Saturday, March 14, 2009

Mapley Goodness

What better time to extol the sweet deliciousness that is Maple Syrup, than on a pancake Saturday? The Husband made breakfast this morning, including pancakes topped with homemade maple syrup. We live in a pancake syrup-free zone. Don't bother bringing by your maple-flavored corn syrup, Mrs. Butterworth. It'll go right down the drain. And if you don't know the difference between the two, stop right here.

I don't even want your blog business. The rest of you, please continue.

I grew up in central NY farm country, blissfully unaware that you could even BUY maple syrup in the store, let alone the dastardly impostors. We bought syrup by the quart and gallon from our neighbors. Now The Husband and his father make their own syrup. They tap a small sugarbush at The Lake and sit around the evaporator chatting and minding the sap as it bubbles and boils.

One of my earliest memories of Bob's family features maple syrup. There are very few things in life that my good-natured father-in-law gets exercised about. Wasting maple syrup is on the top of that short list. So, when I was about 16 yrs old it happened that I was eating a waffle at Bob's house and left a pool of syrup on my plate when I was done. Suddenly a shout rent the air:

"What is THAT?!"

It took me a second to recover from the shock and figure out to what he was referring. My future father-in-law, of course, thought I was unaware of (or indifferent to) the toil that goes into making real maple syrup. In reality, syrup had been so abundant in my youth, that I did not make use of every drop. But, I have been careful to ration only the needed amount in the ensuing years, and the FIL and I have had no disagreements since.

Bob's sister in Dee-Cee serves her 14 (or four) children flavored corn syrup and reserves the good stuff for the adults. I think this is a form of child abuse. What about you? Will you 'fess up to putting hard-working farmers and other honest country folk out of business by padding the corporate pockets of Aunt Jemima? Or that other brand that defiles the holy name of Log? It's confession time.

4 comments:

Shelley said...

Fresh michigan maple syrup is the only one for me! (And I have to admit - I have thought twice about sharing it w/ the kiddies! ha,ha!)
Our maple syrup festival is in 2 weeks - looking forward to getting some of that fresh goodness!!

Anonymous said...

I don't really know anything about Maple Syrup except that I like it. But given, like Bob, how much of a snob I am with coffee and whisky, I'd be pleased to be educated. =)

a Tonggu Momma said...

Anne ~ I know you already know this about me and still love me despite my Extreme Faults, but I happen to love The Fake Stuff. The husband of course prefers The Real Thing.

So we purchase both and the Tongginator and he eat The Real Thing. I wouldn't want to be accused of child abuse like Mrs. V. But you should know that the Tongginator is shooting you the stink eye all the way from here for accusing her favorite teacher.

Anne said...

TongguMomma - perhaps you'll have a Miraculous Conversion some day, like my conversion to coffee. We do still love you.... despite your preference for *shudder* The Fake Stuff.
=)