When the sap has been collected and the evaporators are at work, there might be a lull where you can enjoy the fruits of your labour.
Pat down some of that melty, crystalline snow you find in Spring. We used a garbage can lid, but you can do this on a cookie sheet if you want to try it at home!
Gather some sticks.
Boil the syrup until it reaches the soft-ball stage (it clings into a little ball when dripped into a glass of cold water). Pour it in strips across the snow, then let it sit for a minute. Before it hardens completely, take your stick and squish it into one end of the maple strip...now roooollll the strip up onto your stick! (Check out Jude's look of anticipation!)
Pass quickly to the nearest child. Ignore the warnings that the tooth fairy is whispering in your ear about your child's dental health. Making maple taffy outside is the clearest memory I have of my childhood visits to a sugar shack.
Gooey, sticky, sweetness dabbed with bits of ice and snow...incomparable and unforgettable!
That's something we did not do this spring- :(. LOVE that memory, too. Great pics again. Thanks for sharing this wonderful experience with us.
ReplyDeleteWhat amazes me most about the maple taffy (aside from the taste of course) is how long it will last. I think that this year I had mine last for what seemed like an hour...and you are right, forget about the dentist this is totally worth it.
ReplyDeleteYa know, for all the times I've heard of this wonder, would you believe that I've never tried it? Nor have the children. I must correct this situation.
ReplyDeleteI love the delight in Jude's face. I'm wowing right along with him.