Monday, March 29, 2010

Sugaring Time

We celebrated Maine Maple Syrup Sunday by visiting a sugarhouse on the outskirts of Portland yesterday. In this photograph, the freshly-collected sap is continuously boiled in these large pots. We went to Merrifield Farm, and it was packed. It was an ideal sugarhouse to visit, especially if you were dragging small children along, because there was lots to do, eat and see. Besides a tour to see the entire process of sap to syrup, you could buy hot dogs, coffee and sodas etc. or spend some time going through the barn, viewing cows, pigs, geese and other farm animals. Of course, the main attraction were the cups of vanilla ice cream with fresh maple syrup poured over the top. At this rite of spring, the tasty maple syrup was king, with lots of aahs to go along!
http://www.mainemapleproducers.com/how_maple_syrup_is_made.html

6 comments:

  1. I can almost smell it down here.

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  2. Aah! What a great way to spend a day. Your photo is very "descriptive" and helps me visualize the eventful day.

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  3. It sounds delicious! I had never heard of eating vanilla ice cream with maple syrup before.

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  4. I love the idea of the sap boiling over an open fire in big iron pots; we have the sugar houses but I have never seen it made this way.
    Sunny :)

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  5. It kind of looks like a witch's cauldron, or else I have been watching too many Harry Potter movies lately.

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  6. This sounds like heaven. I don't think we have that in Oklahoma. Sigh.

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