Sweet Times! Maple Weekend in New York State

Maple Weekend in New York State is March 17-18 and March 24-25. Sugar shacks sprinkled throughout the state open their doors for tours, pancake breakfasts and tastings... kind of like "open studio" for the art and craft of all things maple.

And a craft it really is. Next time you open a bottle of syrup to put on your waffles- think twice- most commercial grades a la Aunt Jemima are made from the lowest grade syrup added to copious amounts of corn syrup while the stuff that comes in the cute bottles and is super pricey--- that's the good stuff- the cream of the crop so to speak.

Many syrup businesses are small cottage ventures and many a seasonal offset for dairy farmers to bring in a few extra bucks during the Spring season. The syrup business is not for the frail - it is hard labor and a labor of love. The sweet stuff does not flow easily and taking it from tree to table is a monumental effort.

Contrary to what many think- maple season is early Spring, not Fall. Warm days of early Spring and cool nights make sap run- and it is the sap that we have come to know as maple syrup. First you need the trees, and lots of them! Sugar Maple and Black Maple are the most popular variety and to yield a great crop you need more than a bucket.

We had the sweet fortune of visiting Fairbanks Maple in Forestville, NY on Saturday and were amazed at just how elaborate the "tiny" operation is. With over 3,300 trees each tapped just once a season, there are what seems like miles of endless blue lines that run the sap from tree to tank.

Once collected, the sap is converted to syrup. When sap is first collected it is mostly water and the sap to syrup conversion happens when most of the water is boiled away. It takes over 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.

Packaging alone is a craft in and of itself. Similar to canning- issues of hygiene and proper sealing of the container must be precise to avoid contamination- if any introduction of air is released into the seal, the syrup is destroyed.

Next time you sit down to a hearty breakfast- think twice- and enjoy the sugary sweetness as you pour maple syrup- a truly sweet labor of love!

MAKING THE GRADE

Here's a run down of maple syrup by quality and grade:

Grade A maple syrup is classified according to color. The darker the syrup, the stronger the maple taste.

Grade A Light Amber — the lightest of the three classifications with a mild and delicate flavor. It’s best for maple cream and molded maple sugar (candy).

Medium Amber — a bit darker with a fuller flavor. This is the most popular grade for table syrup.

Dark Amber — the darkest of the three grades has a stronger maple flavor. This all-purpose syrup is good for cooking, baking and table use.

Extra Dark — used for cooking, strongest maple flavor. Best for cooking.

Grade B — sold in bulk for reprocessing and the manufacture of commercial table syrups. Best for baking.

Source: Mapleweekend.com

Learn more here:
NY State Maple Producers Association
Cornell University Sugar Maple Research Program

Photos taken at Fairbanks Maple: Forestville, NY - (716) 965-4208
Photo #1: via getentrepreneurial.com

Anthology Place

Sun getting to your skin? Try some of these great organic bath and body products... all organic, highest grade essential oils and pure ingredients make this a summer must have!

WHITE after Memorial Day- A-O.K.

Images via polyvore: net-a-porter.com, fashion-conscience.com, ascensiononline.com, econsciousmarket.com, barneys.com

Get to Know Your Farmer

It's (finally) the time of year when great local fresh produce is becoming readily available again. For a lot of us, this means coming out of hibernation and back into the community in the way of our farmers markets. A trip to the farmer's market (or even the regular grocery store) can be a challenge for some. There are so many types of lettuce, peppers, apples and so on, that the choices can seem overwhelming. One great option for those short on time and new to buying local, is a CSA.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.

a typical CSA share (peak summer month)

To locate a CSA program in your area, we love the Local Harvest CSA finder. You can enter your zip code and a veritable bounty of options (depending on your location) are at your fingertips.

NYC Fave: Cookshop

Our Monday Morning Mimosa event is only 1 week away, and we have the Big Apple on the brain! While in NYC we always make a point of going to our favorite eatery - Cookshop. Located on Tenth Avenue at 20th St. this spot is a do not miss. Cookshop serves rustic American fare with a nod to Mediterranean (perfect for summer), and specializes in sustainable ingredients, humanely raised animals and supporting local farmers and artisans. We just can't say enough about how incredibly good, flavorful, fresh and made with care the food is - especially after working a long gift show day. The wine list is thoughtful (many organic) and the drinks are all made with small batch liquors and herbal extractions like hibiscus. Yum.

While we're in NYC for our event, we are determined to visit at least one of their two sister restaurants where we've never been- Five Points and Hundred Acres.

A little side note: for a bit more high-falooting sustainable fare, do NOT miss Blue Hill. Simply amazing food all grown by Blue Hill Farm at the Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, New York (whose shop carries our "Market Fresh" Greenotes). You can be sure there is a blog post to come on that!

Images via Cookshop, Flickr, New York Magazine

Mid-Summer Garden Progress

Despite the unusually cool start to the summer, our little urban vegetable garden (started from seed!) is coming up beautifully. Hopefully we'll see some red on those tomatoes soon - the weekend is supposed to be sunny and steamy so caprese salad here we come!

Etsy Organic Team

We love to buy organic and local around here, and we also love Etsy for fabulous online indie finds. It seems our wish has been granted with the Etsy Organic, a team that brings together organic etsy sellers and promotes sustainable living.

Just a few of the organic products available include: organic clothing, facial cleansers, body scrubs, botanical perfumes, cloth diaper covers & baby goods, purses, totes and even hard to find heirloom seeds!

To belong to the team, at least 25 percent of a seller's product must be organic and they have to commit to increasing their range of organic products. Organic items must be certified organic or must be made only with certified organic ingredients or materials.

Only products sold by Etsy Organic sellers can be tagged with the EtsyOrganicTeam tag, so buyers will know that they are getting the organic goods.

And for all you tweeps out there, the team also has a Twitter account, @EtsyOrganic. While you're at it, don't forget to follow our updates on Twitter @greenpaperco!