Time for a Little Maple love! by jodie Fitz
While shoppers can find maple syrup at the Saratoga Farmers’ Markets throughout the year; now is the season for tapping, sap collecting, boiling and bottling so that this sweet indulgence can find its way to your table.
Maple syrup can be used in both sweet and savory recipes/food combinations making it versatile in nature.
Next time you are drizzling some onto a pancake or into a recipe, here are a few fun facts to think about and/or share;
- It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.
- Sugar maples only grow in the northeast. Although there are other maple trees you can extract sap from, the sugar maple trees have the highest sugar content and are often the preferred maple of choice for making syrup.
- Maple trees be tapped every year.
- There can be different color variations in maple syrup(s). This is caused by a combination of the temperature, weather and time of year the sap is extracted.
- Maple syrup should be stored in a cool, dark location until it’s ready to be used. Once it has been opened it does need to be refrigerated. While maple syrup has a long shelf life, it does not last forever like honey.
- When cooking or making recipes, adding salt to maple syrup can enhance the caramel and nutty flavor tones that are underlying in this natural decadence.
- Maple syrup has a lower glycemic index than cane sugar, which means it raises blood sugar at a slower rate than sugar. However, it is still a form of sugar and still should be used in moderation.
Come discover all that the Saratoga Farmers’ Market has to offer; including a little maple love.
This week’s recipe: Slow Cooker Maple-Mustard Pulled Pork
The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is currently open Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., November through April at Wilton Mall Food Court; accessible from the mall entrance across from BJs. The CDTA’s 450 (from Schenectady) and 452 (from Skidmore College via downtown Saratoga) run to the Mall hourly Saturday mornings.
Visit www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
