It was a chilly December morning. The pancakes steamed off the griddle, just begging to be flooded with golden, luscious maple syrup.
Of course, it reads and sounds about as wonderful as it reads and there’s just no better way to welcome National Maple Syrup Day on December 17. This day will be given over to celebration of that rich flavor, versatility and all, as maple syrup gives in to an appreciation like no other of its age.
Join us as we find out more about maple syrup’s past, its creation process, and health benefits from maple syrup.
See how you can adorn both savory and sweet recipes with this delightful condiment from our maple syrup recipes collection.
Let’s have a blast discovering why we continue celebrating over maple syrup.
The History Behind National Maple Syrup Day
National Maple Syrup Day happens on December 17. The activity is observed for the natural history of maple syrup because this is the first sweetener that North America’s native people produced here.
They tapped the maple trees and boiled their sap into syrup. This day celebrates the importance and heritage of maple syrup production, which lives on in places like the northeast United States and southeast Canada.
There are not many details known about the origin of this holiday, but it is sure to be a sweet reminder of the tradition and labor behind the production of this syrup.
Who created National Maple Syrup Day and why?
The actual founder and origin of National Maple Syrup Day are unknown, but it was probably created to pay tribute to the rich cultural heritage and continued tradition of maple syrup production.
This special day falls on December 17th to pay tribute to the strenuous process of making maple syrup and its importance within North American culture, but specifically in the northeastern areas of the United States or the southeastern parts of Canada.
Top activities to do on National Maple Syrup Day
This is a time to celebrate and enjoy the natural sweetener during this festive season.
There are only so many fun things one can do on National Maple Syrup Day.
- Tastings of Maple Syrup: Visit your local farms or specialty stores to try all the grades and flavors of maple syrup. Pancake Breakfasts: Host one in your home or head on to community events where the real star is maple syrup.
- Visit a sugarhouse to learn from the collection of sap, tapping trees through final boiling down that sap into maple syrup.
- Cook with maple: Try your hand at cooking maple syrup with all manner of recipes, whether pancakes and waffles to maple-glazed salmon or maple-infused desserts.
- Get crafty: Enjoy some arts of maple-them – be it decorations on maple leaves or making candles.
- Educational Workshops: learn about the history and how they prepare maple syrup through educational workshops or viewing videos from the internet.
- Pure Maple Syrup Bottles/ Maple-Flavored Product Bottles: acquire few bottles of pure maple syrup, or few bottles of maple flavored product from local makers
- Experienced Outdoor Adventurer: take a hike, or nature walk, to deep appreciate the maple trees holding behind this candy under your head.
- Give Bottles of Maple Syrup: Share this sweetness with friends and their families.
- Maple Syrup Contest: Enter into or host a cook-off or a bake-off contest which is guaranteed to be based on doing something with maple syrup to use as the central ingredient.
The cultural importance of maple syrup in North America
In North America, maple syrup has been attached so much cultural importance.
It has been a tradition since the earliest times in this region, dating back from the days of the native people who first taught early settlers how to tap maple trees and make syrup.
The maple syrup is used for many purposes in cooking; it’s applied in most dishes, including pancakes, baked goods, and even desserts.
The art of producing maple syrup has been a very important tradition and source of pride for family for many small farmers.
Tips on How to Buy Best Quality Maple Syrup
- Pure Maple Syrup Check: The bottle must say “100% pure maple syrup.” Avoid maple syrups containing added sugars or artificial flavor.
- Grade: Maple syrups are graded depending on the color and the flavor. Lighter ones have lesser flavors, while the darker ones have more robust flavor, are full-bodied. Choose as your taste buds prefer.
- Check the Quality Packaging: Syrup must be in glass or BPA-free plastic bottles. Flavor is better preserved in glass bottles.
- Buy Locally: Local production will get one fresh syrup and will eventually build up the community. Most of the local syrups will taste much better and be easier to produce.
- Price to be considered: Fine maple syrup is dear as the cost to prepare it is manpower. Thus, never consume cheaply appearing products and it likely to be watery or artificial.
- Store it in the fridge when the product is already opened, that is still remaining fresh with a delicious flavor.
Preparing Maple Syrup Homemade
Maple syrup production is a rather labor-intensive process, yet rewarding in its own rights. This is usually made during late winter or spring when sap flows from the maple tree. Here is how to do it.
- Tap a Maple Tree: Drill a hole in an older sugar maple tree, usually 2-3 feet off the ground, then install a spout or tap to gather the sap.
- Collect the Sap: Hang a bucket or bag below the tap so that clear, watery sap drips into it.
- Boil the Sap: Once you have collected enough sap-about 40-50 gallons for 1 gallon of syrup-boil down the sap in a large pot or an evaporator, and this will thicken the sap into syrup.
- Filter and Store: Once sap has been filtered to the required consistence filter again at 219°F or 104°C and remove impurities then stored in clean sterilized containers.
- Now, your homemade maple syrup is all ready for use! It’s good on pancakes or waffles, and recipes, having scrumptious flavor.
This is so great doing home-making of maple syrup, but it does involve patience and good equipment.
Conclusion
To this end, the opportunity to celebrate such a deep history and its culture on National Maple Syrup Day comes in the marvelous diverse confection that maple syrup represents.
It could be in buying a good quality or making one yourself, but every bottle of maple syrup represents an age-old tradition of work put into making every single one of these.
Let’s then enjoy its natural sweetness and do our best to help the local producer make sure that this time-tested candy will continue being made for generations.
On December 17, let’s take a moment in maple syrup and celebrate its heritage coming to our tables so sweet!
