Best Way I've Boiled Our Maple Syrup

This is the best way I have Boiled my maple sap into syrup. I was able to keep the propane tank from freezing up and cut down 4 hours on the boiling time!
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I was born and raised 20 minutes from Boston, MA. At the age of 17, I was diagnosed with Anxiety. My personal experience with the prescribed medication was NOT POSITIVE. So I decided to find better way. I didn't know it at the time but, that was the BEGINNING for me! I have been “FINDING A BETTER WAY” in all areas in my life ever since. Better ways of how to create a modern homestead affordably, and a better way to provide my family with healthy foods, and so….. much MORE!
At Lumnah Acres we hope our experiences can help guide you to find YOUR BETTER WAY! Please join us in sharing our journey with you, let us be a guide to Modern Homesteading, Self-Sufficiency, and FREEDOM for you!
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[@HumphreyFamilyHolsteins]

Not sure what it is but every time you chop little wood for the stove, I get a sense of calm. I’ve only been watching your videos about 2 weeks but I have sat and watch tons of your videos and I definitely love your channel. Thanks for being on KZbin!

[@gregkahle9046]

Good morning Al, your sap boiling/syrup making has come a long way! Really like the duck crossing sign. Have a great day everybody!

[@natashasemrau3670]

Farming is so consuming of time, but you get maple syrup that you don't pay 7. 99 for a tiny bottle. Wow you sure have made a ton of syrup!!!!!! Well that is what farming is for, and aren't you glad you are a farmer to!!! Say hi to everyone and the animals too!🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩🐷🐷🐷🐷🐷🐣🐣🐣🐣🐣🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

[@dianamallory8535]

So jealous! I can't wait until next year! Missed you guys yesterday, but totally understand your reason for reducing your amount of videos. Thank you for sharing.

[@dianecharles881]

Wow ! Lots of sap! I really enjoy the little tidbits you give like the slime for tires , the portable air compressor, how you placed the blade in front of the gas cooker to keep the wind from blowing it - I don’t think there’s anything that we don’t enjoy about the way you do things with such ease! Thanks for always sharing even small things to make life a little easier! 👍

[@hnobleh]

You should do a walk-around and thank the trees for their sap. Before you leave the tree, each of you can hug your trees. They will love it!

[@terijean6351]

I didn't realize how much that "Goooood morning..." ment to my day! Good morning Olivia and Gina, looking forward to seeing you both so much more!

[@LumnahAcres]

Thank you! That means a lot!

[@ruralhomesteader6650]

Great video. I love watching how maple syrup is made. It is such an old fashioned traditional hobby.

[@jeannecooke4862]

Yay! for that BEAUTIFUL Maple Syrup! Congratulations! Are you going to make candy as well? You are so good at everything you set yourselves to do! So love to see New Yolk City segments! Awesome layers those lovely hens of yours! Awesome eggs! Your cooking segments are wonderful! I'm a fan. Thank you for sharing your videos and tutorials and good tidings to you all!

[@Downeastwaves]

Your maple production worked out great! Good job!

[@CleoCastonguay47]

It was fun following you in the process of making maple syrup... Thanks for sharing . :)

[@pepecocomax]

This is so interesting to watch you make maple syrup. I'm just catching up on some older videos. I just can't get enough of your videos I really enjoy them. 7 jars that is so awesome. That is really fun to watch.

[@mlo6965]

YEAH a video. I was bummed yesterday. I understand, your lovely family should and does come first!!!

[@virginiareid5336]

What a great video. Glad you found an improved way to do it.

[@wendyknoxleet]

I love your attention to detail and your colour sense with pops of colour

[@50shadesofgreen]

Good day to you Al, Gina & Olivia !! 👍👍😁😁 Thanks for sharing your thoughts, knowledge and experiences on your Modern Steader update with us all today 😁😁👍👍

[@131dyana]

It looks so yummy. Thanks for showing us this.

[@rsoubiea]

good job Al, you really cranked out that last batch!

[@atheanicholls2199]

hi good morning Al Gina and Olivia miss you guys yesterday, oh the ducks are getting big, I hear yeah Mr. Biggs. I love how you have a tool for everything that's amazing. Another enjoyable video till the next video have a wonderful day today all as a beautiful family 👋 bye Olivia. ☁⛅🏡🐓🐔🐔🐔🐷🐷🐕🐈🌱🌱🌱🚺💕💕💕.

[@marlenereimchen9141]

Wow what a harvest!!! Good for you.

