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| Picture from Dave's Garden. |
Catalogs under my belt so far: High Mowing, Johnny's, Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek, Harris Seeds. Waiting on a few more, but it's a start!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Bring it on, 2012!
Catalogs under my belt so far: High Mowing, Johnny's, Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek, Harris Seeds. Waiting on a few more, but it's a start!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
I'm a certifiable farmer!
Just basking in the glory now. And expect more frequent posts here on out -- or at least more frequent than every 3 months or so (sorry!).
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Update, with Squash
Time for an update!
My ICF rotation just finished, and I think I took a lot away from working with such a large farm. (They're nearly 50 acres, and serve a 500 member CSA with about 10 full time employees.) Crop rotations and management practices, harvesting and washing, IPM and weeding. Seeing the efficiencies of working at that size was interesting too. Would I want a 500 member CSA? Probably not, but both of the head farmers there said, when they were starting out, they had that same answer. And I can see the benefits of having a large CSA: a larger member pool, at least at this farm, cultivates a sense of community and activity that a smaller, 20 member CSA might not. People hang out after they pick up their farm shares, children play in the lawn, people go out to pick their own beans, flowers, or raspberries. There's also the benefit of providing really healthy, fresh food to more people, and at affordable prices, even to lower-income families via worker shares. It's worth thinking about, at the very least.
Now I'm on to my next 5-week rotation: marketing! This will entail managing our farmers market and our farm stand (soon to be located on UVM's campus, outside the library). It'll mean harvesting, washing, and packing produce. It'll mean finding strategies to sell our produce, via flyers, the internet, and word of mouth. We'll also be taking a variety of field trips to businesses and farms, and I'll be summoning my long-lost math skills for keeping tabs on our costs, profits, labor, etc. This is much more the "how to run a business" side of farming, which I think I'm really going to enjoy.
Lastly, the farm is awash with zucchini and summer squash! We have so much produce out there now, I'm sure we won't be in any want of things to sell come our Thursday market.
Zucchini, for those that don't know, is incredibly fast growing. Harvesting at the grow site takes place every other day: we pick anything that's the size of your hand or larger. Those 3-inch zucchini that look adorable today will grow to the size of a baseball bat within a couple days if left unpicked.
We've also got plenty of winter squash coming right along! One of our pumpkins is already bigger than my head (even as swollen as it is, with all this farming information!). There's also some hefty sized acorn squash out there too. All this intense heat is really moving the season right along! Can't wait for the tomatoes to turn, although I've been enjoying more than one cherry variety already. Yum!
My ICF rotation just finished, and I think I took a lot away from working with such a large farm. (They're nearly 50 acres, and serve a 500 member CSA with about 10 full time employees.) Crop rotations and management practices, harvesting and washing, IPM and weeding. Seeing the efficiencies of working at that size was interesting too. Would I want a 500 member CSA? Probably not, but both of the head farmers there said, when they were starting out, they had that same answer. And I can see the benefits of having a large CSA: a larger member pool, at least at this farm, cultivates a sense of community and activity that a smaller, 20 member CSA might not. People hang out after they pick up their farm shares, children play in the lawn, people go out to pick their own beans, flowers, or raspberries. There's also the benefit of providing really healthy, fresh food to more people, and at affordable prices, even to lower-income families via worker shares. It's worth thinking about, at the very least.
Now I'm on to my next 5-week rotation: marketing! This will entail managing our farmers market and our farm stand (soon to be located on UVM's campus, outside the library). It'll mean harvesting, washing, and packing produce. It'll mean finding strategies to sell our produce, via flyers, the internet, and word of mouth. We'll also be taking a variety of field trips to businesses and farms, and I'll be summoning my long-lost math skills for keeping tabs on our costs, profits, labor, etc. This is much more the "how to run a business" side of farming, which I think I'm really going to enjoy.
Zucchini, for those that don't know, is incredibly fast growing. Harvesting at the grow site takes place every other day: we pick anything that's the size of your hand or larger. Those 3-inch zucchini that look adorable today will grow to the size of a baseball bat within a couple days if left unpicked.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Transplanting
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Playing with fire...
On Friday we got to mess around with:
Electric fencing...
A tricked out weed wacker...
And a flame thrower.
The flame thrower was insane, I definitely see how it could repel zombies. Sadly, our target was quite a bit smaller. We were attacking weeding the carrot bed with it, pre-carrot germination. Carrots take a solid couple weeks to come up when direct sown, and the weeds will overtake them very easily unless thoroughly weeded beforehand. Hence, the flamer.
Just another day in the life of a farmer, I suppose. ;)
Electric fencing...
A tricked out weed wacker...
And a flame thrower.
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| Our flamer wasn't quite military grade. Just as much fun though! |
Just another day in the life of a farmer, I suppose. ;)
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
The Hidden Blog...
Morning all! Thanks for all the well-wishes yesterday, they did some good: I had an awesome B-day full of sunshine and cake! C:
Running off to ICF in a few minutes (one of the host farms) but wanted to share a link to the "official" Farmer Apprentice Program before I forget: http://learn.uvm.edu/farmerblog/
The marketing rotation will be updating it periodically, starting this week, so watch out for some new posts!
