Sugar Maple

Blustery Elmvale Festival Still a Success - Check Out the Video!

2011-04-18T20:26:00.006-04:00

Along with the appearance of the spring peepers, the Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival usually corresponds with the end of another maple season. This year, the festival wound up on a rather blustery Saturday and still lots of faithful customers came out to celebrate maple with us. Thanks to all of those who braved the wintery weather!

There was a nice piece on the A Channel News on Saturday highlighting the Elmvale Festival. You can find it here. If you fast-forward to the eight-minute mark, it runs for about two minutes. If you watch closely, you'll see our own special thirty seconds of fame from about 9:00min - 9:30min. You're a natural, Jesse!

For those who didn't make it to Elmvale on Saturday, and would still like to stock up on the 2011 crop, we will be open from 9:00am - 5:00pm on Good Friday and also on Easter Sunday. Our sugarhouse will be closed on Saturday, when you will find us returning to the Orillia Farmers' Market for their own special Maple Syrup Festival. After Sunday, we will return to keeping our usual irregular hours so please call ahead -- (705) 835-5780.

2011 Production Season Is Over

2011-04-10T17:14:00.003-04:00

The 2011 Maple Syrup Season will go down in our records as an excellent year! We wound up the last few days with ideal weather and some very good runs of sap. We are happy enough to see the season come to a close as we've got a good stock of excellent #1 Medium Syrup to last us through the year. Saturday night was the last boil of the season, and we have been busy this weekend with the next large task of getting the syrup all bottled up, and beginning the major clean-up operation. There is still much work to be done!

Now that the production season had ended, our business hours will no longer be regular. Please call (705) 835-5780 to check the hours before you plan a visit, as they will change daily.

You will find us this coming Saturday April 16th at the Annual Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival. Looking forward to seeing lots of loyal Maple Syrup fans there, as usual. Check out the link if you haven't been to the festival before -- there are lots of activities for the entire family!

Is Maple Syrup The New Super Food?

2011-04-03T08:38:00.003-04:00

Check this out! New studies out of Rhode Island have found that Maple Syrup is high in anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory substances similar to those found in tea, berries, red wine, and flax seeds. Just one more reason to love Maple Syrup!

You can read more about the study here.

Lots of Sap!

2011-04-01T13:50:00.007-04:00

As those of you who have been watching the weather may have guessed, the last two days were amazing sap days! Dad said he was nearly washed away, haha! Wednesday afternoon in particular was some of the best run he's ever seen. He said if you pulled a spile out of the tree, the sap would almost jump out and splash you in the face it was running so much. It was -4°C overnight last night, so we are expecting another great day today.

It's amazing how different the season can be from year to year; on April Fools' last year, it was +24°C! The season was finished and we started our clean-up and take-down of the lines on April 2. It doesn't appear that we'll be having any weather quite that warm for a while yet this year, so we are hoping for a few more sap days before it's all over.

As usual, we will be open this weekend from 1:00pm - 5:00pm. Come out for a visit, and make the most of the beautiful spring sunshine!

A Few Cool Days...

2011-03-25T16:22:00.006-04:00

The sap was running on Sunday when I last wrote, and it continued straight through the night, all day Monday, and right through Monday night as well! Since then, the temperatures have dipped back below freezing and as such we've been put on hold temporarily. It's nice to have a chance to catch up with bottling the syrup that we've made so far -- we've got lots of very nice #1 Medium Maple Syrup for sale now, as well as a small quantity of first-run light syrup still available. The forecast for the weekend shows nice bright sunshine, but cool temperatures. If the predicted highs are correct, we do not anticipate that we will be collecting sap this weekend, but it does sound like beautiful weather to be outside. We hope to see lots of visitors again this weekend. If you are planning on coming by, bundle up! With temperatures on the cold side, it gets chilly in the Sugar House.

Speaking of which, we were sent some more great photos from happy visitors:

Checking out the sap in the tank.

Listening closely while Ken explains how syrup is made

Cute kids!!

Busy Weekend: The End of the March Break & Spring Officially Arrives

2011-03-20T19:21:00.009-04:00

Well, it's official! As of 7:21pm this evening, the vernal equinox has arrived! The equinox marks the balancing point of the sun on the Equator, meaning that our days are now close to a well-balanced twelve hours of daylight vs. darkness. Given that this special day rides on the coattails of the lunar perigee last night, it certainly seems likely that some kind of special spring magic is in the air...

We had a wonderful busy weekend with lots of visitors out to the farm. A special thanks to the Dilworth family, Michael, Stephanie, Aidan, Lauren, and Jack for sharing these great photos with us!

The weather remains unsettled currently, and is keeping us on our toes. The report overnight tonight is right on the verge with a predicted low of one degree. It sounds like the weatherman is just as baffled as we are, calling for a possible 10cm of wet snow or some freezing rain or maybe just plain wet rain! We boiled a batch of syrup off this afternoon and the sap has continued to run. It looks like Dad will have to boil again around midnight tonight and then get up once or twice through the night to check the tanks. He tells me he had a good sleep last night so he should have no problem staying awake tonight. At this rate, it won't be long before those sugarmaker dark circles start to make an appearance... But, we won't bite the hand that feeds us, we're always happy to see the sap!

How Maple Butter Is Made

2011-03-20T18:08:00.006-04:00

To make our delicious McCutcheon's Maple Butter, we begin by boiling our Maple Syrup down even thicker so that it is reduced by an additional 50%. This thick toffee-like syrup is then chilled in a pan over ice water for a number of hours. We must be very careful when transferring and lifing the pan as any sudden bumps or knocks can cause unwanted crystal to form.

Then, the chilled and concentrated syrup is churned constantly and slowly for at least an hour until very fine crystals form and it reaches the desired buttery consistency. Timing and temperature are crucial.

Maple Butter is made entirely from the sap of Sugar Maple trees and must be kept refrigerated, even before opening, to maintain it's lovely, creamy consistency.

Unsettled Spring Weather Brings On The Sap

2011-03-18T14:02:00.003-04:00

We had an unexpected spring storm last night, with thunder and lightening in the early evening and then very high wind and rain through the middle of the night. The temperature stayed mild, and as a result, Dad was up into the wee hours of the morning making sure that the sap tank did not overflow. He said that it ran very well from midnight until 4am, and he boiled down the sap that he collected overnight first thing this morning. We will have to get out into the woods soon to check for branches that may have come down during the storm, and to make sure that all of the lines remain in good repair.

The sap has been running steadily over the past four days and we have made about a quarter of an average crop so far. Yesterday was the best day of the season to date as we made close to 100 gallons of syrup (that's 4000 gallons of sap collected!). We would consider that to be a good production day on average, however, we have definitely had larger runs, sometimes collecting 7000-8000 gallons of sap in one day! We have had some big temperature swings this week, but we're still waiting for the "perfect" sap day. -5°C to +5°C with crisp sunshine would be ideal.

