Sunday, March 16, 2014

Annual Maple Weekend in New York March 22-23 and 29-30, 2014

Healthy Living: Savor the flavor during Maple Weekend

Posted: Saturday, March 1, 2014 5:00 am
By Jen Reardon | The Daily News

New York State Maple Producers welcome you to the Annual Maple Weekend March 22-23 and 29-30, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Visit your local maple producer to see first-hand how sap from sugar maple trees is made into maple syrup. During Maple Weekend, local producers open their sugarhouses to the public. Visiting your local sugarhouse is free and producers will have a variety of maple products for sale, including maple syrup, maple cream, maple sugar and maple candy.

If you have never tasted pure New York state maple syrup, you are in for a treat. It is sweet and delicious and tastes better than any mass-produced pancake syrup. Check out pancake breakfasts being held near maple producers for your chance to try pure maple syrup on your pancakes.

Maple syrup, produced from sugar maple tree sap, is only produced in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. Native Americans made pure maple syrup before Europeans arrived in North America. Other parts of the world may produce syrup from other types of trees, but no syrup has as high of sugar content as maple syrup. Maple season lasts for about six weeks.

Maple syrup is made by evaporating the water from pure maple sap until the syrup is at minimum 66 percent sugar by weight. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of pure maple syrup. Syrup is graded by color and the darker the color of the syrup, the stronger the flavor. The grade is determined by the amount of light that shines through the syrup. New York Grade A Light Amber is the lightest of the color grades and has a mild, delicate flavor. Medium amber is a bit darker in color and flavor and dark amber is the darkest in color and flavor. Grade B syrup is also made but is sold to be used as an ingredient in other products. Weather conditions, the way the sap is harvested and production techniques all can affect the color and flavor of maple syrup.

According to the Cornell Sugar Maple Research and Extension program, when cooking, maple syrup can be used in place of granulated white sugar. Use 1 cup of pure maple syrup for 1 cup of granulated white sugar and reduce the liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons for every cup of pure maple syrup used. One cup of maple sugar can also replace 1 cup of granulated white sugar.

There is no scientific research that shows that pure maple syrup is any healthier than granulated white sugar but because pure maple syrup is less refined it contains minerals and antioxidants not found in granulated white sugar.

Keep unopened containers of pure maple syrup in a cool, dark place. Once the container is open, tightly seal it and store it in the refrigerator or the freezer.

Buy local and support the first local agricultural product of the season by attending Maple Weekend and enjoying the sweetness of pure maple syrup. Visit the Maple Weekend website at www.mapleweekend.com for a maple producer near you.

——

Jen Reardon is a registered dietitian working with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Eat Smart NY! Program.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Hartford Courant: Historical Society Of Glastonbury To Host Maple Sugaring Demonstration

Hartford Courant 7:54 a.m. EST, February 22, 2013

GLASTONBURY —— It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. The Native American Indians showed the settlers how to take the sap from the maple trees to create syrup.

These are some of the facts visitors will learn as they attend the Historical Society at Glastonbury's "Maple Sugar Madness" on March 10. The event will showcase how maple syrup is made using modern tools.

The event will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Welles Shipman Ward House in South Glastonbury. Glastonbury native Mark Packard will take visitors through the maple sugar making process. Visitors will check the sugar bush – a group of maple trees - on the hill behind the house where the trees are tapped. The sap will be boiled in a large 2-foot-by-4-foot pan, on concrete blocks with a fire underneath it.

Inside the historic home, pancakes will be cooked on the open hearth using an 18th-century method with Connecticut-made sap poured on them. Admission is $3 per person and free to HSG members. The rain/snow date is March 17.

—Peter Marteka

Read it at:

http://www.courant.com/community/glastonbury/hc-glastonbury-maple-syrup-0222-20130222,0,7423796.story

Stowe Reporter: Changes proposed for maple syrup labeling

Posted: Thursday, February 21, 2013 12:00 pm

Would fancy grade maple syrup by any other name taste as sweet?

Vermont lawmakers are wrestling with that question as they consider whether to drop the state’s traditional maple syrup-labeling system in favor of an international one.

The change pits tradition versus a desire to be a bigger player in world markets. Vermont is the No. 1 maple syrup producer in the U.S.

Gone would be labels such as fancy, grade A medium amber and grade B. In their place would be several types sharing a grade A label, with descriptive phrases added, such as golden color and delicate taste; amber color and rich taste; dark color and robust taste; very dark color and strong taste.

The changes could be made unilaterally by the state Agency of Agriculture, but it has asked for backing in the form of a legislative resolution.

The state Senate last week passed the measure and sent it to the House.

Sen. Kevin Mullin, R-Rutland, initially argued against the measure before reluctantly going along, saying he was mollified by assurances that the changes would be phased in over three years and that producers wouldn’t have to throw out containers already printed with the existing labels.

