Being from Vermont, maple syrup has always been a big part of my life. Whether I was helping the neighbors clean their sap buckets at the end of the season, or attending the annual Maple Festival in my hometown, maple was never far away.
As such, by the time I was four or five years old, my grandmother was already serving me her version of sugar on snow. For her, it was as simple as reaching out the door or window, scooping up a bowl full of perfectly white, freshly fallen snow, and pouring maple syrup on top.
In Vermont, neither syrup nor snow is in short supply. But, the tradition of sugar on snow extends into Massachusetts, living on in Franklin County through sugarhouses like Gould’s in Shelburne Falls and Williams’ in Deerfield, as well as local residents who make it at home.
Sugar on snow, according to a popular maple syrup website out of Vermont, was likely pioneered by the Native Americans, who settlers described as having three types of maple sugar: a course, granulated sugar called grain sugar; cake sugar, which was poured into wooden molds to make blocks; and an extra thick sugar called wax sugar, which was poured over snow.
According to the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association’s website, sugar on snow has “been a traditional springtime favorite at sugar houses and sugar camps for over 200 years.”
In some areas, it is also called leather aprons or leather britches, due to its chewy, leathery consistency.
For many local families, like the Gould’s, sugar on snow is something that was passed down through the generations.
“My kids would go out and take sugar and pour it on all the snow on the picnic table,” said 89-year-old Helen Gould of Gould’s Sugar House.
Gould remembers when sugar on snow used to be served during intermissions at square dances. At the sugarhouse, it’s been a popular treat for 58 years, and something that is regularly made with Gould’s best syrup.
“Kids love it,” Gould said. “We’ve had many, many schools come for sugar on snow, and those kids want to show their kids.”
Thirty-eight-year-old Kenneth “Chip” Williams IV of Williams Farm Sugarhouse said his family was making sugar on snow long before arriving at its Deerfield sugarhouse in 1994.
His father, Kenneth “Sandy” Williams III, remembers boiling maple syrup on the wood stove at the original Williams sugarhouse on Mount Toby, just to make sugar on snow for his family.
Chip Williams remembers learning how to make sugar on snow from his great uncle Milt, and said his family would use 12 to 15 gallons of syrup on a busy Sunday to make sugar on snow for customers at their next sugarhouse on Route 47 in Sunderland in the 1980s.
A pair of young customers at Williams recently trying sugar on snow for the first time proved that it is still a beloved treat today.
“So good,” said 7-year-old Carter Schloat of Deerfield, after a bite of the sticky, sweet concoction touched his lips.
As of March 11, Carter said sugar on snow is his favorite thing to eat at Williams.
“It’s really sticky and really good,” he said.
After watching his brother swirl the syrup with his fork to catch up the ice crystals — almost like spaghetti — 5-year-old Macrae Schloat thought he’d try some too.
“Mmm,” was Macrae’s only response, a smile spreading across his face.
Despite how some people — like my grandmother — make it at home, the process of making sugar on snow is not as simple as taking maple syrup from the refrigerator and pouring it over snow or crushed ice.
“A lot of people think it’s just syrup dumped on snow, but it’s thicker,” Chip Williams said.
He advises heating the maple syrup to close to 235 degrees Fahrenheit, then testing it on a batch of snow to ensure the right consistency.
“It can be served at home — you just need a thermometer,” he said.
“Many people (ask me) ‘How do you find the right temperature?’” Gould said. Her customers often relay to her that they’ve tried it at home and it “never could come out right.”
For individuals making sugar on snow at home, testing is key, Gould said, because “different snow acts different” depending on its consistency.
Upon heating the maple syrup, it flows freely and is rather runny to start, then gradually becomes thicker. When it hits the snow or crushed ice, the maple syrup should solidify just a bit to be increasingly gooey, but still flexible enough to twist with a fork.
Once complete, sugar on snow is traditionally served with dill pickles, as the sour taste “cuts the sweetness” of the maple syrup, Chip Williams said. Saltines or plain doughnuts can also accompany the dish.
Why is it that sugar on snow is adored by so many?
Chip Williams believes it’s the simplicity of the dish — a pairing that dates back hundreds of years.
Altogether, the cold and crunchy snow or crushed ice balances perfectly with the warmth of the gooey, golden brown, glistening maple syrup. The warm-cool balance manages to neutralize the chill that comes from eating a snow cone or other frozen food, making for a sweet, savory treat.
For more on maple syrup, visit:
VermontPureMapleSyrup.com
You can reach Shelby Ashline at: sashline@recorder.com or call 413-772-0261 ext. 257