Running off to ICF in a few minutes (one of the host farms) but wanted to share a link to the "official" Farmer Apprentice Program before I forget: http://learn.uvm.edu/farmerblog/
The marketing rotation will be updating it periodically, starting this week, so watch out for some new posts!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
I have had lots of little adventures lately, and now have a few pictures to share! First and foremost, here is our little plot of land (soon to be expanded):
It's hard to see just how much we've planted because of the angle of the picture, but there's lots of already-planted goodies there (and more to the north and south, outside the picture frame).
We're getting our irrigation source hooked up tomorrow, so in the top picture you can see a water tank hooked up to the tractor. We were watering in plants this day since it was incredibly hot (upper 80s at least) and dry.
The second picture there shows out little shed where we store all our tools, and the southern corner of the plot.
Today we were double digging some of the beds, which is definitely labor-intensive. Double digging just means digging down, by hand, about 2 feet (most small rototillers can only penetrate the top foot - if that). While you're down there, you can add compost to improve soil fertility, and increase the air space available to plants with spades and digging forks, while maintaining the soil structure (rototillers don't maintain those strata). The result is soil that can support twice the number of crops that would otherwise have gone in there (potentially even more). That's a HUGE increase, and on small farms, it's definitely an interesting option for increasing production, despite all the labor that goes into it. We'll be comparing these beds with others that are already planted, to see if there is any return on our labor-investment, later on.
We also found out our rotations today! I'll be at ICF Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next 5 weeks, and I am SO PSYCHED. They have a huge CSA, and while the size of their farm (near 50 acres) is a little larger than what I'd aim for (5 acres), I would like to learn lots about that marketing strategy.
Speaking of marketing and selling, Diggers Farm gets to cruise around in a mobile farmstand! I would totally chase this thing down the street in place of an ice cream truck.
We're getting our irrigation source hooked up tomorrow, so in the top picture you can see a water tank hooked up to the tractor. We were watering in plants this day since it was incredibly hot (upper 80s at least) and dry.
The second picture there shows out little shed where we store all our tools, and the southern corner of the plot.
Today we were double digging some of the beds, which is definitely labor-intensive. Double digging just means digging down, by hand, about 2 feet (most small rototillers can only penetrate the top foot - if that). While you're down there, you can add compost to improve soil fertility, and increase the air space available to plants with spades and digging forks, while maintaining the soil structure (rototillers don't maintain those strata). The result is soil that can support twice the number of crops that would otherwise have gone in there (potentially even more). That's a HUGE increase, and on small farms, it's definitely an interesting option for increasing production, despite all the labor that goes into it. We'll be comparing these beds with others that are already planted, to see if there is any return on our labor-investment, later on.
We also found out our rotations today! I'll be at ICF Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next 5 weeks, and I am SO PSYCHED. They have a huge CSA, and while the size of their farm (near 50 acres) is a little larger than what I'd aim for (5 acres), I would like to learn lots about that marketing strategy.
Speaking of marketing and selling, Diggers Farm gets to cruise around in a mobile farmstand! I would totally chase this thing down the street in place of an ice cream truck.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Farmer-in-Training
Hey all! I'm in Burlington! Farm school has been in full swing since Tuesday, and lots has been going on. First things first though, I absolutely, sincerely, love it here, and am amazed that a week has flown by as fast as it has... cool people, and awesome adventures. Can't ask for much more, right?
I have unfortunately not taken any pictures of our site or any of the host farms yet, but I can give a quick run down of the things I was working on this week (I promise I will do better with the picture taking in future!).
The program at the moment is in "orientation" mode, which means we do most everything as a large group, and receive more basic instruction so everyone is on the same page after these first two weeks. Eventually, we'll shift over to our "rotations," where we'll have certain days we're working with a particular farm and other days we're working out at our own farm, plus one extra day for field trips and classroom instruction.
Our own farm site is located at the Hort Farm - or Horticultural Research Farm, where there's lots of other things going on. Currently, we have about 3/4 of an acre in a back field, and will be expanding on to a full acre soon. We'll also be bringing a second acre into cultivation over in the adjacent field. We've done lots of work here, both learning about basic techniques and vocabulary, as well as getting some actual work done. We've got lots of things growing in there, including a ton of brassicas, winter squash, cucumber, basil, flowers, beets, braising mix, radishes, spinach, beans, corn, potatoes... and more to come!
We've also spent a good deal of time at the Intervale Center, which manages a huge chunk of land that's rented out at affordable prices to farmers. Two of these farms, ICF and Half Pint, were common visits over the past week, and we'll be doing regular rotations here as the season progresses. The Intervale has several programs going on (ours included!) and a few more in the works; it's a very interesting place.
Other sights included Bread and Butter Farm, which is a bread and dairy farm (cows!); City Market, which is a food co-op/grocery in downtown where we'll be doing work in our marketing rotation; and the Food Shelf, which is the local food pantry where we'll be donating our extra produce. There's some fabulous restaurants in the area too, which I'm excited to visit - I'll put it simply: Burlington is awesome.