New York State Maple Syrup Production Increase May Threaten Quebec’s Stranglehold on Global Supply

Quebec’s dominance in the global supply of maple syrup could be threatened by New York State’s rapidly expanding production according to Benoit Girouard, president of the Union Paysanne. Mary Ross of the Mohawk Valley Trading Company where their maple syrup is made primarily from sugar maple sap doubts that will happen anytime soon.

Utica, NY (PRWEB) February 19, 2013

The theft of maple syrup worth an estimated $18-million from the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers warehouse in Saint-Louis-de-Blandford, Quebec has rocked the maple syrup industry and the investigation has spread beyond the Canadian border. Some of the stolen syrup was possibly sold to Maple Grove Farms in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, the largest packer of maple syrup in the United States.

Maple Grove has issued a statement denying any knowledge that the syrup it bought was hot, but had purchased it “in good faith with no reason to believe that it was coming from Quebec or that it may have been stolen.”

The crime and its subsequent investigation have not only exposed a well organized maple syrup black market, but may enable New York State maple syrup producers to capitalize on blowback from the federation’s authoritarian control of the industry.

According to Benoit Girouard, president of the Union Paysanne, a farmers’ union formed to dispute the province’s main agricultural union, Quebec’s effort to control maple syrup sales is backfiring. Due to the fact that Quebec’s prices for maple syrup are artificially set instead of by the free market, in addition to the added expense of the dictatorial bureaucracy, American producers can come in under them. 10 years ago, Quebec supplied 80% of the world’s maple syrup where as today, that number has dropped to about 76%.

Mr. Girouard stated that New York State is rapidly expanding production and could threaten Quebec’s dominance of the market. “Businessmen can see an opportunity, and they have realized that in Quebec, maple syrup is going to stagnate because of the system that has been implemented,” said Girouard. “For supply management to work, there have to be closed borders,” he said, but with syrup, it’s a free market everywhere but in Quebec. A study by the Régie des marchés agricoles et alimentaires released in 2012 noted that American competition “is an important preoccupation for the Quebec maple industry.”

However, Mary Ross of The Mohawk Valley Trading Company where their maple syrup is made primarily from sugar maple sap says that "New York State is quite a ways off from being any type menace to Quebec’s supremacy in the global market."

“First of all, look at the numbers;" Ross continued "Vermont is the largest producer in the United States, generating about 5.5 percent of the global supply with over 1,140,000 US gallons during the 2011 season, followed by New York with 564,000 US gallons for the same period, which is less than half of that”

“With Quebec supplying almost 80% of the global demand for maple syrup, and Vermont 5.5 percent of the global supply, I doubt that New York State maple syrup producers will be much of a threat any time soon. That is a pretty tall order to fill”.

About Maple Syrup

Next to honey, maple syrup is the most popular natural sweetener in North America and its production predates European colonization. Early Native American societies in Canada and the northeastern United States were distilling maple syrup and sugar before those geographic boundaries existed. Maple sugar is made from the controlled crystallization of maple syrup and takes several forms.There is no written record of the first syrup production but several native legends persist. Many tribes celebrated the short maple sap collection season with specific rituals.

The Native Americans collected maple sap from v-shaped notches carved into maple trees. The sap was diverted into birch bark buckets using bark or reeds. It was concentrated by placing hot stones into the buckets or by freezing the sap and removing the ice, which is composed only of water.

When Europeans reached northeastern America they adapted native techniques to make their own maple syrup. The v-shaped notches were replaced with auger-drilled holes. This practice is less damaging to the trees. Bark buckets were replaced with seamless wooden buckets carved from lumber rounds. The method of sap concentration also changed from passive to active. Large amounts of sap were collected and brought to a single area where it was boiled over fires in round cauldrons until reduced to the desired consistency. ‘Sugar shacks’ were built expressly for the purpose of sap boiling. Draft animals were often used to haul fire wood and large containers of sap for sugaring. Maple syrup was an important food additive in early America because imported cane sugar was not yet available.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Hear & Now Radio: The Great Maple Syrup Heist

Friday, January 11, 2013

The Great Maple Syrup Heist

A variety of pure maple syrup containers are displayed at Ben’s Sugar Shack in Temple, N.H., in February 2012. (Charles Krupa/AP)

Did you know that the greatest agricultural theft ever was of maple syrup?

Last year, six million pounds of maple syrup, valued at 18 million dollars, was stolen from the Global Maple Syrup Reserve in northern Québec province.

Bloomberg Businessweek writer Brendan Borrell told Here & Now’s Robin Young that it would have taken more than 100 tractor trailers to transport that amount of syrup.
The Federation of Québec Maple Syrup Producers was established in order to stabilize prices and allow for a year-long supply of syrup to make up for the relatively short production season at the end of winter.

But after discovering numerous empty barrels – or barrels filled with water – Canadian law enforcement officials launched an investigation. Eventually they found a link between syrup middleman Richard Vallières and Etienne St. Pierre, a well-known syrup trafficker in Kedgwick, New Brunswick.

