Thank The Tree
A few weeks ago The Wife announced that “We would be
tapping our maple trees and making syrup this year”. When I heard the word “We” I knew “I” was in
trouble.
My Mother In Law and The
Wife took off on a shopping expedition for supplies. I suggested food grade plastic buckets with
lids or that the new plastic bag taps might work best. These suggestions were immediately shot down. In the spirit of NH sugar farming and keeping
with the history of our two hundred year old house… galvanized tin buckets with
“cute” little lids would be the only thing gracing the beautiful old trees at
our house.
The local hardware store owner helped find everything
they needed to achieve the “Authentic Sugaring Look”. At fifteen dollars a pop for a tin can with a
“cute” little lid, he was more than happy to assist.
I arrived at home
that evening to find all the supplies lined up on the porch, this is when I
knew the “We” was about to become “Me”.
Sugar farming needed to begin immediately, the sap is running and “We”
might miss out.
Would not want to disappoint The Wife so out I go, armed with a power drill, an authentic metal
tap and a bucket with a “cute” little lid.
Just as I was about to drill the first hole, the front door swung open
and The Wife start yelling “STOP!... Did you thank the
tree?” I wasn’t feeling much like tree
hugging at the moment but I assured her I thanked the tree properly and finally
got the first tap in.
The sap started to flow and flow some more, overflowing
the authentic tin buckets with “cute” little lids in a matter of hours. The harvesting and storage of the sap was a
bit of a sticky situation. The kitchen
floor got so sticky the lap dogs were getting stuck like mice on a glue trap.
However, we had succeeded in a major part of the process, we had harvested
gallons and gallons of sap and the season had just begun.
We started cooking the sap at the kitchen in Lucia’s
Ayer. The finished product is amazing,
our house is much less sticky and downtown Ayer has never smelled better. The Wife
is an expert now and will tell you that: thanking, harvesting, boiling,
straining and bottling is quiet easy… especially if you have an industrial
kitchen, a dozen or so cooks and staff members helping with the process and a
really great tree. Like she says “I knew
“WE” could do it”.
There are so many ways to use maple syrup to create
savory and sweet dishes. You can find
maple recipes on our blog, pictures on our facebook page or try some of our
house made maple at our new restaurant Markoh’s on Main. Markoh’s is currently featuring Maple
Mushrooms with sausage, spinach and cheeses and my new favorite… MoM’s Maple
Old Fashion.
Mix one of these up and be sure to thank the tree.
MoM’s Maple Old Fashion
Ingredients:
2 oz. bourbon whiskey
1/2 oz. maple syrup
Slice of orange
Dash of bitters
Instructions:
Measure maple syrup into a mixing glass.
Add ice then pour in bourbon a bit at a time.
Add a splash of bitters and stir.
Rub an orange slice around the inside of a rocks glass,
add fresh ice, strain the bourbon mixture into the rocks glass. Garnish with
orange and a brandied cherry.
www.markohs.com