There's really so much to this program it's hard to get down just what an amazing opportunity this really is. At the end of the day, you'd think I'd be tired from walking 5 miles, bent over in the field during a 90 degree day, or sloshing through the floodwaters that have yet to subside. But honestly? I'm psyched at the end of the day, and I'm excited to think about all the things I'm going to learn (and have been learning). Bring it!
I have unfortunately not taken any pictures of our site or any of the host farms yet, but I can give a quick run down of the things I was working on this week (I promise I will do better with the picture taking in future!).
The program at the moment is in "orientation" mode, which means we do most everything as a large group, and receive more basic instruction so everyone is on the same page after these first two weeks. Eventually, we'll shift over to our "rotations," where we'll have certain days we're working with a particular farm and other days we're working out at our own farm, plus one extra day for field trips and classroom instruction.
Our own farm site is located at the Hort Farm - or Horticultural Research Farm, where there's lots of other things going on. Currently, we have about 3/4 of an acre in a back field, and will be expanding on to a full acre soon. We'll also be bringing a second acre into cultivation over in the adjacent field. We've done lots of work here, both learning about basic techniques and vocabulary, as well as getting some actual work done. We've got lots of things growing in there, including a ton of brassicas, winter squash, cucumber, basil, flowers, beets, braising mix, radishes, spinach, beans, corn, potatoes... and more to come!
We've also spent a good deal of time at the Intervale Center, which manages a huge chunk of land that's rented out at affordable prices to farmers. Two of these farms, ICF and Half Pint, were common visits over the past week, and we'll be doing regular rotations here as the season progresses. The Intervale has several programs going on (ours included!) and a few more in the works; it's a very interesting place.
Other sights included Bread and Butter Farm, which is a bread and dairy farm (cows!); City Market, which is a food co-op/grocery in downtown where we'll be doing work in our marketing rotation; and the Food Shelf, which is the local food pantry where we'll be donating our extra produce. There's some fabulous restaurants in the area too, which I'm excited to visit - I'll put it simply: Burlington is awesome.
There's really so much to this program it's hard to get down just what an amazing opportunity this really is. At the end of the day, you'd think I'd be tired from walking 5 miles, bent over in the field during a 90 degree day, or sloshing through the floodwaters that have yet to subside. But honestly? I'm psyched at the end of the day, and I'm excited to think about all the things I'm going to learn (and have been learning). Bring it!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Wild Violet Jam
The first fruits of the season are still a month away... but that doesn't mean I have to wait around to make jelly, thanks to this odd recipe I stumbled across!
First things first, violets are edible -- rather bland in salads, but a nice addition for their color. But made into jelly, they develop a yummy herbal scent and taste -- I don't know how to describe it other than "violety" (and sweet thanks to the sugar!). There's also recipes out there for violet candies and violet syrup, although I'm just sticking with jam for now.
For a single batch of jelly, I went out and picked 2 cups of packed violet flowers (no stems or leaves; just the little flowers, which pop off very easily). It was pretty easy work, since they littered the backyard here (thanks dad for not mowing!). There are several kinds of violets, but most people will be familiar with the Common Blue Violet, Viola sororia. Any ol' violet will do -- all flowers in the viola family are perfectly edible. You'll want to make sure your lawn (or whatever spot you're picking from) hasn't been treated with pesticides or chemicals however, unless your goal is to make poison rather than jam.
Now, down to the recipe! In addition to standard jamming supplies, you'll need:
1) Rinse the flowers in COLD water to remove any dirt, bugs, etc.
2) Boil 2 cups of water, then pour it over the violet flowers in a suitable container. (Note: I boiled a little over 2 cups of water, to account for some water loss in the following steps.) Cover and let steep for an hour or so, then refrigerate overnight (up to 24 hours max). Think of this step as making tea out of the violet flowers. It should develop a nice herbal scent after a little while, and a very pretty deep blue color. (If you used white violets, the color may be fainter.)
3) Next, strain out the violet flowers using a fine-grained colander or sifter, and ring out the flowers, which will have absorbed quite a bit of liquid. Feel free to do this a couple times, just to remove any extra petal bits or pollen. Discard the clumps of wilted flowers.
4) In a relatively tall pot, combine the violet tea with the lemon juice and pectin. (Note: I used Surejell powdered pectin. Other pectins, liquid pectin especially, are used in jams and jellies differently -- all come with instructions on how to use them though, so just follow what it says.) Stir vigorously to dissolve the pectin evenly. You'll notice a vibrant color change; it's part of the reaction of the violet tea and acids in the lemon juice/pectin (and completely normal). It's all part of the fun!
5) Bring this mixture to a rolling boil (one that can't be stirred down). Add the four cups of sugar all at once, and continue to stir vigorously until all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has returned to a boil. Keep boiling for just over a minute (no more than 2 minutes), until the gel point is reached. (Note: I keep a cool plate in the fridge to test out the gel point; just drip a bit of the jelly on it, and if it holds together rather than runs, you've reached the gel point.)
