With the pale green things sprouting and spring-ish days ahead, sugaring season in Vermont is more or less over. But for the past month, I've been driving up to Fairfax (thank you Jason, Jessie, and little dogs!) for my very first maple-syrup-making experience. If you've spoken to me at all since I learned to tell Vermont from New Hampshire on the map, you're probably sick of hearing about my plan. Sorry.
The Longevity Plan:
Plant my own maple farm, from seed, as soon as I have any amount of property. When I am 70-ish years old, they will be ready to tap, and then we will have the best syrup, ever. Because of all the hard work and patience that has gone into it. The goal, then, if you are my friend, is to come to brunch at my place in about forty or fifty years. It's good to have goals!
Lessons from year one:
* Maple steam smells amazing, and the scent will catch in your hair and clothes.
* Deer do not have hands and that is why they do not get into the buckets.
* Syrup must be strained while it is hot. Syrup must be strained while it is hot. Syrup must be strained while it is hot.
Here are some pictures. And some better ones from Kim. Next year, maybe we will try boiling over a wood fire?
I am on April Break. (Thanks, weird VT public-school schedule.) More adventures to come? Adventures in grading?
xxxxxooooo widow
I, too, wish to invite myself to brunch. I will be so curmudgeonly by then! It will be fantastic.
Posted by: jb | April 16, 2011 at 07:37 PM
I will gladly come to brunch
Posted by: Emily | April 16, 2011 at 11:35 AM