Sugar Season
It’s my favorite time of year again (well, I guess I really have many favorite times . . . . ) It’s sugaring season. Sweet. Scent of spring in the air. Warmer sun. Brisk mornings (sometimes anyway). Steam coming from the sugarhouses. And did I say sweet? You can even smell the syrup when you get close enough! I love to share information on this unique livlihood. Here’s a fairly scientific article from today’s paper on technology and sugaring. And another fun article on global warming (or arctic freeze here) and this season from a few weeks ago.
Well, I’m not sure livlihood is quite accurate (nor do I know how to spell that word - it doesn’t look right this morning). It’s more like a kind of hobby/semi-profession - like dog sledding I guess or making wine - you can make a living at if you really want to and you’re good at it and work hard at it. But it’s a finicky and relatively brief season, and the start up costs can be prohibitive and the work is hard and lots of people do it for fun on the side after their “real job” - but did I say it’s sweet? Oh, the taste of the freshly boiled syrup, freshly drawn off the evaporator . . . and then poured on waffles (or pancakes if that’s your preference, or into your coffee, onto your ice cream . . .) Ok, I’m drooling.
We ran out of syrup last weekend and were too busy to actually go watch any sugaring this weekend but we (desperately) needed syrup, so we went by a farm belonging to some folks we know from church and who we know tap their trees, and got some Saturday morning. And of course I asked questions (I always do). The day before, he put in a 13 hour day and boiled a whole pile of syrup. He took Saturday off (really just recuperated from Friday and prepared for the next round). He expected the sap to run like crazy which meant he’d be pulling another 13+ hour day Sunday collecting and boiling some more. The quicker you collect and boil, the better the quality. If you wait a day, you lose quality (significantly), and that translates directly to the bottom line. He produces on average of 300-450 gallons a year. I asked if that was a big or small operation; he said it’s small for commercial, but certainly far more than a hobby. He and his wife makes ends meet largely on selling syrup and hay (they sold the cows a year and a half ago). So we got a half gallon jug of the stuff that he boiled Friday. Grade A, medium amber.
We ate waffles for dinner on Sunday and the kids and I just salivated for the syrup. I confess, I kept tasting it while I was getting dinner ready (it was irresistable) and they were outside playing in the mud (in heaven I might add - I think I have little piggies every spring they love it so much). Forget the waffles, just hand me a spoon and pour (can you believe it?) I know that sounds odd to you “flatlanders” but it’s heavenly - but to think I offered it the kids - it’s not like they asked; their eyes were like saucers - really mommy? on the spoon? straight?! cool! Heck, at the sugarhouses, they pour it in cups for you to drink; I think I can allow a few spoonfuls! Oh we were in heaven. It tasted SO GOOD. Fresh. Delectable. The waffles were good too but did I mention the syrup was sweet? Oh the syrup was FINE. What a difference from the dregs of the jug the week before. I think I might become a connaisseur if you give me another 20 years here.
Sugarers are fun to know too. I discovered some other friends of ours from church who have been helping his dad the past couple weeks; these folks (the men) work full time jobs and the son (our friend) has three kids roughly the same ages as ours and they’ve been out there in the evenings after work/school etc, collecting and boiling and staying up late at the beck and call of the trees. She and I couldn’t talk enough about how sweet (and obsessive and addictive!) it is. Hard work but well worth it.
Next year I hope we’ll be collecting syrup of our own! It will just be for fun (hardly quality stuff boiled on the kitchen stove - I hear it will be of really low grade) but the kids are so excited to try and we’ve got two hardy sugar maples in our backyard, we ought to be able to have some fun. And to make your own, how sweet is that?!
March 29th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Glad to hear you got some syrup. Otherwise how can I have pancakes when I come
. Are you sure that in “politically correct” Vermont that it is okay to give your kids sugar?
Love, mom
March 29th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
Well, since it’s 100% natural and quite often (fairly easily) organic as well, I think it’s considered an ideal “politically correct” sugar. Nutritionally it’s good stuff and easily digested compared to white sugar. And it causes no harm to the trees either so tree-huggers like it. I might be missing someone somewhere’s objections but that’s my understanding.
Do note that VT has very strict regulations regarding the quality of its maple syrup and what “VT maple” means so as to guarantee the reputation, so NH or ME maple syrup may not be the same. (Mind you this is not a case of right and wrong but how it’s done here). I do know some years back I noted some syrup we’d purchased was not 100% pure and it was from another state but its label in my opinion was misleading and led me initially to believe it was (misleading is bad - adding is not). I think it had water added, and maybe something else. The taste was wrong. I didn’t care for it and couldn’t figure why so I read the label to know what not to purchase again. VT pure is 100% sap, boiled down, no preservatives of any kind. Period. Good stuff! I’m now more careful in my purchasing to read the labels.
To use it in recipes, the instructions are something like “3/4 cup syrup = 1 cup granulated white sugar; decrease liquid used by 3T for every cup used”. Can’t say that I’ve done this but I think about it sometimes. My guess would be if it were to be used in place of corn syrup (eg Karo . . . ) there’d be a one to one substitution much as with honey. Bon appetit!
-M
March 31st, 2007 at 10:17 am
Melanie, the first time you went sugaring and tasted the fresh “Nectar-of-the-Tree”, you were about Emily’s age. The sweet smell called us off the road one Spring, to the Stowe Sugarer. I recall the analytical look on your face while quizing Dad’s and my explainations of the proceedure. Cynthia just licked her ever-chaffed upper lip saying “s-more peese.”
The Log Cabin we used when the “Real Thing” ran out was very much diluted w/ water etc. and had lots of corn and sweeter sugar additives.
Was that the same Spring when the rabbit hid your colored eggs in the snow? Spring skiing is so grand.
Are you ever going to take the children to Easter Sunrise Service at the top of Stowe Mountain? X-C Skiing down the Toll Road after that Service is a fantastic memory. Unlike Stowe Derby Day, there were few Alpine Skiers on the road and it was safe to take you girls. I doubt that freedom still exists.
Enough rambling —
Happy Palm Sunday — Wonder if they still do The Sunday School Parade on Palm Sunday, in Park Slope?
Love to All,
Mom