So last night Jeb and Muzzy and someone - was that FK or HFSC? - gave me feedback on why my boil was cloudy. Much happier to know that it was just "sugar sand" and, to understand how to use the filter that came with my stuff. In the end, the filter worked and most of the cloud was removed.
Here's the funny part.
the first part of the boil ended around dinner. The kids approved of the flavor as did I, but it seemed a smidge light in color and syrupiness for lack of a better word. So, genius over here decided, as the second half of the boil was getting close to the end, that I should put in the stuff from the first boil to "finish it off". That was working, till I almost forgot about it. I walked over, nervous, to a pot of boiling foam! No liquid I could see.. So, I did the only thing I could think of - added some filtered water. Boiled a little longer and strained the syrup.
This strategy may be really bad- I dont know. But it "worked" in the sense that the syrup is yummy and does not taste burned.
But, it cracked me up that I'd been cautious all day and then did that. Ha! Almost had hard maple candy burned to the pot!
Learning... It's not always clean is it :)