6) Remove from the heat, and fill your prepared, sterilized jars. (Note: For me, this entails hand-washing the jars under scalding water with soap, rinsing, then boiling them until ready to use. I also hand-wash the jar lids and rings the same way, and let them simmer in near-boiling water until ready to use. Using your dishwasher would also work though.) Top the jars with lids and rings, and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Let them cool completely, and they should seal right up.
Who knew violets could be so yummy?
First things first, violets are edible -- rather bland in salads, but a nice addition for their color. But made into jelly, they develop a yummy herbal scent and taste -- I don't know how to describe it other than "violety" (and sweet thanks to the sugar!). There's also recipes out there for violet candies and violet syrup, although I'm just sticking with jam for now.
For a single batch of jelly, I went out and picked 2 cups of packed violet flowers (no stems or leaves; just the little flowers, which pop off very easily). It was pretty easy work, since they littered the backyard here (thanks dad for not mowing!). There are several kinds of violets, but most people will be familiar with the Common Blue Violet, Viola sororia. Any ol' violet will do -- all flowers in the viola family are perfectly edible. You'll want to make sure your lawn (or whatever spot you're picking from) hasn't been treated with pesticides or chemicals however, unless your goal is to make poison rather than jam.
Now, down to the recipe! In addition to standard jamming supplies, you'll need:
- 2 cups of packed violet flowers
- 2 cups of boiling water
- 4 cups of sugar
- 1/4 C lemon juice (or the juice from one lemon)
- 1 package of powdered pectin (or the pectin of your preference)
1) Rinse the flowers in COLD water to remove any dirt, bugs, etc.
3) Next, strain out the violet flowers using a fine-grained colander or sifter, and ring out the flowers, which will have absorbed quite a bit of liquid. Feel free to do this a couple times, just to remove any extra petal bits or pollen. Discard the clumps of wilted flowers.
4) In a relatively tall pot, combine the violet tea with the lemon juice and pectin. (Note: I used Surejell powdered pectin. Other pectins, liquid pectin especially, are used in jams and jellies differently -- all come with instructions on how to use them though, so just follow what it says.) Stir vigorously to dissolve the pectin evenly. You'll notice a vibrant color change; it's part of the reaction of the violet tea and acids in the lemon juice/pectin (and completely normal). It's all part of the fun!5) Bring this mixture to a rolling boil (one that can't be stirred down). Add the four cups of sugar all at once, and continue to stir vigorously until all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has returned to a boil. Keep boiling for just over a minute (no more than 2 minutes), until the gel point is reached. (Note: I keep a cool plate in the fridge to test out the gel point; just drip a bit of the jelly on it, and if it holds together rather than runs, you've reached the gel point.)
6) Remove from the heat, and fill your prepared, sterilized jars. (Note: For me, this entails hand-washing the jars under scalding water with soap, rinsing, then boiling them until ready to use. I also hand-wash the jar lids and rings the same way, and let them simmer in near-boiling water until ready to use. Using your dishwasher would also work though.) Top the jars with lids and rings, and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Let them cool completely, and they should seal right up.
Who knew violets could be so yummy?
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| A deliciously pretty spring jam, just begging for toast and scones! |
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Sheep
I got to watch sheep shearing this weekend! I believe the sheep below is a Corriedale; she chubbed up some during the winter (don't we all?), but look at that fleece! I just wanted to jump right in, it looked so soft. It felt soft too, thanks to all that lanolin in the wool -- just like hand cream! (Albeit, sheep-scented hand cream.)
I also got to try spinning some wool while I was there---the yarn came out lumpy, bumpy and twisted when I gave it a whirl, but it was still fun. Like knitting, once you get the hang of it, it's probably pretty relaxing.
I also got to try spinning some wool while I was there---the yarn came out lumpy, bumpy and twisted when I gave it a whirl, but it was still fun. Like knitting, once you get the hang of it, it's probably pretty relaxing.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
An Exciting Announcement
For well over a year now, I've been secretly harboring a dream: to one day attain a small farm all of my own. Back in January and February of this year, I thought I would work another full year to beef up my bank accounts a little more; but in late February and March, I re-evaluated this decision. Though I really do enjoy parts of my job, I doubted my ability to survive another full year of the sedentary office lifestyle. And there's really no time like the present to go after your dream, right? Mentally and financially, I was ready to go for it!
So I looked at some farming internships; I joined WWOOF; I examined some agriculture programs. Now, I can officially reveal here that I am taking a BIG step towards achieving my dream: I will be attending a program at UVM, which will result in my receiving a certificate in sustainable agriculture!
As of May 31st, expect to find me in Burlington, VT, hoe-in-hand and smile-on-face. Also expect plenty of posts regarding all my future farming adventures!
So I looked at some farming internships; I joined WWOOF; I examined some agriculture programs. Now, I can officially reveal here that I am taking a BIG step towards achieving my dream: I will be attending a program at UVM, which will result in my receiving a certificate in sustainable agriculture!
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| Huzzah!!! |
As of May 31st, expect to find me in Burlington, VT, hoe-in-hand and smile-on-face. Also expect plenty of posts regarding all my future farming adventures!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Seedlings
A short seedling update! A while ago, I did a post on all the seeds I had purchased; of those, I've got:
2 Bridge to Paris Pepper Seedlings
3 Doe Hill Pepper Seedlings
4 Isis Candy Store Seedlings
4 Goldie Tomato Seedlings
4 Genovese Basil Seedlings
4 Polish Linguisa Tomato Seedlings
I had potted up all of the Isis Cherry Tomatoes about a week ago; today I potted up the rest of the Goldie tomatoes and the peppers.
