Sweet Rewards

While venturing out with Sor Arabela and Aura making home visits during our time at camp, each family we visited gifted us with fruit. The most wonderful part of the land around the houses is that while they are devoid of grass, they are filled with fruit trees. Every family took us out on their property to knock fruit off trees that we could fill our purses with. Luckily, Aura and I had big purses. :) Unfortunately, some of the fruit was very ripe and got squished all over my stuff. With careful administration of a wet napkin, the items were safely returned to their slightly used glory.

One house in particular offered us something different than fruit, he offered us honey. I thought, okay, how do we knock that off a tree? (ha ha!) Well, wasn't I surprised when we walked over to the honey making kitchen. Why are they cooking honey in a big pot? Doesn't it come ready to eat from the bee hive? Well, this isn't honey from bees, it's honey from pulvarized sugar cane!

There were three huge vats, like in the picture.

The contents were brought to a boil and left to boil for awhile - not sure how long - until one of the workers scooped out the honey into a trough leading down to another large pot.

Once the honey was in this pot, the workers brought the pot outside, set it in a tire to hold it upright (I didn't take a picture!) and would stir them with large wooden paddles for 1/2 hour(this is what they told me). Then the honey is poured into these little molds to harden.

We didn't wait for the honey to harden, we tasted it right from the boiling pot! Yummy! and not nearly as sweet as honey from bees - surprisingly.

And yes, the picture makes the kitchen look like a sauna, and it was. Felt like I was back home at the factory cooking taffy, freely sweating through my shirt!