Hi Dave,


 RH> My parents knew several farmers who had sugar bushes. Then also, when
 RH> he was in high school, for a few years my younger brother tapped some
 RH> of the maple trees around our/our neighbor's (with his OK) property.
 RH> First year or 2 mom boiled it down on the kitchen stove, then my
 RH> brother got enough sap that dad took it outside to the gas grill. That
 RH> came to a fast end when something (probably adding sap),spilled and
 RH> caught fire. Dad put it out fast but the local fire department was also
 RH> called in as a back up. Next year my brother was off to college and my
 RH> parents went back to buying syrup.

 DD> Is maple sap flammable? I don't know - but it seems a stretch.

 RH> It was; I didn't see the incident but heard about it.

 DD> According to BASCOM's Safety Data Sheet "Maple syrup is not flammable.
 DD> Dispose of waste according to applicable local and national
 DD> regulations. Avoid handling techniques which are capable of producing
 DD> and/or
 DD> dispersing fugitive dust. Remove ignition sources." Through the magic
 DD> of 'cut & paste'.  Bv)=

Something triggered the fire; like I said, I wasn't there at the time
but I trust my parent's reporting.


 DD> I still didn't care for it from the start, preferring another locally
 DD> made sweetener - sorghum m olasses.

 RH> Don't see too much of that around here.

 DD> Sorghum is a close cousin of corn. We still have some family farmers
 DD> who grow both syrup sorghum and popping sorghum - which is popped just
 DD> like popcorn but tastes very different.

 DD> I've made this recipe a couple of times. Good way to use up the excess
 DD> oil from a pot of red chilli. I make it in larger quantity though
 DD> using 3/4 cup tto 1 cup of sorghum kernels. But, I like to share.

 RH> Hmmmmmmmmmm, wonder if popping sorgum would affect Steve like regular
 RH> corn. I know he can consume sorgum in small quantities as he's used it
 RH> for a sweetener in his coffee from time to time.

 DD> Bob's Red Mill sells it. And Amazon has it. Kernels or popped. If it
 DD> were me I ask at the local farmer's market to get a small sample and
 DD> give 'er a shot. If it causes no headaches foe Steve then you've got a
 DD> snack both can enjot.

I've not seen it at the farmer's market here, just regular sweet corn.
As I told Shawn, I don't want to buy a lot of it (just enough to pop
maybe one pot's worth) since I don't eat a lot of popcorn. A Bob's Red
Mill bag would be waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much.

---
Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net  FIDO 1:396/45.28


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