First Time Tapping For Maple Syrup

We have successfully completed two maple sap runs this year!  We have 24 taps that are collecting sap in metal buckets and we're boiling it over an open fire.  There are only 2 sugar maples and the rest are silver or red maples.  From what I read, silver and red maples produce a lower quantity of sap, less sugar to sap ratio, and make a cloudy syrup.  According to some, it's not worth tapping silver and red maples.  Well, we decided to go ahead and tap the trees anyway and find out for ourselves.

 

We have completed 2 small boils.  The first one was boiled over a fire in the picture on the left and the flavor was smokey.  To help draw smoke away from the syrup, Jon revised the fire setup and made a chimney as shown in the second picture.  The second setup was an improvement but too much heat went up the chimney so Jon is revising it again before the next boil.  From the picture on the right you can see a pot sitting on the chimney; that is water boiling for lunch and hot chocolate!  A piece of sheet metal covered the entrance when the wind was blowing.

 Transporting the syrup around the property can be a challenge with mountainous terrain and trees not located near trails.  With our small operation of only 24 trees located in 3 main areas, we decided to haul the sap in a hiking backpack!  The pack can hold one of those 4 gallon water coolers real easily.  In one of the pictures you can see Jon and Paul pouring the sap into a funnel that pours into one of the water coolers inside the hiking pack.  It's a pretty easy system enabling us to have our hands free in case we fall or need to push tree branches out of the way.  This is a much better system than carrying buckets!  We don't mind the extra work because this is how we get exercise...no need for a gym membership when we have mountains to climb and sap to haul!  Instead of an ATV, we use a wheel barrow, and instead of a chainsaw, we use a handsaw.  Jon and I try to maintain a simple lifestyle and this is one way we accomplish that.

When filtering the syrup, we used 2 layers of clean scrap fabric for filtering out ashes and other solids; and a wool filter was used right before bottling for collecting sugar sand and other small particles.  I took the picture after the fact, but I wanted to show you how we managed to prop up the wool filter by using a fruit masher/strainer.  We didn't realize how large this filter was when we ordered it but we still use it!

All of the maple syrup supplies were purchased used except for the wool filter.  The total cost of supplies, including shipping was: $286.94

Seed Catalogs and Fruit Tree Addictions

It's that time of year...when Jon gets squirrely because seed catalogs arrive in the mail.  "Can we get these...let's try this variety...look at those plump berries...perhaps we can find room for a few more fruit trees..."  These phrases are like mantras repeated in the house until an order is placed and the pages of the catalogs are sufficiently dog-eared.  We only ordered 2 catalogs this year but received others as well.  Hmmm...someone must be selling our information?  For a few weeks now Jon and Paul have spent hours perusing the catalogs and drooling over the pictures.  There must be a support group for those with a spouse addicted to these catalogs!  Now that an order has finally been placed, I did an official count and we now have 26 fruit trees, 14 blueberry plants, and a bunch of other miscellaneous fruits such as kiwis, blackberries, raspberries, honeyberries, etc.!  We may have 17 acres but we are soon running out of open space for everything; so Jon decided to bring the trees inside...we have tropical trees now...lemons, limes, oranges, olives, and tangerines!  I can only imagine the amount of fruit there will be in 10 years....

In addition to the catalogs, Jon is making a seed inventory.  Surprisingly we only have a few vegetables to purchase this year because we saved so many seeds last year. 

Mushroom Foraging and Plugging

Recently on a nature walk on the property, Jon and Paul discovered some mushrooms.

Jon identified these as oyster mushrooms.  He has eaten several of them without any ill effects!

The deer have discovered this cluster of mushrooms and have eaten them, unless some other wild creature also eats mushrooms?

Are these turkey tail mushrooms?  They are really pretty to look at. 

If you set mushrooms upside down on an old window overnight they will leave behind their spores.

(the white hazy stuff)

Jon was so inspired by all of the wild mushrooms and harvesting from the logs we currently have, that he impulsively bought 500 Shitake plugs from EverythingMushrooms.com  We used oak logs that fell during the Hurricane Sandy Snowstorm.  From the picture, you can see we ran out of wax and didn't cover the log ends.  

Previous posts about growing our own mushrooms: 

http://simplyresourceful.blogspot.com/2011/12/growing-mushrooms-on-urban-lot.html

http://simplyresourceful.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushroom-log-update.html

Making Curtains from a Tablecloth

I am so thankful to have a mother who is handy with a sewing machine and has an eye for color!  Even better is that when she visits, she passes down her skills!  This past Christmas she visited us for 10 days and during this time we accomplished a few sewing projects including: pajamas, tank tops, and 8 curtains!  I am thrilled to finally take down the awful country-style curtains that are probably as old as the house...18 years.

This picture was taken before we moved in (sorry about the picture quality).  This fabric came in handy when making the mummy costume this fall!

I originally planned to make the curtains by hand but was faced with the fact that it is usually cheaper to purchase ready-made curtains than it is to buy the fabric and lining and make them by hand.  With my mom being handy with the sewing machine, she altered some store-bought curtains into a different style.

