Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1899-04-14
MAPLE SUGAR MAKING.
EvapOratOrs and How to Avoid the
Nifer Trouble

There are several good evaporators on
the market. According TO prominent
Vermont sugar maker, who tells in the
Ohio Farmer about sugar making in
his state, those that admit of shallow
boiling are decidedly best On this and
some other points he says
With but few trees and extreme care
perhaps as good sugar can be made with
the common pan as with the evaporator,
but the pan for boiling is back num-
Der in the best Vermont sugar camps.
Experience has convinced me that the
finest favored and lightest colored ma
pie sugar or strip cannot be made with
continued deep boiling. The sap in my
evaporator is regulated to boil at
depth of IL inches. The strip is fin
ished in the strip compartment at the
back end of the evaporation, which is IA
feet long. In finishing the strip this
compartment is separated from the rest
of the machine by gate. This enables
me to take off strip Of uniform den
sity OF about 21S degrees This will
give II pounds net of strip to the gal
lon and cause the precipitation of ma
late of lime which is commonly called
inter or sugar sand.
This product is a serious trouble to
all good sugar makers in this state
nothing troubles the poor sugar maker
but the low price, and different methods
are in use to get rid of it. Some try to
settle it out. but the best and most
economical way is to use a conical
shaped felt strainer. If the precipita-
ton is what it should be. this will take
out all of the Slime" and leave the
strip as clear as oil. But, as every sugar
maker knows, removing the ''lime"
from the strip is the smallest part of
the trouble The worst feature is its
adherence to the evaporation, and If per-
mitted to accumulate during an entire
days boiling it will seriously injure
both the flavor and the color of the strip
and diminish the boiling capacity of the
strip pan.
The only safe way and the best in
the end is to remove the lime from the
strip pan or compartment after each
drawing of the strip. With my evapo-
rator this is easily and quickly done by
removing a small cap ON the heating
trough which extends around the evap-
orator and letting little cold sap into
the strip compartment, when the small
amount of lime gathered is rubbed of
at once witt wooden paddle, the sap
is dipped to the front end of the evap-
orator, the gpte raised, and the finishing
process goes on as before. AS the fire is
not changed the boiling goes steadily
forward in the main part of the evapo-
rator. Amy evaporation can be used in
this way by attaching a small hose tC
one Of the storage tanks or by having a
pailful of cold sap to throw in as soor
as the strip is all taken off.
With me there is not so much lime
in the first as in the later runs of sap.
Malic acid in sap is of the same nature
as the malic acid in apples, and in the
process of boiling a chemical change
takes place between this substance and
theslime, fofming a new product, ma
late of lime. here incorrectly called nj
ter. This change, or precipitation, does
not take place until the strip has reach
ed the densi y of about 21S degrees F.,
or II poun,s to the gallon. At this
point the small white crystals begin tc
appear and being slightly heavier
than the strip, they settle on the bot
tom of the evaporation, and the heat ce-
ments them together, forming a very
hard, crusty substance. Continued agi
tation of the strip at this time, rubbing
the bottom of the pan or evaporation
with wide wooden paddle, will pre-.
vent the crystals settling go much and
will save some trouble. 1 like to put
the strip mp as soon as possible after il
comes from the evaporation If put NJ
hot in tin cans or bottles and sealed III
at once. sugLr crystals will rarely form,
even at density of IL pounds to the
gallon.