From Tree to Table RSS

Sugaring season 2016 has arrived! We keep the wood-fired arch going strong, test the density of the boiling sap regularly, and when it hits 67% density we draw it off the evaporator, filter it, and pack it into our stainless steel barrels where it waits to be packed into jugs and sent to kitchens all over the country!

One of the best parts of the year is when we head out into the woods to get ready for the season! No matter how much things change in the sugaring world, we will always need to walk in the snow to tap each individual tree.

The combination of maple syrup, butternut squash puree, and bacon is tough to beat. It's also an incredibly versatile combination! Here are three of our favorite ways to use them. (1) Maple-Squash Bread: A variation of pumpkin bread using butternut squash puree, maple syrup as the sweetener, and bacon fat as the oil component.  (2) Squash Risotto with Bacon and Maple Syrup: arborio rice cooked slowly with vegetable stock and wine, with squash puree, maple syrup, and chopped bacon stirred in before serving. (3) Pizza with Maple-Squash Puree and Ham: whole wheat pizza crust, brushed with garlic oil then topped...

A little on the sweet side, this is best served small or maybe shared! The perfect cocktail for a sweet moment sometime this February.  Mix together half a shot of Aperol (I prefer Aperol but Campari also works, or if you don't care for citrus liqueur try a berry liqueur such as Chambord or Whidbey), a glug of maple syrup, and the juice of half a lime. Pour over ice, then top off with however much soda water you like. Garnish with a wedge of lime, a sprig of fresh mint, or maybe a chocolate covered strawberry?

Well, that time of year is starting. Sugaring time is coming up, and we've been out in the sugarwoods starting to tap our trees. One of my favorite things about maple syrup is that parts of it are simply manual tasks. There is no way to mechanize or industrialize the tapping of a sugar maple (acer saccharum). You have to strap on your snowshoes, pick up your cordless drill, grab a few handfuls of taps, and start walking.