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Looking for a new career in the food industry?  You might just want to turn to syrup. The real, maple stuff, that is, that actually comes from trees.  According to an Associated Press article, the Maine Maple Producers Association  is predicting that prices for the sweet stuff will increase by 20 or 30 percent this year.  The cause: two bad syrup seasons and increased demand.  So much so that in the AP article producers like the Jillsons of Jillson’s Farm Stand in Sabattus noted they can never keep up with the demand.  Perhaps there are some trees that need to be tapped in your yard!  Regardless, expect the syrupy goodness to cost you a bit more this year.

And don’t miss Maine Maple Sunday: On the fourth Sunday in March, Easter Sunday this year, you can go across the state to maple syrup farms and see first hand how sap is magically turned into your favorite sugary topping.  There are lots of free tastings and other activities, too.  Find a sugarhouse near you.

My favorite way to showcase syrup is on a steaming hot crepe.  To serve two, combine two eggs, a cup of milk, and a cup of flour. Get a pan piping hot, melt a slab of butter, pour a ladle's worth of batter (making sure to tilt the pan so you get a perfect circle) and then cook it until the bottom is marbled, about one minute. Flip, and cook for another fifteen seconds or so.  Repeat with remaining batter.  To eat: pour a tablespoon (or more) of your favorite Maine made syrup in the middle of the crepe. Spread it with a fork.  Then stick the fork into the left edge of the crepe and roll it up to the right and dig in.

Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 in Permalink