Here in the Northeast, sugar maples (Acer saccharum) are just reaching the tail end of their resplendent autumnal glory with blazing red, yellow and burnt orange canopies that are now thinning out as their leaves waft steadily to the ground. Their iconic oval crowns and brilliant fall colors are not the only gift these native hardwoods confer upon us because, as early as mid-February, maples start producing a sugary treat in the form of sap. During the winter, this sap is stored in the trees’ roots and trunks as sucrose-based starch. With the onset of milder temperatures, a positive pressure occurs that causes the sap to rise and flow throughout the tree.
As maple sap travels upwards through the plant’s vascular transportation system, it can ooze through wounds or frost cracks in the trees' outer tissues. When this happens naturally, you can find a variety of wildlife from bats to birds to porcupines enjoying a late winter feast. Hungry squirrels don’t wait around and will often use their sharp front teeth to bite through bark to access the nourishing liquid. I bore witness to this after my husband and I planted a sugar maple in the back yard of our old house that produced amazing fall colors and copious amounts of sap. When standing at the sink in early spring, I would be treated to a bevy of squirrels on a sugar high as they scampered up and down the trunk stopping every so often to lap up the streaming sap.
For us humans, maple sap is extracted by “tapping” the trees or drilling holes into their trunks and siphoning the liquid into collection buckets. The accumulated sap is then heated at high temps in a process called “sugaring” which evaporates the water content and leaves behind a concentrated syrup. The final product is categorized into four different grades based on its color and flavor which are influenced by the time of season the sap is collected. Syrup made from sap gathered early in the season has a lighter color, while syrup made when the temperatures are warmer skews darker. The darker the color, the more intense the flavor:
Very Dark (strong flavor)
Many farmers tap the maple trees growing on their land and sell the syrup in the farmers market as a value-added item. Other vendors produce and sell maple syrup and other maple products exclusively. This “liquid gold” is commonly paired with breakfast foods but is surprisingly versatile and will add some maple magic to many of your favorite cold weather comfort foods! So, pick up a jug of syrup next time you’re in the market and get ready to try out some of these recipe ideas:
Creamy maple smash
Adding maple syrup to mashed sweet potatoes will introduce even greater sweetness to this popular holiday side dish:
Peel and cube sweet potatoes
Boil in pot of salted water for 20-30 minutes or until fork tender but firm
Drain and transfer to a bowl
Mash with a potato masher
Slowly stir in warm milk until a creamy consistency is reached
Blend in melted butter and maple syrup to taste
Maple marinades
Marinating is a fantastic way to tenderize, add extra moisture, and enhance the flavor of meat before cooking. Maple syrup can be used to add a sweet component to many marinade recipes including this one for pork and chicken:
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Add all ingredients to an empty glass jar or maple syrup bottle, cover and shake vigorously to combine.
Maple Old Fashioned
Using maple syrup instead of sugar brings a fun fall twist into this warming classic cocktail:
2 ounces rye whiskey or bourbon
Dash of Angostura bitters
Large piece of orange peel
Mix whiskey, maple syrup, bitters, and one teaspoon of water in an old-fashioned glass until fully blended. Add in a single large ice cube. Firmly twist the orange peel to release its aromatic oils then tuck it into the cocktail. Cheers and enjoy!