[@elainetrudeau9690]

Ooooo, so much syrup! I've never filtered syrup but I use flour sack towels to filter everything else 😁

[@hutchlinda9]

Al, I was the person that referred you to Dan of Grass-fed Homestead. Please get back with him specifically about your reasons for raising hogs in the winter. He had a different experience than you about winter hogs and you could mentor him with your great advise and experience with winter raising of hogs.Love all the projects, especially the portable brooder.

[@LumnahAcres]

Thanks, Did you see the video we did with Dan on the Grass Fed Homestead yesterday on his channel?

[@woodchipful]

Thanks Al! Looks good!

[@Wilderstead]

You know what works great for the filtering process Al? Cooking oil filters. You can get em at Cabelas. That's what we use here. Very handy and easy to clean em up when you're all finished. It's been fun watching you boil sap the last few weeks man! Cheers!

[@LumnahAcres]

Thanks I will have to look into that!

[@NYBirdman1980]

You need to make a video on your plans on your goals once the snow finally melts. Where are you moving New Yolk City, are you moving the pig pasture this year? Where to? Are you finally building a deck off the house this year? Any fruit trees?

[@richardbohlingsr3490]

Your getting really good at boiling down the sap into syrup. Looking good and tasty. YUM I use paper towels to filter cooking oil and it should work for syrup as well. You should be still getting sap for more syrup. Come on Spring.

[@leederdavid4782]

Great video man. Love the John Deere snow blade wind break!

[@SasquatchBioacoustic]

Try a fine metal screen such as they use in drip coffer makers. They are finer than cheese cloth, but not as fine as a paper coffee filter. Add a sprinkle of non-dairy coffee creamer to knock down the foam before it boils over.

[@kimberleyfriesenhahn2515]

When filtering the syrup, I fold the cheesecloth. You can fold it 2-4 layers thick depending on how fine you want it strained. Wetting the cheesecloth with water first seems to help it filter faster too.

[@randyrejer4219]

Good to see you back. I saw MIGardner use old T-shirt. Looked like it worked great.

[@wendyknoxleet]

I have learned so much, thank you

[@russse2793]

Looks like you have a nice little workshed there. Very cool. God Bless from Phoenix.

[@tennesseegirl1215]

Awesome video, thanks for sharing. Blessings

[@onewhitestone]

Heeey AL, good haul there Al, you did good this time. That stuff is gold and you made a lot for the year. Now for the pigs.

[@LumnahAcres]

Yes it is on to the its now!

[@offgridsweden]

Awesome video today. A lot of maple syrap. At my place the solar panels is starting to go up. Produced 3.8 kWh today even though it was raining and cloudy. Not bad for the first day. Greetings from Andreas on Off Grid Sweden

[@LumnahAcres]

That is exciting news! You must be pumped!

[@offgridsweden]

Lumnah Acres Yea its really exiting.

[@frankhicks8554]

Love your videos keep it up

[@heavenscenthomestead4242]

I use layers of flannel (wet first) then I take out as they become icky. Do it twice...once with near syrup(fast) and then again at syrup(slower). Cheap and reusable and does a very good job . Just wash in hot water.

[@carmelinabalchin9570]

Sooooo good to see you... Love you guys, it makes me feel like i've left this bed... Thank you.... Don't know if some one has said this before, since you start a fire in your kitchen how about putting some syrup in a pan, and put it on the stove, then when its time to put more syrup in the pot outside, you put what you've got on the stove in it... That way, you will use less propane, and your stove was heated up anyway...... Also you're not putting cold syrup in your reduced syrup, bringing the temp right down..... It should help the time it all takes??? Anyhow hope you're having some good quality to your family time together. Xxxx How about putting some clothes pegs on your cheesecloth and sieve. So it stays put. And some how have your sieve higher, off the pot, so it strains quicker. As you notice when you lift the sieve it flows out quicker. Best to use a slotted spoon for skimming... Xxxx excellent...

[@dennisst.germaine3497]

Another successful syrup production! You have developed a great system for small batch production. Thanks for sharing!

[@LumnahAcres]

Know I have to make sure I remember all of this for next year! Lol I might have to make a video on what I learned my first year making syrup so I can go back and watch. Lol. Is all of your snow melted on the seacoast?

[@dennisst.germaine3497]

Yes, it is all gone, no ice in the rivers also. Lots of rain now I hope things will start greening up soon!

[@aprills1973]

Get yourself a wool cone filter. Filter into the pot, out of the big pot into the finishing pot, and then once again at the end. At the very end I put a tea towel inside the wool filter and do the final strain. Works awesome, gets all the sand.

