It's Time To Make The Syrup

For many Vermonters, it is maple sugaring time. My old friends Harvey & Lisa Chaffee are busy at it. They have some of the most gorgeous, pristine land in Vermont, and they make top-notch syrup. I've known Lisa & Harvey for almost 30 years, but we'd sort of fallen out of touch for a while. Lisa found me recently on Ravelry and Facebook and we've reconnected. 

They have a blog here. Go see and be sure to click on the link on the side for a map of the location. And if you are in the market for some great syrup, I can definitely vouch for theirs. I remember the year they built the sugarhouse and tapped their virgin trees. That first year the sap was flowing so fast it was overflowing the storage tanks and they were boiling 24/7 for a while there. I see by the blog that this is their 21st year sugaring. How can that be?! 

Time flies when everyone's busy having a life. 

These days, my syrup is only a drizzle on my Greek yogurt (so.good!) or in my coffee or in a smoothie, or used in a teriyaki-style or mustard glaze for meat or poultry or fish, or a teeny taste directly off the spoon (mmmm), and not so much on the piles of pancakes and French toast and buttermilk biscuits and cakes and cookies and donuts and ice cream and fudge and bread-fresh-out-of-the-oven and monkey bread and sticky buns, and .......OMG, my mouth is watering..... of my youth. But it is an essential part of being alive a Vermonter. Go! Get some! 

I love this picture of their sugarhouse with a rainbow over it. Vermont at its finest.

 

Comments

[Sarah]

Oh, my! I need to remember to be careful about coming over here when I am hungry.

[Manise]

What an awesome photo!

[Kristen]

Oh god. Pure. Maple. Syrup. MMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!

[AnnaMarie]

Wow, I'm hungry now *lol*

I use maple sugar quite a bit too but maple syrup, grade b of course, rocks.

[Mary]

Just to make your mouth water some more (I am cruel that way), my husband made fresh dough yesterday morning and provided us with yummy galettes with a side of turkey bacon.

I don't pour the maple syrup (from his grandparent's old farm in VT) on top. I just put a little on my plate and dip into it...just slightly less caloric than dumping it on. But soooooo good.

[Mary Fran]

I started buying *real* Vermont syrup from my friend's Dad 5 or 6 years ago. His sugar shack is in Hyde Park. We were living in Chicago at the time and I gave out little pints to the teachers as gifts. Let's just say, once I tasted the real deal, we never went back to Aunt Jemima. My friend just posted on Facebook that her Dad would be taking orders soon. Good thing, as we are on our final gallon - and down to the last quart in it. One of these years, we are going to have to spend the weekend up there so the kids can see the whole operation.

[Debbie]

I lived most of my life in upstate NY and have fond memories of going to a local sugarhouse as a school trip. There is nothing as good as pure maple syrup. That photo makes me a bit homesick for the Catskills.

[Laurie]

There's nothing in the world like real maple syrup...yum...

[Geri]

Yum!Although my town can't rival Vermont syrup, but the trees around my town are all tapped and the Maple Festival is this weekend!

[margene]

My pancakes (and I) will be happy again!

[jill]

I love all the yummy maple sugar candy shaped like colonists!

[april]

Now I want pancakes.

[Becky]

Real maple syrup is to die for! We make some pretty good syrup here in Michigan. I don't use anything else at home. I like the darker stuff myself. The pale golden brown syrup is just a bit too wimpy for me.

[Diane]

I have friends who gave me a half gallon of syrup they had bought because they preferred the fake stuff. Nope, I can't imagine either. Still love 'em, even more now that they gave me the syrup!

[gayle]

My husband helps out each year at a friend's sugaring operation. He said the sap was just *blasting* out of the trees yesterday. We're getting perfect warm days and cold nights.

[Patty]

Yum! I've got a girls weekend on Lake Willoughby in two weeks. Can't wait to see me some Green Mountains!

[Mary K. in Rockport]

Fabulous photo. But now I'm hungry...

[Miranda]

Finally caught up with the posts from your blogiversary, etc., amd am sufficiently guilted to emerge from lurkdom to say that it is specifically your piss and vinegar and attitude that keep me reading your blog. Go on with your bad self! Now pass the syrup.

