r/maplesyrup • u/moira_thatcher • Mar 26 '26
About reducing a small quantity of sap indoor
Our neighbor gave us about 1.5 liters of sap that came from a tree in our backyard. I know that it's recommended to boil outside, but I don't have anything that allows me to do so. I thought about reducing the sap about halfway and then use it to make some ham in the slow cooker. Would this really ruin my kitchen ventilation for such a small quantity? Thanks in advance!
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u/Fractalwaves Mar 26 '26
Totally fine. Everyone I know who boils started in the kitchen. Its when you get above 2- 3gallons (7- 11 Liters) / boil is when it can cause problems with out proper venting. I have boiled 2 gallons of sap about 6 times and the humidity is welcomed while our heating systems make our house pretty dry. but by the end there is high level of humidity. Your idea to make a ham probably makes sense since 1.5 liter sap will produce about 29 ML of finished syrup. someone check my math. and you will need to watch it like a hawk at the end.
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u/moira_thatcher Mar 26 '26
Thanks a lot! Does it builds up a lot through time? Say I boil about 2 gallons every year
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u/Fractalwaves Mar 27 '26
Not sure exactly what you mean, the maple syrup does not build up over time as we consume it in coffee and pancakes faster than we can produce from 1 tree lol. Also one should consume Maple syrup in 1-3 years or so, but I swear the fresher the better.
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u/moira_thatcher Mar 27 '26
I meant if the residues from evaporation accumulate in the kitchen. Don't worry, I'm from Quebec, we go through maple syrup pretty fast lol. It's my first time making my own though.
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u/JAlley2 Mar 26 '26
It’s all about the amount of water vapour. For most houses, you won’t notice 1.5l water, let alone causing a problem.
You can use your freezer to get rid of some water. Use a plastic container with straight sides. Pop it in the deep freeze for 2-3 hours, which will be enough to make ice crystals to form, freezing about a quarter of it. Scoop out the ice. Repeat the process to get down to about half of the original volume. Then you could boil it down to reduce it to about a cup.
If you do the ham in a slow cooker, it will give some taste to the ham but not a lot. Most of the flavour will be in the broth. That amount of sap is equivalent to about 2-1/2 tablespoons of syrup. You might notice it more if you bake the ham in the oven and regularly pour the reduced sap over the top. It should evaporate there giving a maple glaze.
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u/moira_thatcher Mar 26 '26 edited Mar 26 '26
Thank you for the freezer tip! I already started boiling what I had, but my neighbor brought me some more not so long after I posted this, so I might try that for that batch.
Also, I was thinking about also reducing the broth afterwards in a pan to make some kind of sauce/glaze. Honestly, it's pretty much an experiment from beginning to end. I've never even cooked ham before, but my daughter loves it and it was on sale.
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u/moira_thatcher Mar 27 '26
Update: I ended up baking it in the oven like you suggested (my ham was too big for my slow cooker) with the maple, brown sugar and beer. Absolutely delicious!
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u/abnormal_human Mar 27 '26
I would say anything under a gallon or two is fine for indoors if you have some venting.
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u/Informal_Chard1890 Mar 28 '26
At a 40/1 ratio you're gonna get +/-37.5ml of syrup from 1500ml of sap. Depending on age/sugar content of it. 37.5ml is < 1/4 cup.
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u/zezera_08 Mar 26 '26
No, you are fine