Spring is here, the fields are flooding with melting snow and the maples are releasing their sugar water! It takes 40 litres of maple sap to make 1 litre of maple syrup! Oh, and how I love maple syrup! And to live in the part of Canada where most of the nations maple syrup is produced just has to be Providential? Right...
First stop - a wonderful lunch at a Quebecois Sugar Shack! I have to say, eggs cooked in maple syrup is the way to go. You just have to try it!
Such a joy to have my first Canadian "sugaring off" experience with a group of believers in French Canada, who are on mission to touch lives in Rwanda.
I also got to join the local community in a morning breakfast and improve my "sugar on snow" rolling skill. And if you're sugared out and really want to try just a little more maple syrup, a regular tradition is to provide gherkins on site. I guess the salt helps convince your system that there's always room for another mouthful of sugar!
Parkside Ranch is a beautiful location hosting a wide range of events, from summer camps, to skidoo experiences, to their regular community events, like the annual sugaring experience.
If you're ever in this part of the country, it's a great way to enjoy the weekend!
Joining Jim for an urban sugaring experience was also a treat. Thankfully the weather was still cool enough to provide the optimum temperatures for sap flow. And when you have a few maple trees in your back yard, why not make maple syrup?
If I didn't have such a low sugar tolerance I'm sure I would become a maple syrup addict. A healthier option would be to drink maple sap, which has more water than sugar in it. Thankfully I got a first hand opportunity to experience this at my final maple stop, during my weekend at the maple farm...