[marianne]

Mmmmmm. and damnit, Norma, all those goodies from your youth and then Margene writing about how her pancakes are going to be happy...and I've not had breakfast yet and now I'm wanting pancakes, and I do have maple syrup (grade B). I'm off now to visit the Chaffee's blog, thanks for the link!

[Becky in VT]

Mmmm, maple syrup! One of my neighbors taps a very large sugarbush and I love the way the smell of sugaring covers the whole neighborhood!

[Danby]

Breakfast=fresh fruit, homemade yogurt (are you still making your own? Hope so as your blog convinced me to start making yogurt again) and a drizzle of real maple syrup! Every morning...can it get any better?

[Joannah]

This "mouthwatering" business just when I'm gearing up for work... Is this why they say "March is the cruelest month"?

[Midj]

So beautiful!

[anj]

How about some Maple Syrup on Oatmeal in the morning? I am a fan of loacl honey on oatmeal. So I am sure Maple Syrup would be good too.

I generally use Maple Syrup grade b for making things. OOH on butternut squash! I've heard it goes well on any roasted veggies INCLUDING brussel sprouts. (not too much of course. just a tsp.)

yeah. I cook too much.

[MelissaG]

Love the real stuff.

[Jean E.]

I have been using honey; sounds like it's time to try some maple syrup!

[Knitnana]

Oh there's nothing like it - and no place else can make it like VERMONT!
(((hugs)))

[Elaine]

Yay!! A source for Grade B syrup! Thank you so much for the link!

[Sunnyknitter]

I'm not a Vermonter, but growing up in Canada I am also a fan of the REAL maple syrup. Canadian or American, it's all delicious. One day I may have to have a maple-off and do test drives of as many different varieties as I can.

And then go into a diabetic coma probably, but it would be worth it!

[Konna]

oh. i. love. maple. syrup! it is one of the things i always bring overseas with me! i have canadian right now cause of my husband's family....but will have to look at this new one you just told us about!

[mary lou]

I was trying to make a clever comment linking F#$k the South and those little pilgrim person maple sugar candies, but I'm not smart enough. Keep on Keepin on and post what you want. It makes me laugh.

[Cookie]

That reminds me. I really need to find some Grade B out here.

Tapping virgin what???!

/wanders off the naughty corner

[Angie L.]

Drool... And love the pic too. Reminds me of winters back when I was a kid in Ukraine. I've been in Sactown, Ca for the past 20some years. Occasionally I drive up to Tahoe, for a snow fix (if there's any snow left). I must check out the east coast some day, I've only been as far as Minnesota.

[Elizabeth in VT]

Yes, indeed, sugaring time is NOW. Dear friends a few miles away started boiling this weekend. A colleague at work started boiling late last week.

oh boy oh boy.

yum. Maple syrup and (freezer) blueberries on Vermont Morning Cereal (shameless plug for my favorite hot cereal, no financial interest)

[elizabeth a airhart]

oh my walmart just does not carry
real maple syrup or candy in the
shape of maple leaves i used to live
north too hot to ship down where i live

cloud biscuits and warm syrup

lead me not into temptation
i can find the way my self

[Suzanne]

Love the sugar house picture.

I had an aunt and uncle up in Cabot and I remember their sugar house. It's bringing back memories of a horse drawn sled to put out the tubing and then heating the maple syrup in the kitchen and bottling it up. My uncle always would pick on me as I never liked the taste and would never use it.

The sugar house is now gone and the land/house/farm has all been sold. I miss the time I used to spend up there.

[Lisa Chaffee, Chaffee's Sugarhouse]

Hi Norma, It is an exciting and busy time of year for us! Thank you for writing about our sugarhouse in your blog.

[Carol]

Somebody in Michigan loves to read your blog! Can't wait for gardening season posts... Happy 6 years.

[Lucia]

I love that you can even see that rainbow. Midday rainbows are easy to miss because they are so near the horizon.

When I was a kid we collected sap one year and boiled it for a very long time -- as I recall we ended with a cup or so of watery syrup. We probably didn't tap enough trees.

[kelli ann]

Oh-- that's just over to the next valley from here. I know the 58; I've been stuck on it in mud season! thanks for posting this link to their farm Norma, for sure we'll be going to check it out...