To pot them up, I was using some small white containers I had left over from last year; they're really nice since they have their own little water reservoirs in the bottom -- that means no spillage (which is perfect for a klutz like me).
I also made use of some plastic cups I had lying around for the rest of the seedlings today; just had to poke some holes for drainage. These are great since I can write right on them, making labeling a breeze. I confess, however, I forgot to label one -- now I'm not sure if it's a Goldie or an Isis Candy Tomato! I'll have to call it "Brittany's Surprise" Tomato.
Some of you out there may be wondering about where all these seedlings are going to end up, as I am moving away from CT in less than a month now! A very sudden move, but what's in store will be a blast. Let's just say that the topic of this blog may shift from "gardening" to "farming" very soon...
2 Bridge to Paris Pepper Seedlings
3 Doe Hill Pepper Seedlings
4 Isis Candy Store Seedlings
4 Goldie Tomato Seedlings
4 Genovese Basil Seedlings
4 Polish Linguisa Tomato Seedlings
To pot them up, I was using some small white containers I had left over from last year; they're really nice since they have their own little water reservoirs in the bottom -- that means no spillage (which is perfect for a klutz like me).
I also made use of some plastic cups I had lying around for the rest of the seedlings today; just had to poke some holes for drainage. These are great since I can write right on them, making labeling a breeze. I confess, however, I forgot to label one -- now I'm not sure if it's a Goldie or an Isis Candy Tomato! I'll have to call it "Brittany's Surprise" Tomato.
 |
| Sun bathing. Boy, seedlings sure do have it rough. |
Some of you out there may be wondering about where all these seedlings are going to end up, as I am moving away from CT in less than a month now! A very sudden move, but what's in store will be a blast. Let's just say that the topic of this blog may shift from "gardening" to "farming" very soon...
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Mud Season Memoirs
Book lover alert! There are lots of memoirs out there concerning food, farming, and rural living, but these are a few I've read recently:
The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love by Kristin Kimball (2010)
Of the three books here, this was by FAR my favorite. The author, who once frequented the literary circles of NYC, finds an unexpected dual love: farming, and a farmer to go with it. Their adventure lands them at Essex Farm, located in Essex County, NY -- only a couple hours north of where I grew up. The story is wonderfully composed, and full of interesting anecdotes that make the book zip right along. I'd recommend this book to a wide audience of people, despite its focus on farming. Backyard gardeners and food-lovers will still resonate with many of its themes. Fifty Acres and a Poodle: A Story of Love, Livestock, and Finding Myself on a Farm by Jeanne Marie Laskas (2002)
Though this book takes place on a farm, I found it to be less about farming and more about the adjustment of "city folk" to a rural lifestyle. The author is quite introspective and thoughtful in relating her slow acclimation to her oddball neighbors and the completely foreign countryside that surrounds her. An enjoyable read, and I even think the author wrote a sequel a couple years later.
Heirloom: Notes from an Accidental Tomato Farmer by Tim Stark (2008)
Tomatoes! In early spring, they seem so far away, so of course I had to pick this one up. Unfortunately, there weren't as many luscious descriptions of tomatoes as I would have liked, but the author's story is intriguing none-the-less. It's actually quite interesting how he gets started, and the people he meets at the massive Greenmarket in NYC (which I would one day love to visit). Written as a string of anecdotes loosely tied together, I felt pieces of the puzzle were missing in places, or perhaps glossed over a little too much. Overall though, another enjoyable memoir.
I'm currently reading The Rural Life by Verlyn Klinkenborg -- another book that takes place in upstate NY. It's very relaxing to read for some reason, probably because he has a very poetic writing style. I could add quite a few more books here... but we'll just stick with these for now.
Oh, shame on me: I still haven't read The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan! I'm sensing a trip to the library soon... and if anyone has suggestions of other books, pass them on! I'm all ears. :)
I'm currently reading The Rural Life by Verlyn Klinkenborg -- another book that takes place in upstate NY. It's very relaxing to read for some reason, probably because he has a very poetic writing style. I could add quite a few more books here... but we'll just stick with these for now.
Oh, shame on me: I still haven't read The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan! I'm sensing a trip to the library soon... and if anyone has suggestions of other books, pass them on! I'm all ears. :)
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Maple Days: Day 7
Jack Wax. I like to think some poor guy named Jack fell asleep as he was finishing off some syrup. He wakes up, rushing over to find his syrup has boiled over. Catastrophe! Syrup everywhere, a sticky mess has congealed around his pans. He throws his hat down, stomping around and cursing all his wasted effort. In his growing frustration, he heaves the steaming pan outside, tossing the whole mess into the snowbank.
But what's this? Jack goes over to where he tossed the pan. The maple syrup has trickled out onto the snow, where's it's congealed into some foreign, waxy substance. He tastes, and his famous "sugar on snow" is born.
