Boiled blanks

I love carving spoons out of green wood, but what to do when there is none to be had? Also, I really like making utensils out of maple. Maple is tough, tight grained, and beautiful. I do not live anywhere near maple trees, though. So, I buy maple wood at the store and carve it dry, which is fine, but it is not as much fun, and it can be hard on my hands and my tools. Then, I ran across this gem by Wille Sundqvist in Swedish Carving Techniques.
"Wood is easier to carve when it is not completely dry. Seasoned wood can be dampened to make it easier to carve. Dried burls for bowls are sometimes even boiled for this reason."
Supplanter and I have soaked wood, but I decided this was my permission to give boiling a try. I used the old stock pot and boiled some maple and poplar spoon blanks for an hour or so. I am happy to report that they softened very nicely and carve almost like green wood. It remains to be seen how they dry, but everything looks great so far. I boiled them and stuck them in a ziplock bag to keep them wet until I am done with them.