I prefer tab tops more than the ruffle.

For the breakfast room we made 3 simple valances using a 60 x 80 inch tablecloth we found on clearance for $10.50. There was even extra fabric for a table runner and some napkins with fabric still leftover.  If any friends and family reading this would like some cloth napkins, let me know!  With a little creative thinking outside the box, we have nice curtains to make this home feel more like our own.  Of course we still have painting to do, but curtains make such a difference!

How to Make a Leaf Lampshade

Instead of spending a lot of money on a fancy new lampshade, I made my own using an old lampshade and a few materials.

Materials: lampshade, rice paper, craft glue, and pressed leaves.

Step 1: Remove material on lampshade.  Be careful not to put too much pressure on the hard plastic or you can crack the shade.

Step 2: Cut out rice paper to fit the lampshade with about an inch of excess on all sides  You want excess paper so you don't come up short!  A helpful hint is to make a pattern by rolling the lampshade on a large piece of packaging paper. This way you have a pattern for future projects and you don't risk wasting the rice paper in case you trace incorrectly.  For large lampshades, you may need to have 2 pieces of paper because the rice paper roll is narrow.  Rice paper can be purchased at craft stores such as Michael's. 

Step 3:  Apply the glue.  In the picture above you can see globs of glue; it doesn't take much to cover a large area. 

Step 4: Smooth out the glue and add leaves.  If the glue isn't spread out, there will be dark areas on the lampshade when you turn on the light.

Step 5: Lay the rice paper over the leaves and lampshade.  I like to crinkle up the paper a little bit to give it texture.  Note: glue is not put on top of the leaves. 

This is what it should look like before the top and bottom paper is trimmed.

Step 6: Cut off excess rice paper on the top and bottom of the lampshade leaving a little excess.  Apply a little glue along the edge and then wrap the paper around the ring.  Don't leave too much paper on the inside of the shade because it will show when the lamp is illuminated.  In the picture above you can see the strip of tape that was removed from the bottom of the lampshade.  Most shades come with tape because it holds the hard plastic to the metal ring.  You don't have to remove the tape but I do because it gives the shade a cleaner look (in my opinion).   

Resawing/Milling Walnut Logs

A few months ago Jon found a large walnut limb that had fallen in the Derecho storm this summer.  It was a dead limb and was completely dry.  Jon was really excited to find wood on the property that was dry and bug-free!  In the second picture Jon is scraping off the bark and some rot with a draw knife.

The logs have been laying on the garage floor for months waiting to be cut into boards. The plan is to use some of this walnut wood with the aspen to make a hutch for the dining room.

Jon feeds the log into the bandsaw and I am on the receiving end making sure the log stays flush along the guide.  Walnut is a hardwood so together we must feed the log at a slow and steady pace through the blade.

The planer was used to smooth out irregularities caused by the blade and uneven thicknesses.

Paul really enjoys playing in the sawdust!

Here is the stack of finished boards that we cut from the walnut logs!  This wood is beautiful---it's dense with very few worm holes.  I'll make another post when the hutch is complete!

Keeping Fresh Eggs Throughout the Winter

It's December and my three Golden Comet chickens are still laying eggs each day.  My family manages to keep up with their rigorous laying with baking, noodle making, and omelets so we haven't put any away for a later use.  I was curious how other chicken keepers keep eggs fresh throughout the winter so I did a little research and came across these books and their tips:

Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits and Vegetables by: Mike and Nancy Bubel
The Joy of Keeping a Root Cellar by: Jennifer Megyesi

• The idea is to keep the eggs cool and somehow seal their pores or protect them from air.
• Never wash eggs before putting them away.  Washing removes the natural protective coating (called "Bloom") that helps to prolong their storage life.
• If you are unsure whether an egg has gone bad and is safe to eat, put the eggs in a pot of cold water.  If they float, they should be discarded.

Here are a few methods to keeping eggs:

1. Pack them in crocks full of waterglass---a thick, slippery substance that effectively encases the egg and keeps out air.  Eggs can keep in usable condition for up to 5 months.  Make a waterglass solution by mixing a pint of sodium silicate (available at your drugstore) with nine quarts of boiled, cooled water.  Scald your crock or jar with hot water, pour in the waterglass solution and then carefully put the eggs in, always keeping a good 2 inches of waterglass above the top layer of eggs.  Keep the crock in your root cellar or cold pantry and add boiled, cooled water as needed during the winter to keep the eggs well covered.

2. In a covered container at 33-40 degrees F and 70% humidity, eggs can keep 3-4 months.

3. To freeze eggs, break them into a bowl and scramble them lightly.  To prevent the yolks from turning gummy, add 1 teaspoon of honey for each cup of eggs destined for use in desserts, or 1/2 teaspoon of salt for each cup of eggs to be used in general baking or breakfast dishes.  Pour the prepared eggs into labeled containers.  To use, thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours and use right away.