Gastronome

Don’t miss the syrup season: It’s the sweet taste of spring to come.

In New England, March comes in like a lion and goes out like one, too. New Englanders are all ready for spring, but still suffer through freezing temperatures and bitter winds. Worse, there’s nary a spring vegetable in sight.

In this purgatory for food lovers, there’s one ray of hope: March is maple syrup season. In the weeks before spring blossoms, sugarmakers, as they are known, head out to tap their trees for sap which they then boil to create luscious, amber syrup. It takes approximately 40 gallons to produce one gallon of syrup. Vermont alone produces up to 500,000 gallons of syrup annually during the four-to-six week season. New York and Maine produce more than 200,000 gallons; New Hampshire and Massachusetts sugarmakers produce less than 50,000 gallons each.

I grew up eating pancakes and maple syrup most Sundays, but until recently had never seen syrup made. Witnessing this long-standing New England tradition has made me appreciate the delicious result even more. This month, true maple syrup aficionados can make a pilgrimage to Vermont, a few hours’ drive from New York or Boston, for tours and maple syrup and maple candy tastings. March 24 to March 26 are the dates for this year’s open-house weekend, although many sugarhouses are open year-round.

Many sugarmakers still make syrup the old-fashioned way. Outside of Boston, in the picturesque Berkshire Mountains, is the old-time but very professional Thatcher’s Sugarhouse www.bcn.net/~thatcher. In 1906, Charles Thatcher began producing maple syrup, followed by his son Floyd, his son Arthur, and now Arthur’s son Dennis and his wife, Theresa. The farm has 2,000 taps—the small holes drilled about two inches deep into the maple tree that release sap into buckets. The Thatchers then transfer the sap to their “sugar house” where it is boiled for hours atop a so-called evaporator until it comes to the right color and sugar density.

Further north, in Fairfield, Vermont, Tom and Cecile Branon have a far more high-tech organization www.branonmaple.com. With 32,000 taps, they need it. The Branons run a complex network of rubber tubing from tree to tree that collects and delivers sap to the sugar house. There, the latest maple syrup technology is at work. Instead of simply boiling the syrup, the sap is put into a reverse osmosis machine that pushes it through a fine membrane. This separates pure water from the sugar and concentrates the sap. The result: It only needs to be boiled one-quarter as long before transforming into syrup.

However it’s made, the syrup is delicious—if you choose the right kind. Maple syrup newbies often make the mistake of buying “Grade A” syrup. It only makes sense if you want the best, right? But sugarmakers know the good stuff is Grade B. Made at the end of the season, it has a far deeper, more complex flavor. And while it’s more expensive, it’s well worth the price. You won’t find it in many supermarkets. But don’t worry. If you can’t make it to New England, even the smallest sugarmakers sell their wares online.

For a full list of producers, visit www.vermontmaple.org or www.massmaple.org

Stuffed Maple French Toast

Adapted from a recipe by Joyce and Frank Stewart, The Richmond Victorian Inn, Richmond, VT. Courtesy of Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association
Serves 4
8 slices day-old sandwich bread Butter for frying Filling: 3 oz cream cheese, softened ¼ cup Vermont maple syrup ¼ cup ground pecans ½ –¾ tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp ground cloves (optional) For dipping custard: 3 eggs 1 cup milk or heavy cream 2 tsp vanilla Dash of cinnamon ½ tsp sugar In a small mixing bowl, combine filling ingredients and mix thoroughly with a fork or hand mixer. Spread four slices of bread generously with filling and top with remaining slices. Set sandwiches aside.

In a shallow dish, combine dipping custard ingredients. Beat well with a fork or whisk.

Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Dip sandwiches into custard, turning once to coat both sides. Drain each slightly and place on the hot pan. Fry sandwiches over a moderate heat until they are golden brown on both sides, adding more butter as necessary when you turn the sandwiches. To serve, cut each sandwich in half diagonally. Serve immediately.