If you are in the mood to do some more maple reading, check out this blog by Bruce Sherman. You'll find some great pictures that he took at our farm yesterday, as well as some thoughtful blog commentary from a true maple enthusiast. If you look closely, you'll also find a great painting that Bruce did of our farmhouse. Enjoy!

Open For Visitors!

2011-03-14T21:00:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow, Tuesday March 15th, will mark our official opening for the 2011 Maple Syrup season! We collected a small amount of sap on the weekend, and have boiled down and bottled our very first batch. We will now be open daily from 1:00pm - 5:00pm until the end of the season. Please come by for a visit. Tomorrow sounds like a beautiful day to go for a walk in the sugarbush, have some sugar-on-snow, and purchase your own bottle of extra-special first run syrup. Happy March Break, everyone. Hope to see you soon!

Warmer Days Ahead

2011-03-12T11:34:00.004-05:00

The weather forecast has been gradually improving, and the sap is just starting to run. As soon as we have fresh Maple Syrup for sale we will be open in the afternoons from 1:00pm - 5:00pm. As long as the predicted weather pattern holds, we anticipate opening for the season by the middle of this week. Please check back soon to confirm our opening date. You can also call (705) 835-5780 to hear our recorded greeting which is updated daily.

Late Start

2011-03-11T14:02:00.002-05:00

We were foiled by Mother Nature again this week, and the warmer days that we had hoped for did not turn up. We have yet to make any fresh syrup this season, but we're well-prepared and optimistic as we continue to wait for spring to arrive. This is a later start to the season than it has been for the past few years, but according to our records we have had seasons that began as late as March 23rd! The farm will remain closed until the sap begins to flow, so please check back near the end of the week for another update.

Up and Down

2011-03-06T08:45:00.007-05:00

After a mad scramble to get ready, the weather changed quite drastically and we had a steady week of cold weather. We had thought we might get some sap this Friday and Saturday with the predicted rain and mild weather, but in the end it did not get warm enough to run. This morning it looks like we're back to winter with four inches of fresh snow!

Looking at the forecast yesterday, it appeared that it was going to stay cold this week also -- a bit nerve-racking to face losing a week of potential syrup-making in March. Today however, the report has changed entirely, and it now shows beautiful sap weather all week beginning on Tuesday. If the weather reporters only knew how much they toyed with our emotions, haha!

The roller coaster ride continues...

Getting Ready

2011-02-27T18:57:00.003-05:00

The McCutcheon clan has been out in the woods stretching lines and tapping trees and we are feeling well prepared for the imminent season. The weather report has been in constant flux (as usual at this time of year) and the predictions seem to change almost hourly. Currently, the forecast is showing some potential sap days in the coming week, but as any experienced Maple producer knows, spring is all about surprises. We will have to wait and see what March will bring us as it quickly approaches. Stay tuned...

It's That Time of Year Again...

2011-02-20T16:42:00.003-05:00

February 18th may sound early for some to start thinking about Maple Syrup, but this recent springlike weather certainly has us on high alert! It does seem a little early to expect a sap run just yet, but Mother Nature knows best, so we're heeding her warning and getting ready just in case. We were out in the sugarbush stretching lines on Friday, and with sunshine, blue sky, and lots of puddles, it certainly did feel like spring was right around the corner! This afternoon we hammered in the first taps of the 2011 season.

As we get busy now working in the woods, the farm will be closed for sales. Last year's crop of syrup is in fact sold out, so we hope you will all join us in looking forward to a fresh batch!

Please continue to check back here for updates as the season unfolds. We will let you know when the farm will be open for sales and visitors as soon as possible. Thanks for checking in, and fingers crossed for a long and sappy spring!

McCutcheon's "Seriously Rules"!

2010-05-09T11:41:00.005-04:00

It was a pleasant and flattering surprise to see ourselves mentioned in the National Post last week. While reviewing four "brands" of maple syrup, Mary Luz Mejia took the opportunity to throw in her two cents:

"Before I forget: I want to name-check the best brand of syrup I have ever encountered, which isn’t available retail — only at farmers’ markets and maybe online. It’s called McCutcheon’s, and it seriously rules."

You can read the full article HERE.

Thanks, Mary Luz!

Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival

2010-04-15T09:07:00.004-04:00

"Every year the sleepy town of Elmvale explodes in a celebration of Nature's rites of Spring - the running of liquid gold - Ontario Pure Maple Syrup"

This Saturday, April 17th, we will be attending the annual event Elmvale. You can find all of the details about the festival HERE.

We've been lucky the past few years with beautiful weather on the festival day, but it sounds like this year the tradition of cool, rainy weather will return. I know a little rain never fazed a true maple fan -- the festival is always packed with happy, hardy visitors, rain or shine! Come on out and enjoy the festivities, have some pancakes, and join us in celebrating the magic of maple!

Closed Easter Monday

2010-04-05T08:53:00.002-04:00

With the end of the maple season, we will no longer keep regular hours at the farm. We will be closed on Easter Monday, and if you wish to visit in the following days, please call ahead to see if we will be open - (705) 835-5780.

2010 Season Has Ended

2010-04-01T07:45:00.003-04:00

We had expected Tuesday night to be our final night of boiling for the 2010 season. It was the full moon on Tuesday, also known in March as the "Maple Moon", and we thought it would be a fitting end to wind up the season with a midnight boil in the moonlight. However, as usual, Mother Nature surprised us, and we had another fairly hard overnight frost. As a result, we were able to collect another small run of sap on Wednesday - the very last one of the season.

Now the race is on for us to take down and clean all of our lines before this upcoming warm spell causes things to get moldy. We also still have many batches of syrup yet to be bottled and labeled before it is ready for sale. So, even though the sap run has ended, the work continues! That being said, Dad in particular is somewhat relieved to see the end, as it means he can finally get a good night's sleep!

Though we will be out working in the sugarbush in the mornings this weekend, we will remain open in the afternoons from 1pm - 5pm. Please keep in mind that there will not be any sap running in the tanks to see, nor will we be operating the evaporator. Visitors are still welcome to tour the sugarhouse, ask questions, and of course stock up on Maple Syrup, Maple Butter, and Maple Candy!

Directions To Our Farm - Google Map

2010-03-29T20:38:00.005-04:00

After a few unlucky customers reported getting lost after being misdirected by Google Maps, I recently contacted the site and was able to make some corrections. You can now find an excellent (and correct!) map and driving directions to our farm HERE

Our sincere apologies to everyone who was affected by the error.

