Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-04-20
Sugar Making.

Why is it that there is so much poor sugar
made by our farmers throughout the country,
while there is SO much improvement in the
manufacture of almost every other farm pro-
duct
The reason must be that faulty methods
or processes Of manufacture are adopted.
Scarcely any two persons pursue the same
treatment Of their sap. Another reason is
that the sugar making season is "hurrying
time," and people get their work off their
hands as quickly as possible. Now the max.
ing of sugar is process which il will not do
to hurry too much if you would have a good
article. You may call to your assistance oil
the patent and improved implements in the
world, but unless you adopt the right process
you cannot make good article Of sugar
With your permission, and asking that my
style Of composition be not criticised too
closely, l will try and explain the method l
have adopted, and which think is as good
as any. AT least, know of no better one.
The first thing to be looked after is the
buckets, which must be thoroughly cleaned.
Do not steam them, for this will not take the
place of thoroughly scrubbing with rags and
water. have seen it tried. The next thing
to be observed is the sooner you can change
your sap into sugar, the better sugar it will
make. While it remains in the the buckets
it is not only exposed to the storms of snow
and rain and the absorption of coloring mat
ter from the buckets, but the air taints it,
and takes away that delicious flavor which
our first sugar always has. By being expos
ed to the air for any length Of time 10 the
warm aud even hot days late in the season,
all have observed that the sap will thicken
up and turn sour The same change takes
place though in less marked degree iu the
cooler days of the early season. Itmay cost
you trifie more to gather your sap at short
intervals, but in the end you will be amply
repaid, for your sugar will sell more readily
and at higher price.
We now have the sap at the camp, and
the first thing we do is to thoroughly strain
it, so that all bits OF bark or boughs or other
dirt shall be removed, which might other.
wise disagrecably taint or color the sugar.
Always skim your sap while it is boiling
Do not leave your sweet in the boilers over
night, as it will surely make dark sugar
The best way is to have large syrup-tub
that will hold fifteen or twenty pailfuls, then
boil your sweet down at night until you car
get it into your tub, where it can stand unit
you are ready to sugar off, when you can pul
it all together. Be careful and not maxi
your syrup so thick that the dirt will moi
settle will.
Now comes the most important point Of
the whole process. You must be sure Of o
good skim, for, sure of this, you are sure o
success In order to be certain Of this yor
must, when your syrup gets to blood heat
pour in about one quart of milk to thre
, buckets of syrup, stirring it in well, gradual
! ly increasing the heat uutil the whole begin
to boil, when you begin to skim. Do no
let it foam at once, but keep it boiling slow
0 ly until you finish skimming, If you los
good skim, you are as sure of poor suga
$ as you are of good sugar when you got
good skim.
h l think your many readers will find til
b. above an excellent method Of making sugal
}, for have tried it thoroughly, and seldoI
q have seen better sugar than that which
| have made by this process. j. p. p.
! BarnstoH, p. O., May H., 1876.