maple syrup – Abby Murphy

Plain Encounter

April 2, 2015September 11, 2015 Abby Murphy

Last year, my parents bought 40 acres of forested land in Hiram, Ohio, so my dad can expand his maple sugaring operation. When I visited them last week, they were deep in the process of having the land surveyed so they can (fingers crossed) build a driveway and maybe, just maybe, a little house with… Continue reading Plain Encounter

activities, afternoon adventure, around the roman table, dining at downton, gardening, homesteading, maple syrup, mrs beeton's book of household management, settlement cookbook

Two years

June 15, 2013February 16, 2014 Abby Murphy

Dear blog,Today you are older and hopefully wiser. (I'm not sure I am.) We've done quite a bit this past year...cooked from recipes from 1967, 1903, and the 1st century ADvisited Downton Abbey through Victorian and Edwardian recipesanalyzed nutrition, 1900-stylefallen in love with making ice creamcanned tomatoesgotten nostalgic with old family photosharvested from my kitchen… Continue reading Two years

activities, canning, family, history lesson, homesteading, maple syrup, ohio, spring, winter

Maple sugaring (II)

February 28, 2013February 16, 2014 Abby Murphy

Last week I wrote about my family's maple sugaring tradition. Today I'll add an amendment: while we love most of the maple sugaring process (tapping trees, collecting sap, boiling it down in the evaporator), we have a hard time with one part: finishing the syrup.This is the part where the syrup has been boiled to… Continue reading Maple sugaring (II)

activities, family, homesteading, maple syrup, ohio, spring, winter

Maple sugaring

February 21, 2013February 16, 2014 Abby Murphy

In our family, February and March are the maple syrup months. Temperatures dip to freezing at night and warm up during the day, so the sap runs easily from the trees. Evenings are spent out in the sugar shed, boiling sap down to golden syrup in a gas-heated evaporator. On weekends, we enjoy pancakes with… Continue reading Maple sugaring