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It’s official. It’s spring. And the sap is running. We just took in 10 gallons of sap to boil down tonight. Here are pics of the new-fangled plastic taps and piping and our version of the sap bucket. If you stick your mouth under the tap , you’ll get a faint taste of sweet maple, very diluted. Not that I’ve ever done that of course. And there’s maple icicles, too, hanging from the tree.
This weekend is Maine Maple Sunday where you get to go around to all the sugar houses and watch them boil down sap. They give out maple syrup over ice cream, maple whoopie pies, hot dogs steamed in maple syrup. And there’s a huge maple syrup pancake breakfast at the church. EVERYONE goes! It’s the social event of the season.
March 23, 2007 at 7:08 pm
Hot dogs steamed in maple syrup? That might almost make them palatable, huh? Maple over ice cream, that sounds great. Sorry I can’t get over there: John’s away in N.J. because son John just had hernia surgery (like in he’s just waking up!) and he is babysitting. Three days from lambing here, and jr. high youth group coming for the weekend, so I’m not able to leave. Now, hopefully, my weight lifting, running, constractor=type son will refrain from lifting for the appropriate amount of time and recover nicely. Have a great weekend. Eat some maple and ice cream for me, please!
March 23, 2007 at 9:39 pm
Maple syrup on vanilla ice cream (or sweet cream Betty) is one of the reasons life is worth living. My neighbor will be boiling this weekend, the sweet maple smell mixed with the wood smoke is a great perfume for covering up the odor of poop soup from my place….
The tree with the multiple taps looks like something out of a 50s B movie!
March 23, 2007 at 11:26 pm
oh - I remember going to Westons Farm for Maple Sunday a few years ago. That was the first time I tried ice cream with maple syrup. I didn’t know it was called Sweet Cream Betty - what a cute name…..thanx Gillian! I’m starting to miss Maine now, save me a cup of the Brandon syrup, Deb.
See you in a month and a few days. It was hot, humid and 86 today.
March 24, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Gillian, I didn’t know it was called ‘Sweet Cream Betty’ either! I shall impress everyone with my new knowledge tomorrow at the sap houses. Row — don’t miss Maine just yet, we’re getting another 3″ of snow tonight and won’t be able to get into camp for at least 2-3 more weeks. Can’t wait to have dinner at your place and sit on the porch watching the loons. And sticking tape on Minou’s feet…. we are too too mean….