[@LumnahAcres]

Where can i get one?

[@aprills1973]

Lumnah Acres on amazon

[@lisabooker6405]

Al you may want to get a piece of buttered muslin cloth. The “cheese cloth” they sell in the supermarket or big box type stores is really more of a gauze. It should help make the straining easier. It can be washed and reused as well. (The muslin I mean.) Hope this helps. God Bless ~Lisa

[@davidjohnston1971]

You might want to consider getting a flow control valve for your propane rig. You're using the pressure regulator to control flow. That is not good for the regulator or efficiency. Propane is best delivered at 15 psi. You can purchase fixed pressure regulators for propane or use and adjustable, such as you have. Adjustable regulators are more typically used on air compressor systems to adjust 125-150 psi air compressors to adjust pressure for more optimum pressures for air tools, paint sprayers etc.. For example most air tools operate most efficiently at 90 psi. Paint sprayers from 15- 50 psi. Typically an adjustable regulator would have a pressure gauge coming out one side. If you look closely you will see a silver plug on one side. This plug can be removed and a pressure gauge added. You might add a flow control after the regulator. This could be a 1/4 turn gas/water valve or a needle valve. Adjusting the flow with the valve adjusts the rate of flow without affecting the optimum pressure provided by the regulator. This is similar to the controls on your stove. Main pressure from bulk tanks to gas lines remains constant. Controls on front of stove controls flow volume. A major part of your freeze up is that you're opening the pressure regulator to more than 15 psi. Yes, your burner seems stronger but much of the gas may be wasted and not burned at all. This increased pressure allows the propane to expand faster than ideal causing the freeze up.

[@keriplorins6578]

I know spending time with the family is very important but I'm gonna miss those videos 365 days a year! 😭

[@LumnahAcres]

Thanks!

[@kansascreekhuntingcooking8515]

glad you tried my water trick glad I could help you out.

[@yaks6312]

I really hope you do a home tour soon. Showcase the food cave and just an overall layout of the place. I hope to build soon. Looking for ideas. You look like you have done a great job.

[@yaks6312]

also as a firefighter. I thank you for being a Vol. Firefighter and a police officer in your past.

[@rustynailmott8003]

Al, that was a great idea with using the water to keep the tank from freezing. By the way I did notice at the start that the tire was flat and started to make a comment to that effect. I decided to wait til I saw whole video because I knew you just had to have known it and sure enough you did. Love your channel. Gonna miss you cutting back on the vids but I totally understand.

[@LumnahAcres]

Thanks, Lol

[@stevesammut499]

Re filtering the syrup. You can buy filter bags from homebrew shops that come in fine, medium or course that may work better than coffee filter papers. I think the course ones is similar in courseness to cheesecloth. Not sure if you can buy the material they are made from and make your own. Great video, you are going to have a nice store of syrup by the end of the season.

[@billherrick3569]

brace the bucket up in the air over the boiling pot and open the tap to a constant tiny stream for a continuous feed while its boiling.

[@ubetchya78]

There is a sign in the back of the Outdoor Kitchen that says "Duck crossing", that is why your ducks are trying to get in there...

[@LumnahAcres]

I better move the sign!

[@bibendumify]

Hello, i found T-Shirt is a great way to filter maple syrup. I'm doing it and i'm clear of any sand! I love your journey, take care!

[@larryatwell9734]

Yea and it will smell good too.

[@hutchlinda9]

For filtering try using butter muslim. any cheese making supply co. will sell it. or buy muslim bar towels from Walmart. you folks did a nice job making syrup this year.

[@loriehabel1552]

Awsome how much goodness your getting Al👍

[@suzisaintjames]

Get you a slotted spoon for skimming the foam off the maple sap. It will let the sap run back into the pot, but not the foam. With lots of love 💝from sunny☀ Arizona,🌵 89/60f today!

[@michaelamato1431]

I cut my boil time down a lot this year by warning the sap on the wood stove first..This way your not lowering the temp of your boil every time you add ice cold sap...Great videos...Thanks

[@kdscrapping4452]

I am watching your video with your ducks, I look out my back yard witch, because all the rain the last few days is now a pond, two mallards are swimming in it looking for food,witch just happen to be I filled the bird feeders about 2 hours earlier !!! Nice video!!!

[@paulgargan6134]

Pick up a milk filter at your feed store pan shaped kind,strainer for milk,we used one on the farm

[@sprucemoose2077]

tractor supply has filter cloth from tap my trees that works very good. we just rinse them out good and reuse them., this is the first year we are using them and its a night and day difference.

