Maple Syrup Season
Maple syrup is hardly just a breakfast ingredient although it is usually thought of in that way. But alas, that buttery, mouth-watering caramel-like flavored ooze from the sap of live maple trees, can be used in cooking in so many ways. Sweeten a salad dressing, glaze a pork roast, flavor a cheesecake. Maple syrup pairs well with apple cider, mustard, and herbs such as thyme and rosemary, so be inventive.
Fresh at the market this month, look for pure maple syrup by their grade from Grade A fancy with its pale golden color to a dark reddish brown for Grade B. Remember that pancake syrup is nothing more than corn syrup with artificial maple flavoring, so go for the authentic, unprocessed cooked-down sap from nature’s best. Tasting the real thing is like being right at the source, at the sugar shacks in New England, as the sap bubbles and boils into maple syrup.
Enriching Ideas
- Blend 3/4 cup pure maple syrup with 3/4 stick butter, and 1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel. Use a basting ingredient for meats and vegetables and it is great for coating yams and sweet potatoes, or for winter fruits as a dessert and over ice cream.
- Make a cake or muffin glaze by blending together 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup instead of lemon or water.
- Use maple syrup as a replacement for honey.
- Maple syrup topped over a warm cereal with nuts is superb!
