It's Tree-Tappin' Time... Most Everywhere!

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[4] The steam produced when boiling down any significant quantity of sap would coat your kitchen's walls with moisture, so plan to cook the syrup outside, on a fireplace made of concrete blocks or a metal drum. Construct the "stove" so that the flames lick the bottom of your cooking container... but don't let smoke come in contact with the brew, as it will affect the syrup's taste and color.

Use a large, flat pan as your boiler, and keep the contents about two inches deep . . . slowly adding fresh sap as needed. (This can be done almost automatically by punching a small hole-the size will be determined by the rate of dehydration in your pan-in the bottom of a large can situated above the cooking pot, and then ladling sap into this "preheater".) From time to time, skim off the foam that forms on top of the syrup, using a kitchen strainer or a skimmer made from a 3" X 4" piece of wire screen in a metal frame with a wooden handle.

[5] After hours of cooking with no apparent change, the syrup will suddenly thicken very quickly . . . and it must be stirred and watched carefully during this critical stage. When the temperature reaches 7 ° above boiling (be sure to compensate for your altitude when figuring the boiling point) or when the liquid runs off a ladle in thin sheets, the syrup is done. Strain your natural sweetener through a heavy felt bag while it's still warm, then reheat the treat to 160 °F . . and pack it in sterilized containers with airtight seals, where it will keep indefinitely!

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