[@FarmFreshIB]

Syrup process is starting to look like a well oiled machine. Love the tips and tricks you are learning and sharing along the way! I wonder if a MILK filter would fit the bill for your syrup??

[@tyfirestone]

I love this video, and come back to it every year as I prep to tap my trees. What kind of propane burner is that? It seems to work great.

[@eddeetz493]

Since you use the yard arm for the lever to scald consider building a cement block fire brick lined ecavopator base. Same base holds the preheated above. 3 warming pans and the yardarm gets a new job. I see a tote hanging with the. Preheat pan in between. 4 gallons plus a run.

[@russsherwood5978]

good morning AL, that sure is a fast way to do syrup,, beats doing it over a wood burner, but where is the smell of wood smoke one would have with sugaring time? any way nough bought old ways,,, great video. god bless you and your family,, have a safe day. thank you for the video..

[@chelemichele1524]

Happy Wednesday to you all 🌻

[@melissakiel3744]

We use a flour sack towel to filter our syrup. It's finer than the cheese cloth but not as slow as a coffee filter. The ones I have are pretty big so I fold them in quarters. Works great!

[@brianmiller4282]

Try scrambling an egg in the sap right as it gets to a boil on the wood stove, the egg will collect a lot of the grit and you just scoop the egg out with all the grit and if you get a pot starting to boil over put some butter in it and that will stop it from boiling over

[@borisjohnson1944]

whipped egg white is used. Same as to clear consomme, clear beef broth.

I find the paint strainers i used when painting cars work great in the kitchen .

[@timfowler4642]

Love, love , love maple syrup.

[@larrykluckoutdoors8227]

Very nice, I did not make any this year

[@marchallee4573]

I'd recommend the synthetic cone filter. You can fill it up, let it drip and squeeze out the rest with some gloves on. I found that to work best to filter. And clean your filter after each pour to keep it clean.

[@jimclaire7996]

I missed you yesterday. How was your day off with the family? I think that is the first time in about a year that I did not watch a 5 A.M. Video. Anyway, the sap boil should be interesting. I am not sure I understand the need to boil some sap and not the whole amount. The hot water trick on the tank of gas is new for me to see. I use some natural gas tanks for burners in The Philippines. The problem, the tanks run dry without warning. I have been cooking and had to go get a new tank. I use a small tank about every six weeks. I now keep a spare tank at home to replace when I need to exchange tanks and continue cooking. I had to learn the hard way. The second boiling sort of scares me. Are you afraid the inside walls will get sticky to the touch and then attract dirt and insects? Al, great video. Imagine that gallon or so of syrup. Well done. That looks like great eating for the future. Wow, what goodness. That outdoor kitchen sort reminds me of our dirty kitchen. We use our dirty kitchen to bake in. The heat stays outside. We also can outside. I am looking forward to seeing you start planting and canning. God bless you, one and all. Padre+

[@simidhel]

Nicely done whomever it was that suggested the warm water trick for your frozen propane tank issue. If you want a filter that's maybe in-between cheesecloth and a coffee filter, you could perhaps try _muslin_ cloth? My mum, who was a cook, always seemed to prefer muslin for filtering various liquids. I think you can probably get food grade muslin on Amazon. Nice work on the improved boiling technique! 🍁 🔥 🛢 🥞

[@LumnahAcres]

Thanks, I will have to look into the muslin cloth. I think that propane hack will come in pretty handy! How is the weather been where you are?

[@simidhel]

The weather here has been beautiful this week in the mid 20s°c / 70s°f with blue skies, the occasional white cloud, warm sun and gentle breezes. As autumn weather goes, it couldn't be much better. _(although I also rather like cold, grey, windy autumn weather)_ I still need to get one last thing for my herb garden before I start but I helped my brother with his raised bed gardens this week... :)

[@LumnahAcres]

Sounds like you are having some amazing weather!

[@wendyknoxleet]

Brilliant.

[@thebovineavenger]

My grandma had 50,000 kitchen towel. Those flour sack ones. Okay not 50,000 but a lot of them. They each were cross stitched with what they were used for so they didnt get cross used. She had several with a syrup bottle on them. She always used a flour sack towel to strain. Hope that helps.

[@BornAgainFarmGirl]

Good day Al .

[@TerrieAllred2023]

A new white tshirt that has been washed works great for straining! Cut to the size you need.

[@eddeetz493]

If I had an old warning tray I'd send it. Rest supply or online. You could be preheating sap on the wood stove top. Use old boiler insulated lines to let it drip. Wood does 3 jobs. Heat, boil and finish.

