Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Sisters

Boil 1 meet boil 2. Boil 2 meet boil 1. The word boil has such a negative connotation. But in this case, it is not an oozing pustular. It's sugaring. Still on the darker side for this early in the season, but we won't truly know their make up until after the sand settles and we check them out over pancakes.

There is fantastic science is sugaring. I was explaining to one of our lovely local kindergarten teachers about how a liquid can "hold" more molecules in a dissolved state at a high temperature. However, upon cooling the excess salts fall out of solution. Alas that is what is happening on my kitchen counter; science. When we first started sugaring (This is our 7th season.... young still by most standards even outside the State of Vermont.) I wished for an old stove sized lab centrifuge. I hear they are the up and coming kitchen appliance.

As a scientist, it is amazing the amount and type of equipment one has on hand, and that one takes for granted -- until it's gone, or not available. In my other life time I must have used a centrifuge everyday, all day, all the time. And now, I use patience as my number tool for separation.

For a mother, patience is number one in her arsenal.

4 comments:

Tammy H. said...

Absolutely.

JM said...

Syrup is looking GREAT!!! Good for you. JM

Rick said...

I bought a proper filter this year for the first time, it runs circles around trying to use coffee filters! Looks to me like a precipitate should still be expected?

P.H. said...

Hi Rick,

The ppt falls out of solution when the syrup cools. The hot syrup holds more of the salts from the sap. So yes... expect precipitate.