How Maple Sugar Is Made

2010-03-26T08:15:00.004-04:00

Maple Sugar Candy is made by first concentrating Maple Syrup further by boiling. This hot Maple Syrup concentrate is stirred until very fine sugar crystals form. Temperature and timing are crucial - while still fluid, it is poured into maple leaf shaped molds where it quickly sets and becomes solid.

Maple Sugar is a totally natural candy, made entirely from the sap of the Sugar Maple tree.

Not Over Yet

2010-03-26T07:52:00.003-04:00

I spoke to Dad last night, and he told me he'd been looking at our records over the years - turns out, this year wins the prize for the most days collecting and boiling sap in a row! We have had some sap every day for the past 24 days! With a record like that, one would think that we'd be having a great season over all, however, the yield has been very low each day, and is adding up slowly. Maple farmers all over the region and in the United States and Quebec are reported low yields as well.

Usually throughout the season, there are days when it either remains frozen and the sap stops running, or it remains too warm overnight and that stops the flow. Today may be the first potential day that Dad gets a rest, with the weather report predicting that it will not climb above freezing today. However, with that clear sky and strong sun I wouldn't be surprised if it got a bit warmer than expected...

Either way, it does appear that the end of the season is growing near. The long range forecast shows a spike in warm weather for Easter Weekend, which might just be enough to bring the buds out on the trees. In the meantime, we continue to take each day as it comes and hope to have a few more sap days before it is all over. We remain open to customers at the farm from 1pm- 5pm daily.

The Sugar Master At Work

2010-03-14T15:52:00.005-04:00

Photo by: Roger Messenger

Pouding Chomeur (Poor Man's Pudding)

2010-03-14T15:33:00.005-04:00

Maclean's Magazine recently featured a story about "Pouding Chomeur", a traditional Quebecois desert that is made with Maple Syrup. Translated literally, "Pouding Chomeur" means "unemployed person's pudding".

You can find the article here:
http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/02/08/the-very-rich-poor-man’s-pudding/

Dad was so tempted by the sound of the dish that he baked up a batch for us, and it really was delicious! We had it warm with some vanilla icecream...

The recipe that he used is as follows:

Pouding Chomeur

BATTER:
1 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 C milk
1/4 C melted butter
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 C raisins

SAUCE:
1 1/2 C water
1 C real maple syrup
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp cornstarch

PREPARATION:
Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and nutmeg in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, butter, and lemon rind. Pour over dry ingredients. Sprinkle with raisins and stir until just combined. Spread in greased 8" square glass baking dish

Whisk together water, maple syrup, butter, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Pour over batter.

Bake at 350F until golden and firm to the touch; 40-45 minutes.

Mild Weather Rains On Our Parade

2010-03-13T07:44:00.003-05:00

The sap run has slowed down over the past few days with this mild weather. It hasn't been quite cold enough to freeze overnight since Wednesday. We expect it is going to continue to be mild and rainy over the weekend, so we probably will have only a very small sap run, if any. Visitors are still welcome at the farm from 1pm - 5pm if you'd like to come out and stock up on that precious first-run syrup. Looking ahead, the weather forecast promises better weather to come by the middle of next week. Fingers crossed!

Big Thanks!

2010-03-07T17:53:00.004-05:00

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to visit our sugarbush this weekend! It was great to kick off the new season with so many smiling faces, and great sunny days. For those of you who are still planning to come out, we are now open daily from 1:00pm - 5:00pm.

We have had a slow but steady start this year and have collected small amounts of sap every day since March 2nd. The syrup we have made so far is delicious, and looks beautiful - Dad says it "sparkles". The weather forecast looks sappy for the next few days, with things warming up and getting rainy by the end of the week. However, the weather reports tend to change frequently at this time of year, so we will have to wait and see what mother nature brings our way. Stay tuned...

Opening Weekend

2010-03-05T19:15:00.002-05:00

The 2010 season is off to a good, early start as expected - we had our first official boil last night. As a result, we have some delicious, light, first-run syrup made, and we're working away at getting it bottled up so that it'll be ready for sale on Saturday afternoon. We will be opening at 1:00pm on Saturday and will close at 5:00pm, and we will also be open on Sunday from 1:00pm - 5:00pm. It's shaping up to be a beautiful weekend, so please be sure to make the most of it and come out for a visit! Chances are good that the sap will be running, and we will definitely be making everyone's favourite sugar-on-snow while we've still got some snow around to do it. Bring your sunglasses, and your appetite for the first syrup of the season!

2010 Season Under Way

2010-02-28T21:06:00.012-05:00

It's that time of year again, maple enthusiasts! We've been busy over the past week stretching out lines and tapping all of our 6500 trees, and so are feeling well prepared for what we expect may be an early season. We've seen some signs of sap already during our preparations, and if the current weather trends hold true things may be getting underway very soon! Please take a look at some of our stylish tapping crew hard at work, and check back soon for further updates and notification of our opening date.

Maple Old Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail

2009-10-11T10:35:00.004-04:00

I had someone inquiring at the Farmers' Market yesterday about a recipe for a maple cocktail for her gourmet club. I was able to find this video on youtube with instructions for making a maple old fashioned whiskey cocktail. Looks delicious!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UksnUyBfUA

Maple Whipped Cream

2009-10-11T10:26:00.004-04:00

Happy Thanksgiving!! I'm currently baking up a pumpkin pie for our family dinner tonight, and thought I'd share my idea of topping it with some maple whipped cream. It's super easy to make and is great with apple, pumpkin, or blueberry pie, but would also make an extra special topping for pancakes or waffles.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cold whipping cream
2 tablespoons cold maple syrup

Preparation:
Have mixing bowl and beaters chilled for best results. Beat whipped cream until soft peaks form; add maple syrup and beat until firm. Makes about 1 cup of whipped cream. Note: this recipe is easily doubled.

Maple Rhubarb Pie

2009-06-14T19:26:00.003-04:00

The perfect end to your spring BBQ or picnic

3 cups rhubarb, cut up
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 egg
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
Pinch of salt

Beat the egg, then add the sugar, maple syrup and flour. Mix thoroughly, and then stir in the rhubarb.

Bake in a two-crust pie at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, and then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Fresh Fruit Salad with Maple Syrup

2009-06-14T19:23:00.004-04:00

A sophisticated and elegant twist on a very simple dessert.
(serves 5)

1/2 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons orange or almond flavored liqueur,
or rum or cognac (optional)
4 cups fresh fruit pieces (strawberries, peaches, apples, grapefruit, orange, banana, cantaloupe, blueberries, kiwi fruit, etc.)

