Posted on 12/17/2024 8:08:46 AM PST by Red Badger
NATIONAL MAPLE SYRUP DAY
Get the flapjacks ready for National Maple Syrup Day. December 17th calls for orders of pancakes, french toast, or biscuits topped off with butter and delicious maple syrup.
#MapleSyrupDay
It is usually from the xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple, or black maple trees that maple syrup is made from although it is not limited to those maple species.
These trees, in cold climates, store starch in their trunks and in their roots. In the spring, the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap. The maple trees are then tapped by boring holes into their trunks and the released sap is collected. After the sap is collected, it is processed by heating to evaporate much of the water, leaving the concentrated syrup.
The indigenous peoples of North American first collected, processed, and used maple syrup. European settlers adopted the practice and gradually refined production methods. In the 1970s, technological improvements further refined the process of making syrup.
A maple syrup production farm is called a sugarbush or a sugarwood.
The sap is boiled in a sugar house which is also known as a sugar shack, sugar shanty, or a cabane à sucre.
Up until the 1930s, the United States led in maple syrup production. Now, Canada produces the most maple syrup. Vermont is the largest producer of maple syrup in the United States.
HOW TO OBSERVE MAPLE SYRUP DAY
Serve up a breakfast worthy of real maple syrup. Learn more about tapping trees for sap to make syrup in the spring. Whether you crave pancakes, biscuits, or some light crepes, be sure to share them using #MapleSyrupDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL MAPLE SYRUP DAY HISTORY
It's a sticky subject, but National Day Calendar continues researching the origins of this sweet holiday. Pass the syrup!
Maple Syrup FAQ
Q. When is tapping season for maple syrup?
A. Weather conditions determine the best time to tap trees for sap. Tapping maple sap beings as early as the middle of February and continues through April.
Q. What color is maple sap when it comes out of the tree?
A. Maple sap is a clear liquid when it is tapped from the tree. The process of heating and boiling the sap creates the darker color of maple syrup.
Q. What states produce maple syrup?
A. Vermont produces the most maple syrup. However, these states also make maple syrup:
New York
Maine
Pennsylvania
New Hampshire
Wisconsin
Michigan
Q. Is maple syrup only used as a topping?
A. No. You can also use maple syrup for making baked goods and candy.
Notable Birthdays for December 17 Samuel Jones (1819-1887) - Major General for the Confederate Army.
Frederick Tracy Dent (1820-1892) - General for the Union Army.
James T. Holtzclaw (1833-1893) - Brigadier General in the Confederate Army,
Willard Libby (1908-1980) -Chemist who helped discover radiocarbon dating that is still being used in archaeology and palaeontology.
Burt Baskin (1913-1967) - Co-founder of Baskin-Robbins.
James McGaugh (1931-Still Living) - Neurobiologist and co-founder of the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory.
Cal Ripken Sr. (1935-1999) - MLB player, coach, manager and later scout.
James Booker (1939-1983) - Pianist often referred to as the Black Liberace.
Ernie Hudson (1945-Still Living) - Award winning actor who had major roles in Ghostbusters, The Crow, and Congo.
Wes Studi (1947-Still Living) - Actor recognized for his roles in Dances with Wolves and The Last of the Mohicans.
Laurence F. Johnson (1950-Still Living) - Founder and CEO of EdFutures.org.
Mike Mills (1958-Still Living) - Founding member of the rock band R.E.M.
Giovanni Ribisi (1974-Still Living) - Actor who had significant roles in Gone in 60 Seconds, Public Enemies, Sneaky Pete and Friends.
Memorable Events for December 17 1791 - The first one-way street is created in NY City.
1862 - General Ulysses Grant expels Jews from TN.
1895 - The Anti-Saloon League of America is formed in D.C.
1900 - The Ellis Island Immigration Station is completed.
1924 - The first diesel electric locomotive begins running in NY.
1944 - US Army announces the end of detaining Japanese Americans and beings their release.
1965 - The largest newspaper (Sunday NY Times) is sold for 50 cents for 946 pages.
1999 - International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women is created.
2003 - International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers is created.
