We live in Central Ontario. We've only tapped 6 trees so we're not going to get any more than we can use ourselves and maybe give a few 350ml bottles to some friends. He's cooking to the recommended 4 degrees celcius over the boiling point of water (this is what the local syrup supplies store advised, as well as a couple books). It's really quite light. Tastes amazing, but it's reeeally light. We are cooking outside using a propane fire and stock pot set up. When it gets dark and he only has about a half hour to hour left, he brings it inside to finish on the stove. So far, we have just under 5 litres of finished syrup, with another ~60L of sap waiting to go, plus whatever we'll collect today. The filters are staying relatively clean compared to what you've described, brendasue. Where are you located? This is our first attempt at doing this, so we're definitely learning as we go! It's producing far more than we imagined. My boyfriend is already talking about "expanding operations" to tap a few more trees at a different property that his dad owns.

Lars: Here is a simple recipe using powdered milk. They are really Crispy and Tender. Might be worth a try. Barnmom gave me a tip I tried and worked great. LOUÂS Pancakes and Waffles Recipe 2 ½ cups milk ( IÂve been using powdered milk) 2 eggs ( separated ) . 1/3 cup of veg. Oil 2 tablespoon of vanilla Italian Pinch of salt ½ cup Sugar 1 cup of Wheat Flour 4 teaspoons Baking Powder All Purpose flour --------------------------------------------------------------------- Mix Pancake Batter: Put the first 6 ingredients ( except egg whites ) in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Put in the Wheat flour, Baking pwd. and some All Purpose flour. Beat until smooth. Add enough flour to thicken slightly, (were it leaves ripples while mixing ) not thin and loose. Beat the egg whites with a teaspoon of sugar, until peaked. Add ½ the egg whites to the batter and fold in easy. Beat the other ½ of the whites until very stiff and fold these in also. After the pancakes are cooked, I put plastic in between for freezing. For Waffles: Thicken a little more, to where you have to move it around with a spoon, when it is put on the waffle iron . Then do the egg white thing as in the pancake batter. When baked I cool them fast on a rack and put them in a plastic bag, and right in the freezer. If you overcook a little, dampen slightly with water, before you put them in the toaster oven. As for the waffle iron , I have a very old round one with adjustable heat Range. It makes a waffle about ½ inch + thickness. For me this is just right, for the amount of butter and syrup that you can put on top. I found a Cuisinart mod.WMR-CA to match my old one. Now I can make Waffles in Stereo I donÂt use the Belgium Waffle Maker ; except when IÂm adding Ice cream and fruit topping , because itÂs too much waffle for the amount of syrup and butter. But may be good for you.! If I want a Belgium Waffle, I just make a double decker and put fruit or whatever filling in between. Then you have more cooked surface area , on the Waffles. Which is where the flavor is ( the cooked surface )

I agree, the first two aren't actually maple syrup at all. I'd only eat/use the last one, because I AM a syrup snob, LOL. the grandkids like Mrs. Butterworth's, which has a lot of sugar/sweetener and artificial flavoring, but no real maple. I don't know what's in the sugar free stuff. The last one is what I'd use, love maple syrup. I'd not use the sugar free stuff to bake with, artificial sweeteners throw off the science of baked goods without careful substitutions. Lars, I thought of you last weekend, I was driving and passed a stand of sugar maples with the taps and buckets, it's been unusually cold here and they're still tapping. I need to pick some up myself, I'm told the local sugarbush is selling for $10 a quart. No grade, LOL, just "maple syrup", which means it's grade B or maybe darker. Annie

Since I don't like "sweet" with my meat or fish, I only use maple syrup in traditionally sweet foods. Mostly desserts or . Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Maple Cream Fudge ================= 1 cup white sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup cream 1/3 cup of butter 1/4 cup of maple syrup pinch of salt vanilla . Add the two sugars, butter and cream maple syrup and salt into a sauce pan. Place over medium heat. Stir while bringing to a boil. Lower the heat and continue to stir slowly while the mixture cooks. After about 7 minutes, test by pouring a small amount into some cold water. You want it to form a soft ball. You might need to cook it for another minute or two. Remove from the heat, add a couple of teaspoons of vanilla and start stirring. It takes about 14 or 15 minutes for the fudge to cool and thicken. Pour into buttered dish. Option: Replace the cream and cup of white sugar with one can of Sweetened Condensed Milk and increase the maple syrup to 1 cup. 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 1/2 cup white 1/2 cup white corn syrup 1 cup butter 1 cup cream pinch of salt vanilla Cook to almost hard ball stage. Let cool slightly, stir and then pour into butter pan or mini muffin tins. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Maple Mousse With Walnut Praline ================================ Source: Marg (Friend) 1 Tablespoon Gelatin 1 1/4 cup cold water 2 eggs beaten 1 cup maple syrup 1 Cup whipping cream - whipped . Soak gelatin in cold water. Beat eggs and combined with maple syrup in top of a double boiler. cook stirring constantly over boiling water until it coats a spoon. Add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Strain if necessary. Refrigerate until thick. Whip cream until stiff. Whip gelatin mixture. Fold in whip cream until well combined. Pour into 3 1/2 cup mold and refrigerate until set. Praline 1 cup walnuts 1 cup white sugar 1/4 cup cold water toast walnuts at 350 for 10 minutes. Do not burn Add water to sugar in heavy sauce pan and stir until sugar has dissolved. Cook until sugar turns a golden brown. Add nuts and immediately pour on to a buttered cookie sheet. Let set for one hour. Chop coarsely. Sprinkle chopped praline over each serving. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Butter Tarts ============ 1/4 cup butter at room temperature 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice 1 cup maple syrup 1 cup walnut halves Optional - 1/2 cup currants or raisins water Blend together the butter and brown sugar. Beat the eggs lightly and stir into the butter and brown sugar and add the corn syrup. (You can substitute Corn syrup for all or part of the Maple syrup.), add vanilla and raisins if using. Fill tart shells about two thirds full. Bake at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until pastry is golden. The filling in these tarts is runny. Do not over bake or the filling will firm up. Let tarts set in the tins for about 3 minutes. Remove carefully and cool on racks. Makes about twenty 3 inch tarts. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table ==================== Source: Foodtv.ca Anna Olson Dough * 2 cups all purpose flour * 2 tbsp oats * 1/2 tsp baking powder * 1/2 tsp salt * 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled * 2 tbsp sour cream * 2 tbsp maple syrup Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine flour, oats, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter the texture of coarse meal. Stir sour cream and maple syrup and add to dough, Mixing until it just comes together. Chill dough for 15 minutes.