Well, that's probably not what happened. But it still tastes great none-the-less!
Jack wax is made by heating syrup to 35 degrees or so above the boiling point of water. This is more of a guideline however; the syrup should "thread" rather than drip to get that taffy-like consistency on the snow. When done properly, the syrup congeals instantly on contact, and with a fork, you simply roll up the syrup and eat. Probably one of the easiest recipes out there. Best eaten with friends or family; otherwise you're liable to go into sugar shock, having eaten all the jack wax yourself!
But what's this? Jack goes over to where he tossed the pan. The maple syrup has trickled out onto the snow, where's it's congealed into some foreign, waxy substance. He tastes, and his famous "sugar on snow" is born.
Well, that's probably not what happened. But it still tastes great none-the-less!
Jack wax is made by heating syrup to 35 degrees or so above the boiling point of water. This is more of a guideline however; the syrup should "thread" rather than drip to get that taffy-like consistency on the snow. When done properly, the syrup congeals instantly on contact, and with a fork, you simply roll up the syrup and eat. Probably one of the easiest recipes out there. Best eaten with friends or family; otherwise you're liable to go into sugar shock, having eaten all the jack wax yourself!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Maple Days: Day 6
All day up at the sugar shack! Made 5 gallons.While boiling, the shack smells like a cloud of sugar; ions of maple infused steam floating around in the air. It makes it kind of hard to see sometimes, but the sugar rush you get from inhaling is totally worth it.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Maple Days: Day 5
No boiling; too cold. But it warmed up by the end of the day, so sugaring will commence again tomorrow! Huzzah!
I am getting accustomed to sugar rushes these days. Mmm.
What is that, you ask? Maple cream! For those of you out there that don't know what that is, it's simple. Take maple syrup, boil away, and you end up with a spreadable form of maple sugar that has a butter-like, creamy texture. Perfect on toast (or just a spoon).
Okay, so it's a little more complicated that that. See the thermometer in the picture above? It's a digital candy thermometer, and the only gadget needed for this process (well, besides a spoon, but I hope you have one of those in your kitchen). To make the cream, you need to boil maple syrup until it's 23 degrees above the boiling point of water. The boiling point of water when we did this was 212.6 (yes, I'm afraid it needs to be that accurate), making the goal temperature 235.6 degrees.
The process takes a couple hours on the stovetop. In the meanwhile, you have to keep an eye on it and stir the syrup when it threatens to boil over. Also, you'll need to get an ice bath ready for the next step.
When you hit 235.6 degrees (or whatever temperature you need) immediately transfer the pot to the ice water bath. You'll need to let it sit - WITHOUT MOVING THE SYRUP AT ALL - until the liquid has cooled to 75 degrees. It'll take about an hour, maybe more.
Next up? Stirring. Sounds easy, but this is actually the labor intensive part. Since the sugar has cooled, it's about the consistency of taffy. The best recommendation I have is to stir sitting down. You can hold the pot better with your knees, and you'll probably be at this for a half an hour or so - might as well take it easy.
Keep in mind too, you don't have to stir quickly. Your arms will tire quickly if you attack the sugar, plus it won't really make a difference. The sugar won't set up more quickly by faster stirring.
As you stir for a while, you'll notice some color changes. This is what you have to watch out for. At first, it'll look about the same color as dark maple syrup, but slowly, it will lighten in color.
Eventually, it'll turn a coffee ice-cream color, or a peanut-butter brown. Keep stirring until it looses its sheen; the image below still has some shine because of the lighting, but trust me, after staring at the same pot of sugar you'll be able to tell when this happens.
Now for the final bit! Load up some containers with cream; pretty much anything with a cover will do. You can stick it in the fridge at this point, and after a little while, take another peek. It'll have set up and thickened into maple cream! Enjoy on toast, waffles, pancakes, or in coffee or tea.
I am getting accustomed to sugar rushes these days. Mmm.
What is that, you ask? Maple cream! For those of you out there that don't know what that is, it's simple. Take maple syrup, boil away, and you end up with a spreadable form of maple sugar that has a butter-like, creamy texture. Perfect on toast (or just a spoon).
Okay, so it's a little more complicated that that. See the thermometer in the picture above? It's a digital candy thermometer, and the only gadget needed for this process (well, besides a spoon, but I hope you have one of those in your kitchen). To make the cream, you need to boil maple syrup until it's 23 degrees above the boiling point of water. The boiling point of water when we did this was 212.6 (yes, I'm afraid it needs to be that accurate), making the goal temperature 235.6 degrees.
The process takes a couple hours on the stovetop. In the meanwhile, you have to keep an eye on it and stir the syrup when it threatens to boil over. Also, you'll need to get an ice bath ready for the next step.When you hit 235.6 degrees (or whatever temperature you need) immediately transfer the pot to the ice water bath. You'll need to let it sit - WITHOUT MOVING THE SYRUP AT ALL - until the liquid has cooled to 75 degrees. It'll take about an hour, maybe more.
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| Rub a dub dub, don't move that tub! |
Keep in mind too, you don't have to stir quickly. Your arms will tire quickly if you attack the sugar, plus it won't really make a difference. The sugar won't set up more quickly by faster stirring.
