Maple Recipes from Sugarstone Farm

By Andy and Shelley Straughan, Sugarstone Farm, Near North Chapter

Pickled Maple Spruce Tips Maple Taffy or “Sugar on Snow”

Pairs nicely with anything grilled, salads or drop a couple in a Gin & Tonic, or a Caesar!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cider vinegar • 3 heaping TBSP Sugarstone Farm Maple Syrup • ½ tsp. salt • ¼ tsp. ground black pepper • 2 dried chilies • ¼ cup of water • 2 tightly packed cups spruce tips • 1 500 ml jar

Instructions:

1. Place the first 6 ingredients (everything BUT the spruce tips) in a saucepan and bring to a boil. 2. While the brine is heating, clean the spruce tips in a large bowl by rinsing in cold water. 3. Pack the spruce tips in a mason jar. 4. Once the brine reaches a boil, carefully pour into mason jar. 5. Leave jar to cool on counter stirring 3 or 4 times in the first few minutes to ensure all spruce tips are submerged in the hot brine. 6. Once cool cover with a lid and keep in fridge.

Picking some spruce tips Pickled maple spruce tips

Follow Sugarstone Farm on Facebook From “Sweet Ontario—Our Favourite Recipes”, Ontario Maple Syrup Producer’s Association. Contact a local producer/OMSPA member for availability of this great recipe book. You can search here

www.ontariomaple.com

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Ontario maple syrup (Golden or Amber grade)

Directions:

1. In a heavy bottomed 4L pot, boil 2 cups maple syrup on low to medium heat to 23F (10-12C) above boiling point: about 232 to 235F (110-112C), the higher temp on a sunny day. 2. Stir the surface occasionally to keep from boiling over. Immediately pour on a mound of freshly fallen snow packed in bowls or trays and serve, using popsicle sticks or wooden spoons.

Serves 10-14.