Mix maple syrup and liqueur together. Gently stir maple syrup mixture into fresh fruit pieces. Allow to stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Serve chilled. Great with plain yogurt or ice cream!

Grilled Maple Sweet Potato Slices

2009-06-14T19:20:00.001-04:00

Flavored with maple syrup and cinnamon, grilled sweet potatoes are a unique alternative to regular potatoes

2 sweet potatoes
1 large zip-lock bag
½ cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
Aluminum foil

Wash sweet potatoes and slice lengthwise about 1/4-inch thick. Place maple syrup, cinnamon, and brown sugar in zip lock bag, add sliced sweet potatoes and let air out before you seal up. Mix with your fingers so that all the slices are coated. Marinate in fridge until ready to cook.

When ready to grill, place entire contents of bag in foil and close up, poke some vent holes on top so steam can escape and put on grill for about 5-7 minutes. They should be tender but still crisp.

Take out of foil and grill to brown more if desired.

Maple Salmon with Asparagus

2009-06-14T19:13:00.004-04:00

A quick and delicious spring dinner (Serves 2)

2 salmon steaks
Olive oil or butter
¼ cup pure maple syrup
10 stalks fresh asparagus
Slivered almonds for garnish

Prepare Salmon Steaks
Sauté in heavy fry pan in small amount of hot olive oil or butter until brown and then turn to brown the other side. Remove from pan and drain oil.

Return salmon to hot pan and pour 1/4 cup maple syrup over the steaks. After a couple of minutes turn the steak again to coat the other side. Serve hot.

Prepare Sautéed Asparagus
In a fry pan, heat a small amount of olive oil. Toss in fresh asparagus and sauté until heated through. This takes less than five minutes.

Garnish with slivered almonds.

Maple Ginger Glaze

2009-06-14T19:11:00.002-04:00

Great on the BBQ with chicken, pork, or salmon (serves 6)

1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Heat olive oil or melt butter in saucepan. Sauté garlic until lightly browned. Add maple syrup and simmer for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Grill meat on the first side for 6 minutes, then turn and brush the seared side generously with the glaze. Cook for another 6 minutes, and turn again. Brush with the glaze and cook for 1 minute. Remove from grill and serve. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Maple Classic Dressing

2009-06-14T19:08:00.006-04:00

A hint of maple flavor adds complexity to a simple dressing. (makes 1 cup)

1/3 cup cider or balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Whisk together the vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, garlic, and pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil. Drizzle the dressing over salad greens and toss before serving.

Refrigerate the remaining dressing.

Thanks for a Great Season!

2009-04-15T08:39:00.009-04:00

The sap run has ended for another year, but this time we're not disappointed to see it go. 2009 will go down in our records as one of the best seasons in the last decade! It feels great to see our shelves full of maple syrup, and to know that we'll be able to see lots of happy customers at the Farmers' Markets this year!

It's just like after a big party -- everyone goes home and you've got to clean up the mess! We will be closed at the farm for the next few weeks as we will be out in the sugarbush cleaning and taking down our lines. If you would like to come out to the farm to purchase your maple syrup, honey, or pottery, please call ahead to arrange a
time ~ (705) 835-5780 ~

You will be able to find us at the Orillia Farmers' Market this Saturday, April 18th, and then the following Saturday, April 25th, we will be selling at the Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival (please see www.elmvalemaplesyrup.ca for details). Beginning May 2nd, you can find us at the Orillia Farmers' Market every Saturday, and the Brickworks Farmers' Market in Toronto begins on May 23rd.

Thanks everyone for a great season, and we hope to see some of you at the markets soon!

April Showers...or...Snowstorm?

2009-04-08T21:14:00.003-04:00

Well, last week we thought the season was ending with no more frost in the forecast, and now here we are with a foot of snow on the ground! Apparently the "old-timers" call a surprise snowstorm like this in April "Sugar Snow" due to the fact that the sap often runs so well afterwards. We're hoping the folklore holds true, and we'll have a few more good sap days this weekend as the weather forecast predicts.

We have not had any sap for a number of days now, but we had some good runs at the beginning of last week. There remains no sign of buds on the trees yet, so if the weather co-operates and makes the sap run, we are rested and ready to make some more delicious maple syrup!

We do expect that this will be our final weekend of sugarmaking for the season, and we will be open to visitors from 1pm - 5pm all weekend, including Good Friday. It sounds like a beautiful, sunny weekend; perfect for a final visit to the sugarbush!

Here's To Your Health...

2009-03-29T08:12:00.004-04:00

Some of our customers can't wait to enjoy their jug of McCutcheon's Maple Syrup!

Great Season So Far

2009-03-25T19:52:00.005-04:00

"Dad says this year the weather's just right
Warm bright mornings and cold clear nights
This time we're goin' to get a real bumper crop
Tap that flow and it ain't never gonna stop!"

Those of you that have heard the Maple Syrup song that plays on our website will know what I mean when I say "Dad says this year the weather's just right"! We're all happily humming that tune around here, as so far this year it is the perfect theme song! We've been having an excellent season so far; the weather pattern has been just right with it freezing overnight and thawing during the days, and as a result we've been able to collect sap almost every single day since the season started on March 7th. The syrup that we've been making this season has a wonderful maple flavour too!

I just drove past the farm on my way home from work and saw lots of steam coming out of the sugarhouse. Dad has had a lot of overnight boils this year, with the sap running late into the evening. I expect tonight might be one of those nights with the temperature staying mild, and the windy, rainy weather seems to bring the sap for whatever reason.

Of course, the season is not over yet, and we're always a little worried about a sudden warm spell putting an end to things. However, the weather forecast still looks promising so we're hoping for another week of good sap days before it warms up for good. We've got all of our fingers crossed -- hopefully the song will be right and we'll wind up with "a real bumper crop"!

Opening Weekend

2009-03-15T18:16:00.005-04:00

Thanks to everyone who made it out for a visit this weekend. It was nice to see some familiar faces out enjoying the spring weather, and some new faces too!

The weather made for a perfect opening weekend. We had a small run of sap on Saturday as it didn't warm up until later in the afternoon, and we collected up enough sap to boil later in the evening. Today was an absolutely perfect sap day with temperatures up to ten degrees. The sap was running into the tank so quickly it was hard to keep up! We boiled some down this afternoon and it's still running well. Looks like it'll be a late night in the sugarhouse tonight...

If you weren't able to make it out to the farm this weekend, we will be open seven days a week from 1pm - 5pm from now until the end of the season. It's nice to see our shelves full of syrup after having been bare for so long. Come on out and have a taste of spring!

First Syrup of the Season

2009-03-12T19:47:00.003-04:00

We were able to collect some sap this past weekend and had our first small boil on Sunday. Then Tuesday brought some wild weather with the wind and rain, but it also brought the sap. We had a very large run that carried on through the night, and Dad stayed up boiling until 5am! Quite the start to the season!

