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Update from Day 5!

by Mary 3/10/2021 10:22:00 AM

With unseasonably warm weather the last few days (a new high of 62° on 3/9), the maple trees are "waking up" and releasing the sap. We have 500 gallons of super concentrated sap (10 Brix - or % sugar) after the sap has gone through the Reverse Osmosis machine. Coming out of the tree, the sugar content in the sap is 1.8 - 2.2 % sugar. 

With the new Jones Rule of 88.2 for 66.9° Brix Syrup, this means it will only take 8.5 gallons to make 1 gallons of syrup. 

  

 

Apples, Fall and Maple Syrup

by Mary 9/1/2019 2:55:00 PM

 

As the seasons change and we look forward to the apple season, consider trying this recipe from Chef Alexandra at Spoon and Stable Restaurant in Minneapolis. A very talented, creative chef, Alex created an apple and oat crisp for dessert at Spoon and Stable. This recipe was shared on their mailing list - try it and enjoy the tastes of fall. If you have a chance, book a reservation at Spoon and Stable (https://www.spoonandstable.com) and try Alex's dessert or Bellecour (https://bellecourrestaurant.com) for their decadent Pain Perdu (French term for French Toast).

   Here is Alex's recipe for her Apple Oat Crisp:

 

 

 

 

Photo credit: Libby Anderson/ photographer and social media director with Soigné Hospitality.

 

Late, but final update from the sugarbush

by Mary 5/15/2019 1:48:00 PM

I'm not sure where the time has gone, but the days flew by with the final syruping, cleaning, bottling, more cleaning and we didn't add any posts to spring production after early April. 

We ended up with a grand total of 531 gallons for 2019 from our 1050 taps, and truly feel the syrup made this year is the best it has ever tasted. Whether that is due to the more constant heat of the propane evaporator, vs our wood -fired evaporator, we don't know. The end result is the maple syrup tastes terrific! We hope others agree with us this weekend at the MN Maple Syrup Producer's Association meeting in Aitkin, MN. You be the judge when you taste our syrup!

On another related note, we just bottled a delicious Bourbon Barrel Maple Syrup in cooperation with Tom and Jean Slattery of JJ's Wine, Spirits and Cigars in Sioux Falls, SD.https://jjswine.com  They provided Somerskogen Sugarbush with an 11 year old  Knob Creek Single Barrel . We aged some of our 2018 maple syrup in the barrel for 6 months and the flavor is amazing! We have a very limited supply of these bottles, so if you are interested, order soon.

We'll have another Bourbon Barrel Maple Syrup ready around September, this barrel from Buffalo Trace.  It will be interesting to taste the difference from the Knob Creek.

Thank you for reading our posts and ordering our maple syrup. We appreciate it!