The Magic of Maple Syrup @ Husky Meadows Farm

 At Husky Meadows Farm in Norfolk, they enjoy watching the change of the seasons. One of their favorite times of year is March because it signals that winter is ebbing and our planting season will soon begin. 

What they think is extra special about March, is that the temperatures drop below freezing at night and go above freezing during the day. This weather pattern signals the sweetest time of year when the sap of the Sugar Maple tree begins to run.  The sweet sap rises from the roots of the maple tree bringing sweetness and nourishment to it, and delight to those that know how and when to forage it. Tapping Sugar Maples is a centuries-old tradition that began with  Native American communities living in the area.

About Maple Trees

The scientific name of Sugar Maple is Acer saccharum. This tree is native to North America and is the most commonly found species among the seven types of maples. It grows in abundance throughout southern Ontario, Nova Scotia, New England, Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, the Mid-Atlantic states, and right here in Connecticut. Sap contains minerals, vitamins, and some natural sugars that feed this magnificent tree. Sugar Maples are slow-growing trees that increase in height by about 24 inches a year. Mature trees can grow up to 75 feet tall, and some, have grown over 100 feet tall. When Sugar Maple trees begin to bud with leaves, usually in April, the time for collecting maple sap is over, because it takes on a bitter taste. In addition to maple sap, in the fall, when this tree is ablaze with color, it also produces large quantities of seeds that are capable of germination with the added benefit of providing food for animals like turkeys, finches, squirrels, and chipmunks. 

Maple syrup is a centuries-old New England tradition

How Native Americans Used Maple Syrup

Native Americans introduced European settlers to the wonders of maple syrup. They honored the maple tree in ceremonies each year to ensure good maple harvests.  The tribe would gather around the tree, also known as a "sugarbush" address it in ritual language and offer the tree tobacco incense.  Historic records indicate that the collecting and processing of maple sap was a social as well as a working occasion.  Women would tap the trees; men would cut the wood for the fire needed to boil the sap, and children tended to the sap as it boiled. 

Native American Sugar Camp

The sap was considered a delicacy and one Ojibwa legend mentions a maple syrup feast.  It was often prepared as a cool drink with herbs in the warm months and made into a hot tea with a variety of roots, leaves, and bark in the winter. Maple sugar was also used as a basic seasoning year-round, eaten with grains, fish, fruit, vegetables, and dried berries.  Maple syrup could be stored for well over a year making it a valuable food source and was frequently eaten as candy for quick energy.  It was also used as a preservative.

Husky Meadows Farm & Maple Syrup

At Husky Meadows Farm, we don't believe that maple syrup is just for pancakes! With that in mind, each March, we celebrate this delectable amber nectar with an immersive and magical culinary event that highlights all that you can do with maple syrup in the kitchen. Our culinary team uses the freshest farm-to-table ingredients along with maple syrup in both sweet and savory ways that will amaze the palate. In addition to the food and cocktails, and different ways to use maple syrup we will learn about the different grades of this nectar of nature and the best ways to use it. For information about Husky Meadows Farm, their upcoming culinary events, dinners, and weekend overnight packages visit their website http://www.huskymeadowsfarm.com

Check out the events @ Husky Meadows Farm

Did You Know...

It takes at least forty years for a sugar maple tree to grow before it is big enough to tap.

On average, a tapped maple tree will produce ten to twenty gallons of sap per tap.  Most trees have just one tap.

The first full moon during sap running season is called the Maple Moon or the Sugar Moon.

The sugar maple is one of America's favorite trees and more states have claimed it as their state tree than any other species.

Squirrels, whitetail deer, snowshoe hares, and moose feed on the seeds, twigs, and leaves of the sugar maple.

John Smith was among the first settlers that noted the Native Americans' sugar processing and the fact that they used it for barter.

In 2001 baseball player Barry Bonds switched from an ash wood baseball bat to one made of maple and hit 73 home runs!

The largest and nationally acclaimed sugar maple champion tree is located in Charlemont, Massachusetts.  It is 112 feet tall with a diameter of 6.18 feet with a crown spread of 91 feet with a total point count of 368.

A sugar maple tree in Lyme, Connecticut measured in 2012 measured 123 feet tall with a circumference of 18.25 feet and a crown spread of 86 feet with a total point count of 364.