The good news is that we have some beautiful, fresh, first-run syrup bottled up now, and will have it for sale at the farm beginning this Saturday. We will be open on Saturday from 1pm - 5pm and every day after during those hours until the season ends.

We hope to see lots of you at the farm this weekend enjoying the beginning of your March break. It sounds like it's going to be beautiful weather, perfect for sap, and nice days for visiting the sugarbush. As usual, we will have the fireplace on in the sugarhouse, and you are welcome to come watch us boil the syrup and have a taste of the new crop. Hope you see you soon!

Finished Tapping!

2009-03-06T16:42:00.002-05:00

I'm just in from the sugarbush after tapping the last of our 6500 trees today. We had a good blitz this week with the warm weather and lots of help from family memebers, and managed to get our trees tapped in the shortest amount of time yet! It feels great to have it done, as the weather forecast predicts some very good sap days to come. Now we just have some final pieces to put together, and we'll be all set. Bring on the sap!

Getting Ready

2009-02-26T20:58:00.004-05:00

We finished stretching out the lines last week, and we've been taking advantage of the warm weather over the past two days to begin tapping. The sap was actually running today it was so mild! As soon as we drilled a hole, the sap would start dripping from it, running all the way down the tree. However, the forecast for the weekend is for another deep freeze, so the season is not quite upon us yet. We can feel it just around the corner though, so we're eager to finish tapping in order to be ready when it arrives. I think the anticipation is what makes this such an exciting time of year!

Back to the Bush!

2009-02-16T16:45:00.008-05:00

Well, it's that time of year again! The past four days have been beautiful, sunny, and mild enough for us to get out in the woods, laying out and stretching our lines in preparation for the 2009 maple season. We've been able to get lots of work done in a short time so far, as the walking in the sugarbush is relatively easy; not too much snow, and it's almost crunchy enough to walk on without snowshoes.

The long term forecast predicts another two weeks or so of cold, wintery weather before warming up at the beginning of March. If that forecast holds true, we should be right on track! We're hoping for a good season this year so we can re-stock our empty shelves! Wish us luck, and keep checking back for updates as the season gets underway.

Royal Winter Fair 2008

2008-11-16T20:47:00.006-05:00

We were very lucky to have another successful year at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, placing first in four out of seven categories! As such, we were awarded with the Corbett Trophy for the highest points in the maple sugar categories, and we also won the Premier Exhibitor Trophy for the highest points total overall. A true honour!

Outstanding Honey Crop!

2008-09-14T08:47:00.003-04:00

Despite the rainy summer, the bees have been very busy and we have lots of fresh and delicious wildblossom honey for sale. The wet weather means lots of nectar in the flowers, and so on the sunny days the bees have been able to work very hard collecting it all and turning it into wonderful honey. To quote one happy customer, "It's like eating a bouquet of wildflowers!".

Honey is one of the purest and most natural foods available and is reputed to have many health benefits including boosting the immune system, increasing energy, soothing sore throats, and more. And it's a delicious treat besides! McCutcheon's Wildblossom Honey is available at the Orillia Farmers' Market, Gaudaur Natural Foods store in Orillia, and at our farm. Please call ahead before visiting!

Finished At The Brickworks For Another Season...

2008-09-14T08:24:00.003-04:00

I would like to thank all of the wonderful customers at the Brickworks Farmers' Market for another great market season. Unfortunately, due to the small crop this year, I have run out of syrup a little earlier than usual. My Mom and Dad will continue to take syrup to the Orillia Farmers' Market up until Thanksgiving, but the supply is getting low. We currently have only one-litre sizes and smaller available. If you're hoping to stock up for the winter, or put aside some gifts for Christmas, now is the time! Thanks again for the great summer, and I hope to see you at the Brickworks next year!

Season's End

2008-04-16T12:38:00.004-04:00

Well, it was a drawn-out season this year, with the syrup gods testing our patience many times along the way! We had to wait for it, but we did wind up with a reasonable crop, just slightly below average in terms of quantity. We are boiling our final batch of syrup today, and then will begin the (less exciting) job of cleaning up for the season. The first step in the process is to wash our 30km of tubing! We do have some delicious fresh syrup for sale at the farm, but please call ahead to assure someone is home, as we will be working out in the woods frequently for the next couple of weeks.

This weekend marks the annual Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival, which we have been attending for over 35 years! Come taste some fresh syrup, have a delicious pancake breakfast, and enjoy the festivities! You can obtain further details at http://www.elmvalemaplesyrup.ca/

Great Sap Days

2008-04-06T11:04:00.003-04:00

We've had some excellent runs of sap this week, and have produced just over a half of an average crop of syrup for the season. With these beautiful sunny days the sap is running well, we just need to continue to have the frost at night.

We did get a touch of frost overnight last night, and so the sap is running today and we hope to be boiling later this afternoon. Again, it's a beautiful day to get out and enjoy the sunshine! We spent the morning bottling up another batch of fresh syrup, so come out this afternoon to pick up a jug while it's still warm!

Promising Week Ahead

2008-03-31T09:54:00.004-04:00

We were able to collect a small amount of sap over the weekend, with the temperature climbing just enough to cause the run. The forecast for today and the rest of this week sounds very promising, and we're hoping for some ideal sap days. The next two weeks will be crucial for us as generally by mid-april the season is over.

It has been brought to our attention that the map provided by Google Maps for our address is incorrect. We are located on the 9th Line of Medonte, off of the Horseshoe Valley Road. We are open daily from 1:00pm - 5:00 pm. Hope you can find us, and we'll see you at the farm soon!

Signs of Spring!

2008-03-29T11:15:00.002-04:00

It got very cold overnight last night, -14 degrees, but the thermometer is steadily climbing. It is not quite warm enough yet for the sap to run, but the sun is shining strong and it may run later this afternoon. It is a beautiful day to visit the sugarbush. We have the fireplace burning in the sugarhouse and as always will be making some sugar-on-snow. Come out this afternoon and enjoy the first signs of spring!

Slow Start

2008-03-28T19:49:00.005-04:00

Well, it's late, but I think the maple season has finally arrived! Easter weekend and the beginning of this week were too cold for any sap to run. However, yesterday and today the thermometer finally climbed high enough for us to produce some syrup. The weather report this weekend predicts a high of +1 degree for both Saturday and Sunday. If the sun shines on us (literally!) we may get sap both days. However, there is no guarantee and if the forecast is off by a degree, and it is cooler than expected, we'll be out of luck. We will be open this weekend regardless, from 1:00pm - 5:00pm with fresh maple syrup for sale. I will update this site again tomorrow to let you all know if the sap is running...

