Tag Archives: maple syrup
Holiday Newsletter 2022
November 20, 2022 | Blog, In The News
Holiday Newsletter 2022
Happy Holidays!
After an exceptionally long and warm Vermont fall, it is starting to feel more like winter is approaching. The days are shorter, most leaves have fallen and we’ve had a couple of light snows. This is good news for our sugar maples which need several months of dormancy in order to produce sweet maple sap in the spring.
We’re packaging our delicious maple syrup in all shapes and sizes for your holiday gift giving. A small gift of maple syrup is a wonderful way to show gratitude and appreciation.
Savory, sweet and a cocktail! Maple enhances every dish.
Incredible Maple Bars
Back by popular demand…..
shake up your holiday baking with this maple treat!
Ingredients
Base
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup maple sugar
- 1 cup flour
Topping
- 1 cup maple syrup
- ¾ cup maple sugar
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp flour
- pinch of salt
Base
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine butter, maple sugar and flour and stir until the mixture is crumbly. Press mixture into an 8 inch greased baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Topping
- In a saucepan, combine the maple syrup, maple sugar and walnuts and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter and stir until melted.
- In a bowl, beat the eggs with the flour and salt. Add egg mixture to maple syrup mixture and stir to combine. Pour over the base and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until set. Cool completely before cutting.
Vanilla Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour
Courtesy of Half Baked Harvest
In a cocktail shaker combine 2 ounces bourbon, 1 ounce lemon juice, 1 tablespoon Couching Lion Maple Syrup, a dash of vanilla extract and a pinch of cinnamon. Shake and strain into your favorite glass!
Check out Half Baked Harvest for many more creative maple inspired recipes.
Maple Syrup Glazed Red Cabbage
This colorful vegetable pairs well with poultry and is a delicious non-traditional Thanksgiving dish.
INGREDIENTS
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
- 5 slices bacon, minced
- 1 onion, minced
- 1 medium firm, tart apple, peeled, cored and sliced
- 1 pound red cabbage (about ½ head), cored, outer leaves removed and shredded
- 1 bay leaf
- ½cup maple syrup
- Salt and black pepper
- Step 1Heat oven to 350 degrees. In an ovenproof saucepan or Dutch oven large enough to hold all of the ingredients, sauté the bacon over medium until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 more minutes.
- Step 2Add the apple, cabbage, bay leaf, maple syrup, and season with salt and pepper, cover, and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
Join the 123rd Audubon Christmas Bird Count
Our sugarbush is enrolled in Audubon’s Bird friendly Maple Project.We love seeing how our forest stewardship protects habitat for birds. Participate in the Christmas Bird Count from your neck of the woods or get in touch if you’d like to bird in our sugarbush.
Whether giving as a gift or keeping for yourself, maple syrup is the perfect addition to your gatherings with friends and family. Shop all our products online or visit our Maple Kiosk on Aestivalis Hill!
As 2022 draws to a close, we want to thank all our wonderful customers, friends and family who support our business. We are grateful for so much. Wishing you a happy, healthy and peaceful holiday.
XO From Huntington,
Chaska, Matt and Sugardog Archie
Spring 2022 Newsletter
May 21, 2022 | Blog, Featured Article, In The News
Welcome Springtime!
Sugaring season in the northeast ended in mid-April. The taps have been pulled and our sugar maples are now in the phase of growing leaves which will begin the process of making next year’s sugar through photosynthesis. We are also continuing the cycle of preparation for next year’s season. Right now the most pressing job is to cut, split and dry wood to be used in our wood fired evaporator. Read on for more news from the farm and delicious, maple inspired recipes!
Sugarers were concerned when March started off with 60 degree temperatures, but the season quickly looked up as freezing nights returned.
Maple sap starts at 1% or 2 % sugar and the rest is water and various nutrients. Maple syrup is 67% sugar. The nutrients remain and a lot of water is evaporated. We boil over a wood fire for the best caramelized flavor. Matt is always a fast moving blur during sugaring!
After several hours…maple syrup is poured off!
The finished product is hot packed into our new custom glass.
All our firewood is sustainably harvested. Most comes from trees downed in windstorms. Being on a mountain means lots of wind damage!
Finally we are seeing spring flowers! Check out this fun guide to Vermont’s Spring Flowers.
The songbirds are back! Our sugarbush is certified as Bird Friendly through the Audubon Bird Friendly Maple Project. Every spring we are amazed at the number of birds who make their home on our hillside until late summer. Learn how to Bird By Ear in this fun article by Gwendoyln Causer.
