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How Sweet It Is! Maple Season is Off and Running
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Tuesday March 27, 2012
By Cookie Steponaitis
Just a couple of weeks ago snow sparkled on the yards and if you listened just right you could hear the sounds of spring running from the maple trees. Like every other season this year, the Vermont Maple Sugaring crop was off season but not off the mark for a sweet, tasty and dependable crop. In talking to local maple gatherers it seems that while the sap came soon, it also came fast and the totals this year should result in a good crop of one of Vermont’s main exports.
For those of us new to truly understanding the process used by the maple industry to make maple syrup, the sweetness that comes from the trees and makes its way to us as consumers is divided into four grades of syrup. Vermont Fancy is a light amber color and has a delicate maple flavor. Vermont Grade A Medium Amber is a medium amber color with a noticeable maple taste. Vermont Grade A Dark Amber is a very popular grade of syrup and has a deeper amber color and a hearty maple taste. And lastly, for those who like it strong, Vermont Grade B is the strongest and darkest of the syrup grades.
While the ideal temperatures for sugaring result from an alternating of freezing and thawing, the process usually begins in early March. However, this year the season started in mid February when the snows began to melt and the maple trees woke up from their season of slumber. While the methods for sugaring have continually evolved over time, the process is essentially the same. Sap is collected from the trees, boiled, and concentrated. There are no artificial additives or by products added. It is nature made, simple and acquired for all of us by Vermonters. Maple syrup, often called by its nickname of “Liquid Gold” is the unique product that not only gives Vermont a special commodity for the market, but harkens back to the settlement of the region and is one of the many special bonds connecting Vermont’s past and present.
So, while nature may seem a bit confused notice all of the signs. The Crocuses are coming up, Tulips are showing their heads, geese are flying in, frogs are chirping, and even the willows are showing signs of greening and it is still March. But nature did not forget or even side step its annual delight of the running of the sap. Coming soon to local stands near you is another bumper crop of whatever flavor tempts your taste buds and then there is this reporter’s favorite which includes all of them because they are just plain tasty.
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