Opening on Good Friday

2008-03-19T09:23:00.003-04:00

Mother Nature is playing games with us! The past three days, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, were all within two degrees of being good sap days. However, it's been just a little bit too cool for the sap to run. As a result, we've had time to bottle up the batch that we made on Saturday night. I did an official taste-test yesterday, I made some french toast for lunch and I can attest; it's delicious!

If you're looking forward to getting a bottle of your own, we will be opening for the season on Good Friday. We will be open seven days a week, from 1:00pm - 5:00pm until the end of the season. Please remember to dress warmly if you are coming out to visit our sugarhouse, as the forecast this weekend sounds chilly! Hope to see you soon!

Beautiful Sap Day!

2008-03-16T09:06:00.007-04:00

Yesterday was a perfect day for a sugarmaker; it froze up to about -3 degrees overnight, then rose to +6 degrees in the afternoon. The sap ran quite well, and we were able to collect some for our first boil late Saturday night. We now have a small amount of delicious, first-run syrup and hope to have it bottled and available for sale by the end of the week.

The forecast today only predicts a high of -3 degrees, in which case we will not get any sap today. However, it is a brilliant sunny day already, so perhaps with the heat of the sun it'll get a little warmer than predicted. We'll have to keep our fingers crossed and watch the thermometer! My dad always says you have to be optimistic if you're going to be a farmer...

It's Almost Here...

2008-03-14T19:08:00.003-04:00

We're so close now, I can practically taste that first-run syrup! Today was a great mild and sunny day, and for the first time this season there is a small amount of sap trickling into the sugarhouse. However, after such a deep freeze it will take some time before the trees thaw enough to run well. Our sugarhouse will be closed this weekend, as with all of that snow we have some work to do yet, digging up lines and repairing leaks. If the weather forecasters are correct, the next few days should bring some sap, and we hope to have some fresh syrup made and bottled by the end of the week. Please continue to check back for updates, as we hope to be open for business soon!

Finished Tapping

2008-03-08T19:20:00.009-05:00

Well, we did indeed work hard on Thursday and finished tapping all of our trees! Now, we just have to wait for this winter storm to clear out and hope for some warmer weather!

At this time of year, Canadians everywhere are beginning to think maple. I noticed an article today about a brewery in the Ottawa area that welcomes spring with a special seasonal beer. Heritage Brewing uses maple sap instead of water to brew its Maple Bush Lager.

"The beer varies in dryness from year to year depending on the sugar content of the sap," the company says. "This beer has the aroma of maple, the smokiness of a sugar camp and the rich colour of amber maple syrup."

Sounds great! You can check it out on their website: http://www.heritagebrewing.com/seasonal.html

Back In Business

2008-03-06T08:15:00.003-05:00

Great, warm day for tapping today. It's about -3 degrees already, and it's supposed to climb up to +1 degree this afternoon. If we work hard, we may be able to finish the tapping today! To the sugarbush...

More Snow!

2008-03-05T09:28:00.004-05:00

Surprise, another snow storm! We received approximately 20cm of snow overnight and it is still snowing this morning. This shuts us down on tapping for the day, as the snow sticks to the trunks of the trees and makes it difficult to determine where to drill a good hole. Guess we'll put away the drills and hammers today, and get out the shovels!

Maple Season 2008

2008-03-04T12:32:00.007-05:00

Greetings maple enthusiasts! The 2008 maple season is upon us! We've been busy over the past couple of weeks in preparation, and currently have about three-quarters of our 6500 trees tapped. The sap was actually running during yesterday's thaw (+13 degrees!), so it's getting close to showtime! Please check back for daily updates as this year's season gets underway.
Thanks, and think maple!

Sincerely,
Carley McCutcheon

Maple Syrup Pie

2006-11-23T09:11:00.000-05:00

It's not Thanksgiving here in Canada, but if it gives you an excuse to make a pie, who am I to argue? Over at Epicurious, there is a recipe for Maple Syrup Pie from the Restaurant Aux Anciens Canadiens where it was known as "Tarte au Sirop d' Érable":

"My husband and I had an absolutely fantastic dessert at Restaurant Aux Anciens Canadiens while on vacation in Quebec, Canada," Says Deb Kalikow of Natick, Massachusetts. "Maple syrup pie served with crème fraîche is its specialty. The pie capped off a perfect dinner of delicious French-Canadian dishes. We ate at another restaurant the next night and tried the maple syrup pie there. We were so disappointed by our first bites that we then went back to Aux Anciens Canadiens and waited an hour just to have another piece of their pie."

Don't be tempted to forgo the cream with this pie; it perfectly complements the dessert's rich silkiness and balances the sweetness.

Be careful making it as it is apparently easy to undercook the interior, though the commentor said it was still delicious.

Making Mead with Maple Syrup

2006-11-05T23:33:00.000-05:00

Ken Roberts has some links to different maple syrup mead recipes.

The page also mentions maple syrup wine and a liquor made from maple syrup.

Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto starts tomorrow

2006-11-02T20:01:00.000-05:00

According to the online schedule, judging for the Maple Competitions at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair took place yesterday, but the results aren't online yet. Not sure if the results are announced later, I'll try to find out. Good luck to all the competitors!

Update: found the results of the 2006 competition here.

The Maple Syrup Cookbook

2006-11-01T02:04:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for maple recipes, you might want to take a look for "Maple Syrup Cookbook" by Ken Haedrich, published by Storey Publishing (144pp, paperback - US$10.95; ISBN 1-58017-404-3).

Maple syrup isn't just for breakfast anymore. Ken Haedrich offers recipes, both sweet and savory, that feature maple syrup and its wonderful earthy, tangy qualities.

Steamed Brown (Maple) Bread

2006-10-31T19:47:00.000-05:00

In much of North America, a brown bread is just a type of whole wheat bread (usually a 10% mix), but in the Canadian Maritimes and parts of New England, brown bread is a type of white bread made with molasses. On the Care2 website, I found a recipe for Steamed Brown Bread made with Maple Syrup instead of molasses. Sounds pretty nice.

Quick While You Still Have Time: Jack 'O Lantern Quesadillas with Chipotle-Maple Pumpkin and Black Beans Recipe

2006-10-29T07:01:00.000-05:00

Via CD Kitchen, here is an interesting recipe: Jack 'O Lantern Quesadillas with Chipotle-Maple Pumpkin and Black Beans. If you're sick of pumpkin pie (what!), these quesadillas just might be another option for those looking for more pumpkin-maple options.