Unlike Québec, New Brunswick has no syrup federation, so producers can sell to whomever they want without any production quotas.

While the Federation can sue St. Pierre in civil court, it is still unclear whether he broke criminal laws. Nevertheless, Borrell mentions how St. Pierre could be an ideological leader.

“I personally see him as a bit of hero for his cause, which is the free market,” Borrell said.
Maple syrup trades at about 32 dollars a gallon, 13 times the price of crude oil.

Read more at:
http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2013/01/11/maple-syrup-heist

Main Line Media News: Maple Syrup Events in Wissahickon, PA

Making maple syrup in the Wissahickon

Main Line Media News * Published: Friday, January 25, 2013

Wissahickon Environmental Center presents a day of hands-on activities and demonstrations that celebrate the end of winter with the making of pure maple syrup. Take the family to the Wissahickon Valley for this annual celebration of the maple tree on Feb. 23 from 11 a.m. till 3 p.m..

Included is a tour of the sugar bush, an area of maple trees, where participants learn to identify the sugar maple tree, tap the tree, and collect the tree’s sap- the only ingredient in pure maple syrup.

Demonstrations will include boiling the sap into syrup, and making maple candy.

Storytellers will tell how the Native Americans discovered this purely North American treat. Visitors can compare maple syrup to other pancake toppings in a taste test. Top off the day by tasting pure maple syrup over delicious pancakes. Pennsylvania maple syrup and candy will be for sale. The event is free, but donations will be accepted.
It all takes place on Wissahickon (Forbidden) Drive in Wissahickon Park at Northwestern Ave. (off of Germantown Ave. in Chestnut Hill)

For further information phone 215-685-9285 or go to wec@phila.gov

Read more at:
http://mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2013/01/25/main_line_times/life/doc51029a64f3949404247538.txt

Barista Kids: Fun Maple Events in New Jersey in 2013

Sweet, Syrupy Fun: Maple Sugaring Events

BY Georgette Gilmore | Monday, Jan 28, 2013 8:00am |

You don’t need to head north to Vermont for fresh maple syrup. The beginning of the maple sugar season is starting right here in New Jersey and runs through March.
Get the family bundled up and head outdoors to one of the following maple sugaring events and/or festivals. You’ll learn all about how to tap a tree and get to taste Jersey maple syrup:

Maple Sugaring Demonstrations
Who: All ages.
What: The Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center is celebrating the maple sugaring season! Join the fun by attending one of the weekend tapping demonstrations and learn how to identify and tap maple tree, make syrup over a wood-fried evaporator, and taste different syrups!
Where: The Great Swamp OEC, 247 Southern Boulevard, Chatham, NJ.
When: Weekends throughout January and February. Check calendar here.
Cost: $3 per person. Call 973.635.6629 for more information.

Maple Sugaring
Who: All ages.
What: Witness how maple trees are tapped, learn about sap collecting methods from past and present, and experience the boiling process that produces NJ maple syrup. Take a one-half-mile walk to the sugar shack from the environmental center.
Where: Environmental Education Center, 190 Lord Stirling Road, Basking Ridge, NJ.
When: February 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24 / March 2, 3, 9, 10
Saturdays – 10 am, Noon, and 2 pm
Sundays – Noon and 2 pm
Cost: Call 908.766.2489 for more information.

Maple Sugaring
Who: Kids ages 4 – 12.
What: Tap a maple tree, collect sap, and make maple syrup. Return to the center for hot chocolate and sugar snacks.
Where: Essex County Environmental Center, 621-B Eagle Rock Avenue, Roseland, NJ.
When: Saturday, February 11 from 10:30 am – 12 pm.
Cost: $5 members, $7 nonmembers

Garden Discoveries at Van Vleck
Who: Ages 3 to 5 with an adult.
What: Join us at Van Vleck House & Gardens for an afternoon of discovery in and around the gardens. Each program will include a guided hike, hands-on activities and a story. Parents or caregivers must accompany each child.
Where: Van Vleck House & Gardens, 21 Van Vleck Street, Montclair, NJ.
When: Wednesday, February 27 (Maple Sugaring)
Cost: $7 per child who are friends of Van Vleck and $12 per child for others. No fee for accompanying adults. To register, call (973) 744-4752 ex.11 or email Michelle Wiessner.

Maple Sugar Festival
Who: All ages.
What: Excite your senses with maple syrup snow cones and taste tests. Take part in crafts, games, tree tapping demos, and more! Join a “Hiking through Sugaring History” walk to see how sugaring has evolved since it started with the Native Americans. The entire family is sure to enjoy this fun filled day of sugary sappy goodness.
Where: The Great Swamp OEC, 247 Southern Boulevard, Chatham, NJ.
When: Saturday, March 2 from 12 pm – 4 pm.
Cost: $4 per person. Call 973.635.6629 for more information.

Read the whole thing at:
http://kids.baristanet.com/2013/01/sweet-syrupy-fun-maple-sugaring-events/

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