Maple Syrup

Lloyd Munsee can feel it in the air.

Freezing nights followed by warmer days means one thing to him: Clear sap will begin to trickle from maple trees. And he will turn it into sweet, sticky, amber syrup.

It’s that time of year. Telltale buckets begin appearing on tree taps, followed by gusts of steam rising from sugar houses dotting back roads and wooded areas throughout the lake region.

Inside his sugar shack in Lakewood, N.Y., Munsee patiently fuels the fire boiling the sap. It’s his favorite part of the process. “My son likes being in the woods tapping trees. I like boiling the sap and watching the product emerge,” he says.

Boiling the sap to precisely 219 degrees Fahrenheit is the secret, say sugarers. It’s when the magic happens — when the sap’s water content evaporates, increasing the sugar density from 2 percent to the sweet 67 percent needed to make pure maple syrup. A hydrometer then ensures the optimal density: too low and it will not be sweet enough, too high and it may crystallize in the bottles. When it’s just right, the thick golden liquid is filtered and bottled while hot, but not without a few fingertips dipping into the stream to measure what any high-tech gadget cannot.

Munsee’s home state ranks second to Vermont in U.S. production of maple syrup, with the other states bordering Lake Erie — Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania — always in the top 10. It’s also no coincidence that the Canadian flag bears the bright red shape of a maple leaf. Ontario is the world’s fourth-largest producer of maple syrup.

When purchasing pure maple syrup, you’ll see that it is sold by grades. Here are the basics:

• Grade A Light Amber: light color with mild flavor

• Grade A Medium Amber: medium color; often used for table syrup

• Grade A Dark Amber: strong maple flavor; most often used for cooking

• Grade B: the strongest flavor

Since no preservatives are added to pure maple syrup, be sure to keep it in the refrigerator, where it can last up to one year. Chances are, however, this sweet treat will be eaten long before the year runs out.

For More Than Pancakes

Get the most out of your maple syrup with these recipes created by the Culinary Institute of America for the New York State Maple Producers Association. Visit its Web site, nysmaple.com, to see more.

Ingredients:
Pan spray or butter as needed
Parmesan cheese, shredded, as needed
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup 2 percent or whole milk
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup cooked bacon bits
Pure maple syrup, as needed

Dice the bacon into small pieces. Render in a pan until crispy. Remove from pan; drain on paper towels.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Liberally grease 4 or 5 ramekins. Place shredded Parmesan cheese into the greased ramekins and turn to coat the sides and bottom evenly.

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and salt, then stir. Cook for about three minutes or until golden in color. Whisk in milk, maple syrup and cheddar until smooth. Bring to a simmer while whisking. Place yolks in a bowl. Temper hot cheese mixture into yolks and whisk well. Pour entire yolk mixture back into the original pot. Let simmer an additional 30 seconds while whisking. Turn off heat, fold in cooked bacon bits and cool over an ice water bath.

Whisk whites to stiff peaks. Stir in one-third of whites into cooled cheese mixture. Fold in remaining two-thirds. Portion into ramekins. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden and fluffy. Serve immediately with pure maple syrup.

Ingredients:
2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
6 1/2 to 7 cups flour
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup granulated maple sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Dissolve yeast in water. Stir in sugar, salt, shortening and eggs. Mix in flour until dough is no longer sticky. Place in greased bowl, cover and place in refrigerator to rise. About two hours before baking, remove from refrigerator and flatten out dough into a large rectangle. Brush dough with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup pure granulated maple sugar and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Roll dough jelly-roll style and cut into 1-1/2-inch-wide pieces and place cut side up in a greased pan. Cover and let rise for about 40 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Optional: When rolls come out of the oven, frost with maple cream.

Nutrition Note: Yes, it’s basically sugar. But it’s less refined and, therefore, offers more nutritional value than the white stuff, including minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc.

Courtesy the New York State Maple Producers Association