As you stir for a while, you'll notice some color changes. This is what you have to watch out for. At first, it'll look about the same color as dark maple syrup, but slowly, it will lighten in color.
Eventually, it'll turn a coffee ice-cream color, or a peanut-butter brown. Keep stirring until it looses its sheen; the image below still has some shine because of the lighting, but trust me, after staring at the same pot of sugar you'll be able to tell when this happens.
Now for the final bit! Load up some containers with cream; pretty much anything with a cover will do. You can stick it in the fridge at this point, and after a little while, take another peek. It'll have set up and thickened into maple cream! Enjoy on toast, waffles, pancakes, or in coffee or tea.
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| And of course, don't forget to lick the bowl. |
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Maple Days: Day 4
No boiling today! It was too cold again, it only got up to about 35 or 36 degrees. (About 5 inches of sap in the tank.) That trend will likely continue for the next couple days; the forecast isn't looking as warm as it once was.
So rather than making syrup, I used some up today in good, old-fashioned, grandma-style bread. We (being me, a couple uncles, my dad and grandma) made two batches: six loaves. (Notice there's only five in the image. We ate an entire loaf in the process!)
Unfortunately, I refuse to post the recipe here. It's too good!
However, I can disclose how I substitute maple syrup for sugar in recipes.
First, maple syrup can be used in pretty much any recipe that calls for sugar and some amount of liquid. Keep in mind here, that maple has a more distinct taste than normal cane sugar, so even if it's possible to substitute sugar with maple syrup, consider the flavor of the final product. But if that maple flavor is what you're going for, make sure to use grade B -- it tends to have a stronger maple taste to it.
Next, you'll have to do a little bit of math. Maple syrup is 66.6% sugar and 33.3% water. That's 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. You'll need to adjust the quantity of sugar and liquid (usually water) in your recipe accordingly. Substitute 2/3 C sugar and 1/3 C water with 1 C maple syrup. Simple, eh?
However... there are a few snags. Cookies, for example, rarely call for any specific amounts of liquid. Butter, eggs, flour, sugar and spices and you're pretty much good to go. You can't reduce those things without potentially completely screwing up the recipe. But who said baking was a science? You can simply reduce the amount of sugar, and substitute an equal amount of maple syrup. If your recipe needs 1/4 C sugar, just nix it entirely and use 1/4 C syrup. If it calls for something like 1-1/2 C sugar, keep some of the white stuff in, otherwise your cookie dough will turn into a gooey mess. The bread we made today was easy, because it only called for 1/3 C sugar. We just substituted 1/3 C maple syrup, and it worked wonderfully.
Lastly, you'll probably want to find a good hiding spot for your concoction. It's guaranteed to go fast!
Unfortunately, I refuse to post the recipe here. It's too good!
However, I can disclose how I substitute maple syrup for sugar in recipes.
First, maple syrup can be used in pretty much any recipe that calls for sugar and some amount of liquid. Keep in mind here, that maple has a more distinct taste than normal cane sugar, so even if it's possible to substitute sugar with maple syrup, consider the flavor of the final product. But if that maple flavor is what you're going for, make sure to use grade B -- it tends to have a stronger maple taste to it.
Next, you'll have to do a little bit of math. Maple syrup is 66.6% sugar and 33.3% water. That's 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. You'll need to adjust the quantity of sugar and liquid (usually water) in your recipe accordingly. Substitute 2/3 C sugar and 1/3 C water with 1 C maple syrup. Simple, eh?
However... there are a few snags. Cookies, for example, rarely call for any specific amounts of liquid. Butter, eggs, flour, sugar and spices and you're pretty much good to go. You can't reduce those things without potentially completely screwing up the recipe. But who said baking was a science? You can simply reduce the amount of sugar, and substitute an equal amount of maple syrup. If your recipe needs 1/4 C sugar, just nix it entirely and use 1/4 C syrup. If it calls for something like 1-1/2 C sugar, keep some of the white stuff in, otherwise your cookie dough will turn into a gooey mess. The bread we made today was easy, because it only called for 1/3 C sugar. We just substituted 1/3 C maple syrup, and it worked wonderfully.
Lastly, you'll probably want to find a good hiding spot for your concoction. It's guaranteed to go fast!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Maple Days: Day 3
No boiling today! The sap wasn't really running all that much. Maybe 4 inches in the tank. That doesn't mean there isn't anything to do in the sugarbush though; today was spent checking the lines, and tapping a couple more trees.
There are different kinds of maple trees; all of them can be used for sap: red, soft, hard, sugar. Once the trees are tapped, we use a tubing system to run the sap down to the collecting tank at the bottom of the hill. Above is midway up the sugarbush, looking down on the maze of tubing; no, before you ask, I didn't clothesline myself! Although I did walk into a tree at one point.
It was a nice day for a short snowshoe hike; I had on a sweatshirt and ski jacket, but I was ready to peel off the coat after a while. The snowshoes I have on are actually hand-me-downs from my dad, so nothing fancy. But who's going to be wearing snowshoes to a black tie event anyways?
