We New Englanders love having four varied seasons. (Or five, if you count mud season.) I wouldn’t trade our climate for the monotonous sunshine of California or Florida. Nevertheless, at some point during the winter I begin to find the gray skies, snow and ice a bit tiresome.
Fortunately, at just about that point every year, maple season arrives. We have just entered Massachusetts Maple Month.
I love maple syrup. Its viscous sweetness adds flavors to a wide variety of dishes, from salmon teriyaki to maple pudding.
I also love Maple Month because even when there’s snow on the ground, I know the sap is starting to move through the trees, signaling that spring is on its way. Maple is the first local agricultural product of our year, and I welcome it.
I recently asked Winton Pitcoff, the coordinator of the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association, whether he had any idea what kind of season we can expect this year. He laughed.
“I like that there’s (this) thing about maple,” he replied. “Nobody asks the tomato growers in March what kind of tomatoes we’re going to have.”
He noted that although it is too early in the season to make firm predictions, he is optimistic. The sustained cold temperatures in recent weeks and the snow cover in the woods should help the trees “get some rest and charge up from the sap.”
He added that despite some recent years in which the weather has been less than ideal, the state’s maple farmers have steadily increased their capacity to make syrup.
“That’s testimony to the skill of our sugarmakers,” stated Pitcoff. He noted that this year’s sugaring season will be different from usual because of COVID-19. Last year, the pandemic hit just as sugaring was gearing up.
“It was hard,” he recalled. “It was particularly hard for the sugarhouses that have restaurants. But agriculture doesn’t stop. We still had a very good crop. People sold less during the season but sold a lot over the course of the year.”
People’s increasing reliance on home cooking and desire to support local businesses helped fuel the strong sales of the past year, according to Pitcoff.
This year, sugarhouses will again boil syrup, and maple weekend will take place in some form on March 20 and 21. Some restaurants and farms will be open; others may do curbside pickup and/or make appointments to spread visitors out. Pitcoff recommended that readers check the association’s website, massmaple.org, and contact their favorite local sugarmakers to see what is planned as the month progresses.
“Each (sugarhouse) is going to do what they’re most comfortable with,” he told me. “We’re trying.”
Meanwhile, he encourages readers to continue to support this native agricultural enterprise.
“There’s nothing more local and regional than maple syrup in New England,” he enthused. He suggested that all in the state try to develop new-to-us culinary uses for maple syrup, including adding it to coffee or tea instead of sugar.
I did my part by devising the two recipes below, one savory and one sweet. I hope they please your palate this Maple Month.
Pairing maple with bacon is all the rage — and who am I to resist a trend? This savory spread with just a hint of sweetness is delicious on crackers and cheese. (I suggest a nutty cheddar, a goat, or a Swiss.) It would also work as an accompaniment to a simple hamburger or a piece of grilled chicken or fish.
Four slices good-quality bacon
One large sweet onion
One large apple, cut up into small pieces
4 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon strong coffee
Fry the bacon in small pieces. While it is frying slice the onion thinly and cut each slice in half. When the pieces of bacon have browned a bit add the onion slices and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes; then add the apple pieces.
Cook until the onion almost caramelizes and the apple pieces soften, stirring frequently. (This took me about ½ hour, but if your apple softens quickly, it could take you less time.) Add the maple syrup, the vinegar, and the coffee. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid evaporates.
Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. If you’re not ready to use this right away, refrigerate it but warm it slightly before using it. Makes a little under 2 cups.
This creamy dessert tastes lightly of maple. If you added more syrup, it would be too sweet.
1½ cups milk
4 egg yolks
½ cup maple syrup
1½ cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
One pinch salt
Heat the milk until it is steamy but not boiling. While you are heating it use a separate bowl to whisk together the egg yolks and the syrup until the mixture is thick.
Whisk a bit of the hot milk into the egg mixture. Then whisk in more, up to about ½ or ¾ cup. Whisk the milky egg yolks into the remaining milk. Cook over medium heat until the custard begins to thicken but does not boil (about 2 to 3 minutes on my gas stove).
Remove the custard from the heat and strain it into a heatproof bowl or pot. Cool thoroughly.
When the custard is cold, whisk in the cream, vanilla, and salt. Place this mixture in your ice-cream freezer and churn until done.
This recipe makes about a quart of ice cream. It’s lovely served with roasted or candied walnuts or pecans on top.
Tinky Weisblat is the award-winning author of “The Pudding Hollow Cookbook” and other titles. Visit her website, TinkyCooks.com.