Many of our projekts are long-term planning and/or big projekts that come to pass in this ‘slow’ season. They are not big and flashy plans or happenings right now – just the nice even keel of doing.
Like the bread – which I am sure you never tire of hearing about right now. And the sledding, and the trees, and the maple sugaring. It’s the latter we are excited about right now – the weather has indicated (despite rodent predictions, we thought for sure we’d have another week or two to get ready) that the sap is ready to flow. We have 62 taps in and are planning another 10-15 in the next week (unless we get more buckets/spiles, then maybe a little more). The silver maple always seems to run first, and as it is close to the house it becomes my ‘drinking sap’ – a little glass a day keeps the wolves at bay, I think. We like to ‘bubble it’, too – and have some sap soda (excellent in cocktails, too – mmmm, winter cocktails…). It was almost 50 degrees yesterday! Though later in the week we might get a big snowfall – you never know in March.
Agenda – events – happenings:
- Again, if you want to come and trial tap some trees, get your practice on or just see how it’s done, come around next weekend (RSVP) and Josh will put the rest of the taps in and trim some trees.
- The weekend of the 14th and 15th might be a good time to come around and see us boil sap into syrup. Josh has an updated backyard sugar shack – our method was pretty bare-bones the first year (cinder blocks in a snow bank with a little chimney), then last year Josh laid some rock to stabilize it (it was a 3 pan situation, out in the open in a sea of mud) and this year Josh set a concrete pad with rock around it, built a metal roof on posts, lined the walls with stacked wood for the boil and bought a divided-continuous flow-evaporator pan which allows for finishing at the sugar shack (not in the driveway or the kitchen, which is ‘as we were warned’ pretty horrendous). It’s a nice little set up that I am sure will only refine as we go. But the point is to have it all remain essentially maintainable by one person. We have no goals of becoming mass producers – just homestead and sharing capabilities! Come share!
- New baking ideas and flavors – maybe see some Sourdough Sesame or Lavender Crackers soon. Sourdough pastas. Baguettes. Local Beer-flavored pizza dough…suggestions always welcome!
Happy Day!!
Rock Bottom Homestead 