First up was hunting for the few trees that still needed taps; luckily my dad tagged with marking tape, so it didn't take all day to find them.
Here's the first tree we found. Since it's not so big, maybe a foot or so in diameter, we put in a single tap. Some of the larger trees are able to handle a couple taps, though. I don't think any of our trees are large enough to handle three taps, but I'm sure it's possible.
So the first thing to do is connect your tubing around the tree; this line will run down into one of the main lines, eventually finding its way into the collection tank.
Next, you drill a hole in the tree. The most common question people ask me if drilling holes in the tree hurts it -- don't worry, it doesn't. My dad and uncle have been tapping these trees for decades (other sugarbushes have been tapping for even longer). The trees are healthy and happy.
The hole should be the same width as the tap; a gentle tap with a hammer will secure it so that the snow and wind won't dislodge it. (Occasionally the taps may still pop out for one reason or another, but this is why you wander through to check the lines throughout the season.)
Here's the complete system: hole drilled and tap hooked up, the sap can run down into the lines, where it'll eventually end up on your pancakes.
Another question I get asked is how the sap tastes. Is it sweet? Is it worth drinking on its own? Well, it's about 2% sugar, so it is very slightly sweet. You can tell that it's not just water. But it's really not something you would go out of your way to drink; looking into a sap tank, you visibly wouldn't be able to differentiate it from water. But if you're wandering around a sugar bush, go ahead and try some sap. At the very least, you'll appreciate the super-sweet final product all the more.
There are different kinds of maple trees; all of them can be used for sap: red, soft, hard, sugar. Once the trees are tapped, we use a tubing system to run the sap down to the collecting tank at the bottom of the hill. Above is midway up the sugarbush, looking down on the maze of tubing; no, before you ask, I didn't clothesline myself! Although I did walk into a tree at one point.
First up was hunting for the few trees that still needed taps; luckily my dad tagged with marking tape, so it didn't take all day to find them.
So the first thing to do is connect your tubing around the tree; this line will run down into one of the main lines, eventually finding its way into the collection tank.
The hole should be the same width as the tap; a gentle tap with a hammer will secure it so that the snow and wind won't dislodge it. (Occasionally the taps may still pop out for one reason or another, but this is why you wander through to check the lines throughout the season.)
Another question I get asked is how the sap tastes. Is it sweet? Is it worth drinking on its own? Well, it's about 2% sugar, so it is very slightly sweet. You can tell that it's not just water. But it's really not something you would go out of your way to drink; looking into a sap tank, you visibly wouldn't be able to differentiate it from water. But if you're wandering around a sugar bush, go ahead and try some sap. At the very least, you'll appreciate the super-sweet final product all the more.
When you add taps to a tree, you've got to add them into the system too. Above, my dad is cutting the line and using a plastic connector to link them up. It's kind of like a giant puzzle, assembling all the taps and lines together.
A note on materials might be in order at this point: plastic vs. metal. Everyone sees those shiny metal buckets hanging off giant maple trees, sap splooshing into the pale. That's all very nice, if you've got just a few trees. But it gets to be very inefficient very fast, so most producers use a tubing system. The lines are plastic; thus, they need to be replaced every so often. Here we're keeping track of old vs. new tubing using a color scheme. All the green lines are brand new; the pale blue (or translucent) is oldest. To the right, we're replacing a section of old line with new. Some of the dark areas you can make out in the old lines are bacteria, which will build up in the lines more frequently as they age. (Don't worry, it's all cleaned out before it gets anywhere near the syrup stage!)
The taps themselves are also plastic; antique taps may be wooden, or metal, or a combination thereof. Recently, they've come out with stainless steel taps, which in an ideal world, we'd be using. But they're also expensive. Maybe one day!
In addition to putting in three new taps, and replacing a stretch of tubing, we also re-inserted a couple taps that had fallen out, and pulled some lines out of the recently fallen snow. Chipmunks, squirrels, and bunnies can come along and chew on the lines if they're left at ground level, which in turn cause the lines to leak, and that's never good. Each tap can yield up to a quart of syrup in a season, so you consistently need to go up and check on the lines during the season.
Eventually, all this tubing ends up into one of the main lines, which flow directly into the sap tank. It holds 500 gallons, which sounds like more than enough. But it's been near full on multiple occasions when the sap really gets going - which will hopefully happen soon!
Stay tuned! More maple days to come.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Maple Days: Day 2
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| Taste testing. Lots of taste testing. |
In a very quick nutshell, this is what goes on to make maple syrup: collect sap, boil sap down in an evaporator, sample, draw off when it gets close to syrup, finish boiling off in separate pans, sample, fill jars, sample, finish filling jars, sample cooled sap from bottom of pans, clean equipment.
There's a lot more to know about making maple syrup, but at the core, it's just boiling away all that water to get down to the good stuff: syrup that's 66.6% sugar and 33.3% water. Adirondack gold.
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| The arch and evaporator: the first stage of the boiling process. |
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| Drawing off the sap, nearing the point where it's syrup. |
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| The finishing pan: the second stage of boiling off. |
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| Getting close! More boiling. |
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| The finished product. Success! |
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