[@rammur1]

very nice !

[@coreywassell]

Mix a little food grade Diatamatious earth in first then run it through the coffee filter or heavy felt it will keep it flowing a little longer also put a drop of butter or coconut oil in the finishing pan and it will stop it from boiling over

[@clarkguerrero2847]

Great job Al. I sure miss you guys everyday, but hey, I know it was a lot to do videos everyday. What kind of Maple trees do you guys have? I know they grow fast and was thinking of planting a few.

[@LumnahAcres]

We are tapping rock maple, sugar maple. and silver maple.

[@hogdigerdy]

hi Al why not pour out the tap into the pan by tipping the big pot, less energy until your down to the last pint, then tip the big pot to drain the last out just a thought any saving of time or energy on the farm can't be bad, great show we love it steve UK

[@carolkimbell5174]

Love New Yolk City!

[@colincharlton4537]

looks tasty

[@lindakurtz2653]

Keep some butter handy, if it looks like it’s going to boil over (and it will, believe me!) just add a tiny piece of butter and that will stop it. I think it changes the density which breaks the bubbles. And who doesn’t love a bit of butter with their syrup!

[@tonymorales3019]

Tony Morales and I loved the way you explain how to make maple syrup I live in West Texas you think I could start doing maple syrup because I'm me and my wife are barely starting our home state

[@Bigbass1ful]

A drop of vegetable oil keeps the foam away!! Great Job!

[@audioalt]

nice video, like out door kitchen

[@craigculver9978]

are you done with syrup this year ? good haul for 10 trees. thanks for the upload Al, have a awesome day.

[@LumnahAcres]

Yes I am we have to start getting ready for our pasture to plate course

[@Randyo223]

Beekeeping supply places have a honey filter that fits on the top of a five gallon bucket. Inexpensive and many mesh sizes available. I doubt they are heat resistant though.

[@nkyhomesteading6500]

Try butter muslin cloth. It's a little finer than cheese cloth.

[@YoungbloodFamilyFarm]

Good job using the snow bank for cooling. Come watch my 2018 Season Vlog,

[@437AlBig]

Put some butter around the top edge of the pan and it will not boil over. It will only rise to the level of the smeared butter. I'm not sure if you mentioned this or not, but boil some water and see what temp it boils at. Then heat your syrup to 7 degrees above that on the day you finish it off.

[@wildtimbrown]

Evenin Al! I was wondering if you have a big Igloo style cooler? The ones we have could hold a propane tank and they have drain spouts. The totes work but all that water everywhere could be avoided :-) Tim

[@johnhuitt3135]

Use multiple layers of cheese cloth. They do make fine mesh cheese cloth. It costs more but is is worth it.

[@Maxid1]

So you're reducing about 30 to 1. That's my favorite. I loved the days in the sugar shack. Knew a guy that could take it down by hand. Keeping his hand in some snow and then skipping it accross the open boiling pans. He"d know by touch when to pour it off for syrup or he'd hold it to pour it into candy. I never liked the candy, but good syrup is wonderful. Store bought would just make me angry. Waste of sap if there was any in there at all. I lived too close to Vermont to have anything but the best.

[@Intimidator82]

Might want to put a little more wind in that right front tire. Put some antifreeze in there if it's a slow leak. It will swell the rubber a bit and hopefully seal the leak

[@littlewhitedory1]

Gooood Mawnin' Al! So, I'm curious, what is the window of opportunity for harvesting maple sap? How long does it last? Did you read that it can spoil while awaiting the boiling down process?

[@LumnahAcres]

If the sap gets to warm it will start growing bacteria. Once the trees start budding out the sap doesnt taste as good

[@Servant_of_Christ]

Did you know that propane is a fosilfuel? I saw on another channel where they used wood to boil the sap! :-)

[@detroitmikeh5638]

Hey al have you tried the filters from tap my trees that's what I use. They are alittle expensive, but you can wash them and reuse them

[@LumnahAcres]

No I havent tried those

[@candiwallace6605]

Morning cheers🤗🤗

[@robbobcat7286]

I just want to Say The Moon is Always out!

[@detroitmikeh5638]

Morning brother

[@Screamingpinesfarm]

Great job with syrup. Has the tree sap stopped in your neck of the woods? Hi Gina & Olivia bet you cant wait for Maple syrup smoked bacon.

[@LumnahAcres]

No they are still running

[@Sunhoneysage]

what kind of wood stove is that? I absolutely love vintage things like that.