Roses are brown
Violets are brown
Who took a dump in my garden?
Maple syrup is great on ice cream.
The syrup is more expensive than the ice cream!.................
It’s kind of odd to have this in December. I would think March or April would be more appropriate. But the marketing folks probably want to clear the shelves to make room for the next crop coming in the spring!
Buddy from the movie, “Elf,” is celebrating!
...clear the shelves...
Just like New Car sales..................
The Letter grades are no longer used in the maple syrup industry (some packaging might still utilize it).
Many professional chefs and home cooks still reference grade A and B in recipes, but this grading system was officially changed in 2015. Technically you can no longer buy grade B maple syrup. Grade B has been replaced with Grade A Very Dark (STRONG taste).
These are the 4 simple grades that are now used globally:
Grade A - GOLDEN (delicate taste) - formerly known as ‘Grade A Light’
Grade A - AMBER (rich taste) - formerly known as ‘Grade A Medium’
Grade A - DARK (robust taste) - formerly known as ‘Grade A Dark’
Grade A - VERY DARK (strong taste) - formerly known as ‘Grade B’
How much syrup are you going to use?!? ;^)
At these prices, not that much!.
Here in Florida, a small bottle is $6...........................
Around here, local Indiana maple syrup is about $8 for 12 ounces.
Planning on fried chicken with waffles tonight, arugula salad with lemony balsamic vinaigrette as a side. Might see if hubby wants bacon, too. Might as well go all in while we break the calorie bank.
bkmk
As usual, WISCONSIN ROCKS! If you need Maple Syrup, Taters, Cranberries, CHEESE or any other life-sustaining foodstuffs - We Have It!
Beau taps our house yard Maple trees and makes (way too much) syrup every season. But friends and family love it. He’s gotten very good at it, too.
Right now we’re chopping and stacking dry wood before we get the first big snowfall, ‘cuz you know he’ll be ‘sugaring’ when we get those first warm days, but still freezing nights, come March. :)
Hypnotic.
DIW, should’ve pinged you to my reply above (#33)
For anyone who loves Eric Clapton, this was our dinner music. I’m so happy someone captured this on MTV and vinyl. Epic.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi1z6Gp0UJU&t=1s&pp=2AEBkAIB
Never have understood Waffles and Chicken...but I’ll take your word for it. ;)
Mom used to make Waffles with BACON eight in them - so good - so I guess sweet and savory can go together in other ways, too.
At my last property I had one red maple tree. I had to trim a branch in the fall and it dripped sap the next spring. I did attempt to collect some sap as a practical demonstration for daughters about how maple syrup is produced, but middle daughter decided on day two decided to have a closer look and spilled the pail of sap on the ground and that was the end of the experiment for that year. We moved the next.
SLIDE.... Homestead/prepper ping...alternative sweetener. If you have land, do not live in the northern tier of state, and / or prefer not to tromp around in the snowy woods of late spring you can grow and extract your own sorghum sweetener and do it in your tee shirt.
Useful Knowledge Sorghum Syrup
Or you can buy it on the internet. (I do.) Note...it is shelf stable and does not require refrigeration. SLIDE Over
I was the same as you, until dinner last night!!
My kids have all talked about what a great combination it is, and I just didn’t understand.
I usually have bacon with my waffles (pancakes, too), so your mom’s waffles sound amazing.
The other fun part of that meal was the simple salad greens with toasted pine nuts, grated Parmesan, and that lemon zest balsamic vinaigrette. Wow! I will be making that again soon!
I’m a Jersey girl, so I never understood it, either...until I gave it a try. Fried chicken, waffles and maple syrup, I found the combo very tasty!
Beau was Elk hunting out west and brought home a bottle of Birch Syrup. It had nothing on Maple Syrup. Nothing.
Box Elder Trees can also be tapped, which beau does. They’re total scrap trees, so they may as well do ONE useful thing in their lives!
27 Trees To Tap For Syrup:
https://practicalselfreliance.com/trees-species-tap-syrup/
The whole site is full of great info. They have walked the walk in terms of homesteading and self-reliance.
Well dang me!
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