Keeps you out of trouble, lol. We will be tapping trees on Saturday. Farmers know how to get it done!!
Farming in WI
Michele
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MBurns
True Blue Farmgirl
1927 Posts
Marlene
Swisher
IA
USA
1927 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2025 : 06:14:10 AM
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Interested in how you do the maple sap. You are a very busy farmgirl.
Farmgirl friends are fun. Farmgirl of the month 8/2016 and 9/2019
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MBurns
True Blue Farmgirl
1927 Posts
Marlene
Swisher
IA
USA
1927 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2025 : 06:16:29 AM
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Also making butter brings memories. As a child we had a butter churn and remember turning the crank. Real butter tastes amazing.
Farmgirl friends are fun. Farmgirl of the month 8/2016 and 9/2019
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Killarney
True Blue Farmgirl
5679 Posts
Connie
Arlington
TN
USA
5679 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2025 : 08:38:57 AM
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Heather, your are a talented and busy Farmgirl!I wish I were your neighbor!
Connie #3392
Imagine.... |
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Nancy Joplin
True Blue Farmgirl
342 Posts
Nancy
Ontario
California
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2025 : 11:15:19 AM
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Wow! Heather, you are sooo busy! You are really accomplishing a great deal today! Seems like you will be going full steam for a few more days. Forge ahead, Farmgirls!
Nancy 8352 |
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MaryJanesNiece
True Blue Farmgirl
7493 Posts
Krista
Utah
USA
7493 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2025 : 1:44:25 PM
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Heather, you have been super busy! I am very grateful for electricity and modern machinery as well. I don't know how I would get it all done without it either.
Krista
Farmgirl Sister #528
Farmgirl Of The Year 2025 |
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nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl
3263 Posts
Heather
Wapakoneta
Ohio
USA
3263 Posts |
Posted - Mar 09 2025 : 11:34:22 AM
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Marlene - my system is very simple and very inefficient LOL! We have 8 taps that get collected into buckets. The sap is then boiled in a big stainless steel pot on top of a propane turkey fryer rack. Throughout the day I add more sap as it boils down. When we're out of sap or hours in the day (right now the trees are making more than I can boil in a day) we finish it off by not adding any more and watching it very closely. The hydrometer lets us know when it's done. I then bottle it up. I can get about 10 gallons of sap boiled in a day which is giving me a quart of syrup. Lots of time but very delicious!!
~Heather
I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world. George Washington
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4408 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4408 Posts |
Posted - Mar 10 2025 : 03:33:25 AM
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Nice way to make syrup Heather. We got out taps up on Saturday. We have 60 taps and buckets with lids. Sunday we got 35 gallons of sap. We collect into milk cans and haul it down to our house. Then we put it in a tank and when we get enough we run it through a reverse osmosis system, and which takes out lets say half the water from the sap. Then we cook down, outside over a wood fire, in a 3x5 stainless pan. We are just a little bigger and have upgraded over the years. Still don't have a sugar shack which would be nice. We are able to finish the syrup outside, which is nice. I do run it through a couple filters in the house, heat back to boiling and jar it up. As syrup gets close to finishing, you never walk away! Have fun!!
Farming in WI
Michele
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nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl
3263 Posts
Heather
Wapakoneta
Ohio
USA
3263 Posts |
Posted - Mar 10 2025 : 1:27:17 PM
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60 taps seems overwhelming to me! I'm sure the RO system and much bigger pan makes a difference. I've seen the pans with the baffles that slowly add sap at one end then finish it at the other. Those would be nice. This is only the second year we've done this so we're figuring it out as we go. We learned the very first batch last year what happens when it's about done and you're not there! Ruined my pan and the entire days boil.
~Heather
I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world. George Washington
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4408 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4408 Posts |
Posted - Mar 11 2025 : 03:02:31 AM
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That is what you do, make things easier as you go. Sorry about your burning your pot, that lesson hurts. With our grandkids helping they are 6th generation, in the same area, so that is pretty cool. The work is so worth every drop.
Farming in WI
Michele
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MBurns
True Blue Farmgirl
1927 Posts
Marlene
Swisher
IA
USA
1927 Posts |
Posted - Mar 11 2025 : 05:35:33 AM
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Thank you for the information Heather and Michelle. Interesting. How do you preserve the syrup? Do you do this every March?
Farmgirl friends are fun. Farmgirl of the month 8/2016 and 9/2019
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nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl
3263 Posts
Heather
Wapakoneta
Ohio
USA
3263 Posts |
Posted - Mar 11 2025 : 5:42:44 PM
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Michele - That's awesome that the 6th generation is starting to help!
Marlene - I'm always cautious when learning so most of mine goes in canning jars in the water bath for 10 minutes. A little bit goes into maple syrup jars when it's boiling hot then turned upside down for a bit. Those jars go into the fridge and get used up first. Last year we were doing this in February and were finished by the beginning of March. It's all weather dependent. At least for those with buckets. The sap flows up and down the tree when it's below freezing at night and above freezing during the day. We had a couple little runs the beginning of Feb. then it was too cold for a while. Then HOLY CRAP! I had to empty my buckets 3 times the other day. Now it's too warm and nothing is flowing again. Every year is different. The large commercial operations have lines with vacuum that keeps the sap flowing. There are some really neat youtube videos about it!
~Heather
I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world. George Washington
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A Farm of My Own: Hard Work |
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Hard Work
