Get the pancakes ready…today is National Maple Syrup Day!
December 17 calls for dishes of French toast or waffles topped with butter and delicious maple syrup – liquid gold tapped from maple trees in North America that we have all come to know and love.
Most of the maple syrup we taste Down Under is manufactured in North America from companies such as Maple from Canada. In cold climates, maple trees store starch in their trunks and roots before Winter. The starch is then converted into sugar that rises in the sap in late Winter and early Spring, bringing with it a delightfully sweet flavour.
Maple trees are tapped by drilling holes into their trunks and collecting the exuded sap. This sap is then processed by heating it to evaporate much of the water, leaving the concentrated syrup. In earlier times, maple syrup was first collected and used by the indigenous people of North America.
Here are some fun facts about maple syrup plus two recipes you need to try:
•Maple trees that make syrup are quite old, they are usually not ready to be tapped until they are around 45 years of age. The good news is that a maple tree can yield sap for up to 100 years, so its life span is pretty good.
•Retrieving sap from maple trees requires particular weather conditions where the ground is very cold at night and warms up during the day. These fluctuations in temperature create positive and negative pressure to get the sap flowing.
•Indigenous people not only taught European settlers about making maple syrup they also taught them how to preserve meat through maple curing.
•Maple syrup offers different nutrients to the body such as zinc, calcium, potassium and magnesium, as well as antioxidants.
Treat yourself to this irresistible maple plum and almond traybake — a treat perfect for an afternoon snack of indulgence. With a crunchy topping of flaked almonds, this traybake is a delicious balance of flavours that will keep everyone coming back for more.
Fire up the BBQ with these irresistible lamb and maple burgers and treat your family and friends. Juicy lamb patties infused with a hint of whisky and maple syrup pair perfectly with a tangy homemade maple BBQ sauce, topped with fresh veggies and sandwiched in brioche buns.
