A couple weeks ago, I shared a picture of Mr. Handsome’s newest hobby and asked you all to guess what it is. Some of you were correct…He just started making his own maple syrup! Here is a post from him:
As a child, I was constantly trying small business ideas, and apparently Ellie did the same thing. Unfortunately, none of my ideas ever made money, but Ellie claims that some of hers did pretty well. (We will do a follow-up post about that.)
Out of all my small business ideas, my biggest flop was maple syrup production. One of my favorite book series was Little House on the Prairie (so was Ellie’s) and I loved the part where they made maple syrup in the Big Woods. I decided this would be the perfect business idea, as we had many maple trees in the yard.
Being only 11, I did not have a lot of money, but I invested my entire savings into maple syrup equipment. I blissfully drilled small holes into my family’s maple trees to gather the syrup, which I assumed would just start pouring out into my buckets. No such luck. My buckets remained empty for weeks. Finally, when the weather began to warm up, I went out to check my trees, and my buckets were full! I stuck my finger into the liquid and sampled it, expecting syrupy goodness. To my horror, it tasted like plain water.
I finally figured out that the sap has to be boiled down into syrup. Unfazed, I promptly set up a pot over a fire and watched as it boiled. I waited, waited, waited, and waited, and after about 6 hours, I decided to try a sip. It tasted awful, like soot-flavored water. I continued boiling the sap for several days and had nothing but problems. I spilled sap, burned sap, and contaminated it with ashes. Discouraged, I gave up.
My brothers and sisters, of course, have never let this go. Every time I talk about my hobbies, someone chimes in, “Sounds like another version of the maple sap business.”
More than two decades later, I am thrilled beyond belief to be enjoying the maple syrup that I created myself. And I’m even more thrilled to share it with Ellie and Little Buddy. I will tell you exactly how I made the syrup in another post.
I hope you didn’t harm your trees with those holes. There’s an art to going just so deep.
Yep, I was concerned about that at first, but Mr. Handsome read all about how to do it.
I cannot wait! My husband and I love maple syrup. We bought a rather large jug on our trip to Vermont in 2016 and were so sad when it ran out. Vermont maple syrup costs $16 at our Walmart. If we purchase any I poke a hole in the foil cover so it only comes out in drops. I’m not wasting ANY lol.
That’s a good way to ration it! Very clever.
That price is nuts. I can get pure maple syrup, organic or not, for about $6 at most grocery stores and also Walmart. Bottle size 8 – 12 oz. Last time I bought some (Christmas) it was on sale for $4.99.
I love it! We just tapped our Red Maple last week. In fact, my daughter and I just checked on it. The sap is really running today (first warm day we’ve had all winter). She loves taste-testing it 🙂 It’s a great hobby!
Mr Handsome’s tenacity is inspiring. The number of and varied activities you two do, through the years, is volumes now. You are a challenge to others to have ideas and do them. Even if, or because, you have an intimidating crowd of spectators.
Wow what an incredible hobby, one this Texan will never get to do 😂
Pure maple syrup is expensive here too. So glad your husband has found something he enjoys and can share with his sweet family.
LOL! I was actually just talking to a friend from Texas, and she said the same thing. Apparently maple syrup is more expensive in Texas than other states. Maybe because it’s the farthest from Canada/the northeast states?
I don’t think maple syrup cost that much at the store.
I hate people that complain about groceries.
If you learn to save money when you were a kids then you would me fine.
If you wanted to save money you should have waiting tell you
were in your 30’s to get married and have kids.
That’s what I did.