YES! It’s that time of the year, and like a kid in a candy store, who doesn’t love that awesome sweet Canadian tradition of maple syrup festivals, especially after a long cold winter.
However, I did some research and learned most maple syrup festivals have been cancelled once again this year. Such a shame! but also understandable. On a good note, many Maple Farmers have adapted to these challenging times and on-line purchasing has never been easier. Let’s continue to support our great farmers.
Click here to find a maple syrup farm close to home and be surprised at what they have to offer. I was.
If you’re lucky enough to have some mature maple trees on your property, why not try making your own? Yes, converting water to syrup is an extremely long and tedious process but that’s when kids come in handy. I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to help - in exchange for maple snow taffy candy, of course.
Full disclosure; we're amateurs at making our own maple syrup with only 2 years experience and a backyard starter kit. But a couple of observations made: 1) cooking with lid off resulted in a golden/amber syrup (my favourite, but takes longer), and lid on produced a dark robust syrup, and 2) cooking over a fire pit provides an amazing smoky flavour but damn! you need a lot of wood. Then again, you go through a lot of propane too if cooking down on a burner, although this option is much easier. Worth the effort, either way.
All Rigged and Ready to Grow...
Maple syrup season is also a friendly reminder that spring is around the corner. If you plan on growing your own herbs and vegetables from seed, it’s good to have a schedule of what to start when. Some seeds take much longer to germinate and since I don’t use heat pads, my leeks and green onions, which I find take the longest, will be under lights within the next week or 2.
to be continued…