Honeysuckle Syrup

 Yes, we really use all this syrup

Today we noticed the honey suckle bushes in full bloom so it is time to store a bit more of spring .. yes we use all this stuff we have already gone through 3 of my jelly and 1 of my syrups in the weeks since making it.

Collected and cleaned 

Smell so amazing 

Boil 1 cup of flowers to 1 cup water ... when the water changes color strain our the flowers 

 add one cup of sugar and simmer on low till the spoon comes out and the drips are slow 

I always can small when doing spring jelly 1 to store, 1 to use and 1 to share.

I can in a water bath for my syrups and it works well to water bath just put in boiling water for 15 mins and then let cool on the counter when you hear the pop you are sealed up and can store for up to 6 months in the fridge and a year in the root cellar.

 We have been watching closely all of the wonderful landscape edibles we have. The girls say this one tastes like the bees honey combs.

Maple Tree start

Welcome to the Mom farm fashion this outfit is best for going into streams and collecting Maple Sap
Last year we got this brilliant idea to tap our trees but we were too late in the season. We have been monitoring the other farms around here and Sat we were set to tap. To tap a tree you want snow on the ground and the daytime temps above 40* for more than 3 days. The season only lasts till the nighttime temps at overnight get above freezing.

We have a big tree with 8, 18 inches around shoots we can tap at the moment we have 4 taps in ( we brought a kit on amazon with tubes and taps ) The instructions that came with it were so easy. Dad drilled and the girls set the taps in.

 We check the taps twice a day and usually get a gallon or 2 a day. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. Springtime is really big chores in the O house and everyone does the chores because everyone eats.
                                             The kit we ordered Tap Kit