Friday, April 26, 2013

The tour of Trapiche (process for sugar cane)

Finally, ready for publishing! While my brother was visiting, on March 17, my Tico friends drove us to a farm where they process sugar cane. They grow coffee also. The process was a lot of work!!! but is just how the Ticos have done it for years. The photos are somewhat cloudy looking because the lenses pick up the smoke from the brew pot, which is huge. The processed sugar is much like brown sugar, but the sap, in the beginning, is like juice and tasty.

Bringing in the oxen

Setting the yoke in place

Hitching the oxen

Hitching the oxen

Hitching the oxen

Hitching the oxen

Hitched and ready to work

Working

Working

Albert is putting the cane through the press

Putting cane through press

Preparing more cane to press

Gathering sap to boil

Cooking pot with wood behind

Finca owner

Stirring the pot

Sap boiling

Checking the sap

Dipping sap out

Stirring, dipping sap

Stocking the fire

Furnace

Checking for soft ball stage

Checking for soft ball stage

Checking for soft ball stage

Sap is transferred on this board to bin

Beating the sap into hard stage while cooling

Beating the sap into hard stage while cooling

Beating the sap into hard stage while cooling

Beating the sap into hard stage while cooling

Transfer to molds

Transfer to molds

Transfer to molds

Pouring into molds

Pouring into molds, sugar in background

Pouring into molds

Pouring into molds, sugar in front

Wrapping process

Wrapping process

Wrapping process

Wrapping process

Wrapping process

Wrapping process

Wrapping process

Wrapping process

Wrapping process

Wrapping process

Ties made from leaves of cane

Wrapping process

Finished process

Broom for clean up, branches from brush

Broom for clean up, branches from brush

Mae with Daniella

Cook stove for lunch

Ox cart used on the Finca for transport from field