Another Recipe: Maple Walnut Bars

2006-10-26T20:39:00.000-04:00

Via Recipezaar:

This is a quick and easy bar cookie made with a cake mix crust. I was given a huge bottle of maple syrup on the condition that I make cookies and this is what I used it for. These are not overly sweet and a great fall cookie.

Today's pick is a recipe for Maple Walnut Bars. Of course, you can always start from scratch rather than using a cake mix like the recipe. As well, walnuts are nice, but I'm more of a Pecan man myself, so it might be worth doing a little substitution.

Maple Creme Caramel

2006-10-25T20:55:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

500ml double cream (if none available, use whipping cream)
1 big vanilla pod
100g granulated maple sugar for the creme caramel mixture
6 flat teaspoons of granulated maple sugar for the topping
6 egg yolks
approx. 75ml maple syrup
canola or other light oil for greasing ramekins

Note: Use your judgement with this recipe and adjust ingredients to suit your style or diet. Double cream makes the best creme caramels, but it is incredibly fatty. Most of the ingredients are adjustable so you'll still have a very nice creme caramel, don't be afraid to experiment.

Pour the cream into a saucepan. Split the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the cream. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for about 5 minutes.

Whisk the egg yolks and maple sugar together in a large bowl to blend. Bring the cream back to a boil, adding the egg mixture, whisking all the time until thick.

You are going to need six "3/4-cup" custard cups or ramekins, lightly grease the cups with oil. Pour a little maple syrup into the bottom of each (enough to cover the bottom + up to 1 Tbsp. per custard cup more). Arrange the cups on a baking pan.

Make sure you strain the egg mixture through a fine sieve, then divide mixture into the cups. Before placing in the oven, pour into the baking pan enough warm water to come halfway up the sides of the cups.

Place the pan on the middle shelf and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the custard sets, it should still be a bit wobbly in the middle. A fork inserted into the creme should come out clean. Avoid overbaking or the custard will become rubbery. Remove from the water and allow the cups to cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Chill overnight if possible.

When you’re ready to serve, sprinkle one level teaspoon of maple sugar evenly over the surface of each creme cup.

If you are brave, you can caramelize the maple sugar with a blowtorch.

If you aren't that brave, preheat the broiler. Place the dishes on a baking sheet. Broil for about 2 minutes (rotating the sheet twice for even cooking) or until the sugar begins to caramelize.

Chill until the caramelized sugar hardens.

For a change, you can make "Maple" Crema Catalana by using a stick of cinnamon instead of the vanilla pod.

Serve and enjoy.

A. Y. Jackson's The Red Maple

2006-10-24T19:09:00.000-04:00

A. Y. Jackson was one of a group of Canadian painters (seven at first) --all highly influenced by the Impressionist movement-- who became Canada's most important art movement. When I was younger, one of the art projects we were given was to reproduce a painting by the Group of Seven. A humbling task, given the talent of these painters, able to suggest a storm, a forest, or a river with just a few flecks of paint.

The Group (along with Tom Thompson, who died just before the Group formed) frequently travelled along Georgian Bay and in Algonquin Park, which are in the vicinity of Sweet Marie's neck of the woods. Eventually they moved far afield to British Columbia and Nova Scotia in search of ever more rugged landscapes. Their numbers expanded beyond the original seven and they became the Canadian Group of Painters.

CBC Digital Archives hosts "The Group of Seven: Painters in the Wilderness" a video series about the Group of Seven

More Maple Music

2006-10-23T10:58:00.000-04:00

On the theme of great maple songs, one of my favourites is "Love and Maple Syrup" by Gordon Lightfoot:

Love and maple syrup go together

Like the sticky winds of winter when they meet

When lonely lovers come to rest

Beneath the trees they do their best

But still they can't be free

I first found the song on his "Summer Side of Life" album, but apparently it was originally written for a 1969 Canadian musical also called "Love and Maple Syrup". The musical featured five Lightfoot songs, as well as songs by Joni Mitchell and Ian and Sylvia. Who knew?

Maple Syrup Time

2006-10-21T21:24:00.000-04:00

A tribute album to Pete Seeger called "If I Had a Song: The Songs of Pete Seeger, Vol. 2" has Canadian band, Moxy Fruvous covering his song "Maple Syrup Time". Something I didn't know, Pete Seeger taps his own maple trees.

Quick Bits: Maple Candy

2006-10-21T20:59:00.000-04:00

Sweet Marie's post about the sugar-on-snow (which I've never tasted) got me curious about Maple candy.

The 18th Century Cuisine blog has an short entry with some photos about boiling down sap and making maple sugar.

Baking911.com has a page on maple candy which talks about the various types of maple candy. Here are the ones they list:

Maple Sugar (Granulated or Molded)
"Crunchy" Hard Maple Sugar
Molded Soft Sugar Candy
Maple Spread (Cream or Butter)
Maple Fondant or Nougat (Ohio Maple Cream)
"Jack Wax" or "Maple on Snow"

I assume the last one is the same as "Sugar on Snow". Apparently their source was Ohio State U., I wonder what other regional names there are for different maple candies like "Sugar on Snow". I kinda like "Jack Wax", though it doesn't sound too appetizing.

If you're in a rush, Astray has a 14 minute Maple Candy recipe ...

Make Your Own Sugar-On-Snow

2006-10-20T20:12:00.001-04:00

Most maple fans have had the experience of visiting a maple farm during syrup season and being treated to a sticky helping of sugar-on-snow. The traditional maple treat is made from nothing but pure maple syrup, however, if you tried to pour the bottle from your fridge on the snow bank in your yard, you'd be sorely disappointed. What's the trick? Unlike hardwood carving, you CAN try this at home... (Ask your Mom and Dad first) Boil approximately 1 cup of pure maple syrup (Aunt Jemima's won't work!) until it reaches 236 F on a candy thermometer. If you boil the syrup a little less, it will be very soft and sticky. It you boil it a little longer, it will be more brittle. Pour syrup directly over clean snow or crushed ice. You may pour small round servings, or choose to pour strips which can then be rolled onto a popsicle stick. Either way, prepare to get sticky, and watch out for loose fillings!

How To Begin WoodCarving with a Utility Knife

2006-10-20T17:41:00.000-04:00

Wikihow, a shared knowledge website, has a section on how to begin carving with a utility knife, they suggest using a soft maple as a beginner wood. Just make sure it is soft, carving the harder maple woods is NOT easy. Their tip is that if you can mark the wood with your fingernail, it's probably easy enough to carve.

This blog does not endorse carving wood or using a utility knife without proper knowledgeable supervision. Really! Don't chop your hand off because of us!

Tasting Maple Syrup ... for Science!

