Maple Syrup

Last we we received our annual delivery of local Grade B maple syrup at Omega. $8000 worth of this liquid gold. There’s a lot that goes into our food before we even get it. And a lot of that is usually dependent on the weather. This is no more apparent than in the production of maple syrup. Maple syrup producers wait for a specific set of weather patterns on their “sugar bush” (maple syrup farm) that allow the flow of sap. Freezing nights and warm days work the best for coaxing more sap to flow. This limits collection to the months of February, March and April for the most part.

It generally takes forty (that’s four, zero) gallons of sap to produce one gallon of syrup. The sap is boiled down in the “sugar shack/house” in evaporators that allow water to escape in the form of steam while retaining the delicate flavor and sugar that give maple syrup it appeal. Its price in the past few years has gone up dramatically because of poor production years, but it is still a valuable ingredient to have in your kitchen. Bellow is more of a guideline as to how to utilize this wonderful ingredient in your everyday foods.

Dressings
Try adding a tablespoon or two of maple syrup to a cup of your favorite balsamic vinaigrette. With this you can dress a plain green salad, roasted or grilled vegetables, pasta/potato/grain salads and it can also be used as a dipping sauce for crudités or other finger foods.

Glazes
There are two types of glazes, sweet and savory. For the savory kind take two tablespoons butter or Earth Balance and ¼ cup maple syrup and melt together. With this you can roast vegetables or heavier proteins.It is also good as for “glazed” items such as carrots. Just add items and cook in sauté pan over medium to low heat.If the pan gets too dry or starts to scorch add a little water.

For the sweet kind (desserts) take the above recipe and add ¼ cup of powdered sugar.Use this mix and pour or drizzle over cookies, sticky buns, cakes or muffins.It dries quickly so use it up or make sure it is covered really tightly.

Sugar Substitute
Try using maple syrup as a substitute in your morning coffee. A nice treat. Baking with maple syrup can be tricky. A general rule I follow is replacing sugar with half the amount of maple syrup. You can also substitute it one for one. But for every cup of maple syrup you use, you will need to reduce the other liquids in the recipe by ¼ cup.