King of the sugarbush! On April 1, we celebrated two years with our our little pandemic sugar dog, Archie. As a stray from Texas it’s taken a couple of years for Archie to feel comfortable in the woods and with Vermont weather. He has come around though, and spent lots of time helping with sugaring this spring.
Finally we’re getting some heat in Vermont! As a full-time teacher I spend most of the day inside. As soon as I get home, Archie and I head out to the sugarbush to look for Matt, check on the songbirds or just enjoy the beauty of quiet nature.
Sweet Treats for Spring
Maple Sugar Bars
These delicious bars are reminiscent of pecan pie, yet the maple and walnut create a much more robust flavor. Serve once they have cooled, maybe with a dollop of whipped cream to create a special dessert.
Ingredients
Base
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup Couching Lion Maple Sugar
- 1 cup flour
Topping
- 1 cup Couching Lion Maple Syrup
- ¾ cup Couching Lion Maple Sugar
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp flour
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Base
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine butter, maple sugar and flour and stir until the mixture is crumbly. Press mixture into an 8 inch greased baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Topping
- In a saucepan, combine the maple syrup, maple sugar and walnuts and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter and stir until melted.
- In a bowl, beat the eggs with the flour and salt. Add egg mixture to maple syrup mixture and stir to combine. Pour over the base and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until set. Cool completely before cutting.
Extra Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
These pancakes are extra fluffy due to a shot of seltzer. See how it stacks up against your favorite pancake recipe!
Ingredients
Serves 4
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons Couching Lion Maple Sugar
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
1¼ teaspoons baking soda
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
2 large eggs
1¾ cups buttermilk
½ cup cold seltzer water or club soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more
Pure Vermont Couching Lion Maple Syrup (for serving)
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl and wet ingredients in a second small bowl. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir. The batter will be slightly lumpy and should not be over stirred.
Heat a greased griddle or frying pan. Scoop out batter in 1/4 cups, leaving plenty of space for the pancake to expand. Look for bubbles to form and then flip.
We always heat the maple syrup for pancakes! Add about 2 tablespoons per serving to a small pan. Heat slowly and watch carefully. Maple syrup boils over quickly!
Serve immediately and enjoy the rest of the morning (or evening if you’re having pancakes for dinner….an actual real thing we do in Vermont)!
Enjoy springtime wherever you are! We look forward to sharing this season’s maple syrup with you. Click the green links or the button below to shop for your own springtime sweet maple syrup!
XO From Huntington,
Chaska, Matt and Archie
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Rustic Maple Apple Compote
September 26, 2021 | Featured Recipe, Recipes, Sweet
Maple syrup and Vermont apples are a classically delicious combination. This recipe combines the two to create a chunky, rustic compote. It’s delicious on its own or serve with ice cream, yogurt and a sprinkle of granola or as a side with savory dishes. You can choose to peel the apples or cook unpeeled. Either way is delicious!
2 pounds apples,
» Read more about: Rustic Maple Apple Compote »
Maple Sugar Strawberry Sauce
Maple Sugar Strawberry SauceIt’s May in Vermont and the stores are packed with strawberries. Our own local strawberries won’t be available until June, but it’s hard to resist buying this delicious little fruit as soon as it becomes available. This sauce can be used in a myriad of ways. Try it over cheesecake, ice cream or Greek yogurt. It’s also a fantastic addition to savory dishes. Serve it alongside a roasted pork loin or on a cheese platter.
» Read more about: Maple Sugar Strawberry Sauce »Maple Shortbread With Maple Glaze
Maple Shortbread With Maple GlazeThis recipe comes to me from a great friend and baker, Joanna Beall. She has created endless delights using maple sugar and maple syrup! This recipe also calls for maple extract, which is a natural flavoring and will enhance the maple-y flavor. Bake up some cookies for those you love!
- 1 cup cold butter cut into cubes
- 8 tbsp Couching Lion Maple Sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp maple extract
Mix flour and salt,
» Read more about: Maple Shortbread With Maple Glaze »Aunt Myra’s Maple Vinaigrette
Aunt Myra’s Maple VinaigretteThis vinaigrette has been part of family gatherings for as long as I can remember. My aunt Myra is a great cook, with a focus on health and well being. This vinaigrette is amazing on sales butalso great on steamed vegetables.
Maple Vinaigrette
YIELD
Makes about 1/2 cup
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
- 2 Cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons balsamic,
Peaches in maple whiskey syrup
September 8, 2019 | Featured Recipe, Recipes, Sweet
We have had an exceptional peach season here in Vermont! This is the first time my trees really produced and the branches are bent right to the ground. I was worried the tree might break so I picked a bunch of peaches to remove some of the weight. Naturally I found a way to preserve them with maple syrup!
» Read more about: Peaches in maple whiskey syrup »