2006-10-19T23:33:00.000-04:00

From Scienceblog comes an article about the effects of technology on the taste of maple syrup:

Tim Perkins, director of UVM's Proctor Maple Research Center in Underhill Center, has decided to find out. This week, he and his staff will start boiling sap at a new research building to test exactly what effect new technologies have on the chemistry, flavor and quality of maple syrup.
"This is the only such facility in the world," Perkins says. "Nobody since the 1940s has done these kinds of experiments, and the industry has changed a lot since then."
...
And maple syrup science really is a nose -- and mouth -- science. The technical term is organoleptic. "Which means you put it in your mouth and taste it," says Perkins, smiling. "We get people who know the flavor of maple syrup, and off-flavors, and they try each one." Laboratory tests using gas chromatography provide a breakdown of the many compounds in the syrup, which supplements the tastebud approach. "These air injectors appear to make the syrup lighter," Perkins says. "The real question is: how do they impact the flavor?"
Maple syrup is a natural product, but it is not simple. The interplay of seasonal tree biology, boiling temperature, microorganisms, sugar chemistry, storage time, final container -- and a long list of other subtleties -- makes each glinting amber-to-chocolate bottle nearly as distinct as varieties of wine. "Syrup is not just concentrated sap," Perkins says, describing how the sugar in the water is broken from sucrose into glucose and fructose, darkened by bacteria, and carmelized by heat.

World's Largest Maple Sugar Candy Doesn't Make It Into Guinness

2006-10-19T23:09:00.000-04:00

From The Shoreline Beacon's article "No Guiness record for maple candy":

Saugeen Valley Conservation Foundation is still puzzling over its failure to win a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the largest Maple Sugar Candy.
The giant confection lost out to an oversize metal sap bucket.
"It was in a category we were rather surprised (about)," said spokesperson Shannon Wood. "They actually lumped us together with the largest sap bucket in the world. We really couldn’t figure out how you compare apples to apples in that respect."

Not having a Guiness Book handy, I turned to Google and the most recent reference I could find for a world-record setting sap bucket was one built in Elmira, Ontario, about 6 years ago, which was 40 inches tall and held 133 gallons. It's big but not really THAT impressive, however the 1,469 lb jack o' lantern carved by Scott Cully from the world's largest pumpkin back in October 31, 2005, now that's impressive!

Maple Syrup Pad Thai

2006-10-18T20:50:00.000-04:00

While looking for maple syrup recipes, I stumbled across a type of Pad Thai made with Maple Syrup. Pretty cool ... I haven't tried the recipes, but they look good:

Here's one recipe called Young-Coconut Pad Thai With Almond Chile Sauce which features a tablespoon and a half of maple syrup
Another one just called Pad Thai (Spicy Thai Rice Noodles) but including 2 tbsp of maple syrup
And finally another one called Pad Thai with Tofu but only one tablespoon of maple syrup (boo!)

Jamie Oliver's Maple Syrup and Pecan Tart

2006-10-17T19:57:00.000-04:00

British chef, Jamie Oliver takes a stab at making a maple syrup treat:

Maple syrup and pecan nuts are fantastic Canadian flavours. What I've done here is make a traditional English treacle tart, but I've used maple syrup as well as golden syrup and have added nuts.

Go to the Guardian website and check the recipe out!

North American Maple Syrup Council annual meeting

2006-10-17T19:50:00.000-04:00

250 Canadian and American maple syrup producers will be meeting in Green Bay, Wisconsin for the North American Maple Syrup Council annual meeting and International Maple Syrup Institute.

Maple Tree Identification

2006-10-16T21:00:00.000-04:00

Some good info on how to identify major maple tree species.

Maple Syrup Diet aka Lemonade Diet

2006-10-08T23:30:00.000-04:00

So several celebrities including Beyonce are promoting this supposed miracle diet called the Maple Syrup Diet or the Lemon Cleanse or the Maple Syrup Lemon Diet or whatever.

Even though Maple syrup has an abundance of trace minerals that are essential to good nutrition: potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, iron, zinc, copper and tin, as well as calcium, the fact is that Maple Syrup is still primarily a sugar. It should be enjoyed in moderation and as part of a good healthy diet. Don't bother with fads like this, you might lose some weight for a period of time but will do nothing to improve your overall health, instead try to keep your calories down and get some exercise.

CBC's Canadian Maple Syrup short feature

2006-10-08T22:34:00.000-04:00

Broadcast in December 13, 1978, "Canadian maple syrup" from The CBC Digital Archives Website. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Kottke on cleaning up Maple Syrup spills

2006-10-08T21:40:00.000-04:00

Last year, Jason Kottke had a maple syrup spill and requested advice from his readers. Here is a quick summary of some of the (mostly serious) suggestions on how to clean Maple Syrup:

pour a bunch of salt all over the spill (kosher or table, whatever you have), then leave it for a minute or so. the salt will soak up most of spill, keep it from spreading and make it much more manageable for cleanup.
pour a bag of flour onto it and walk away for a while. come back with the dustpan and a spatula
take a wet dish cloth, put it on the syrup and use an iron on the dish towel
find two hard, flat items (i.e. a dough scraper and a spatula) and put them at opposite 45 degree angles, sweeping together until they are flush. voila, syrup squeegee
Place a large piece of wax paper directly on top of the puddle of syrup so you get a good stick. With a spatula or paint scraper or whatever you've got handy, begin to flip the wax paper over by spooning the syrup onto it. Pretty soon you will have transfered all the syrup onto the wax paper and you can dispose of it quickly *and* easily.
Liquid nitrogen, and a chisel. Quickness depends on wether you keep liquid nitrogen around. Easy depends on how brittle the floor is.
pour some diet coke on it - the carbonation cuts right through and is a great cleaning aid, a can yields less fizz than from a bottle.
take out some ice cube trays, or drop a bunch of cubes into a metal container along the lines of an 8x8 cake pan, then cover the pan with a dish towel to insulate. come back in an hour, and the syrup, while not frozen, should be much more manageable.

Go read the full entry ... the real thing is much funnier than this summary.

Maple Syrup info on Wikipedia

2006-10-08T21:27:00.000-04:00

Simple entry on Maple Syrup is available on Wikipedia, including info on the difference in Grades between Canada and the US

Found an entry for Birch Syrup which I had never heard of before. Apparently it is 5 times more expensive than Maple Syrup. Huh!

McCutcheon Maple Syrup site under construction

2006-10-08T21:01:00.001-04:00

The website for McCutcheon Maple Syrup a.k.a mccmaple.com is under construction right now. Carley has sent some good ideas for the site and I'm busy doing sketches and schematics for it.

McCutcheon Maple is located near Coldwater, Ontario (which is near Orillia and to the north of Toronto). Ken and Rene McCutcheon were big winners at the 2005 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto. They are members of the Ontario Maple Producers Association.