Each year I tell myself I’m going to take a trip to a sugar wood and see Nova Scotia maple syrup production in full swing. I want to walk through the hardwood forest, see the maple trees tapped with lines and buckets, and eat my fill of pancakes drowned in rich, robust syrup. And yet, as the days tick by, late winter yields to spring, and before you know it, the syrup season ends, and I once again plan a visit next year.
Real maple syrup is often regarded as a luxury item. With beautiful, locally produced syrups now widely available across the province I feel this is unfortunate. I understand why, with limited quantities of sap per tree, and the sheer amount of effort and time required to produce each batch, true maple syrup carries a higher price tag than its corn syrup-based artificial counterparts. That being said, I can’t imagine our family table without its soft, sweet flavour, in both savory and sweet dishes. Like salted butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano, or thick-cut bacon from the butcher, maple syrup is a staple pantry item on which I refuse to compromise.
I first learned to appreciate the complexity of maple syrup through the four official Canadian Grade A colour classes: golden, delicate taste; amber, rich taste; dark, robust taste; and very dark, strong taste. Of course, the legally sanctioned process of grading and labelling syrup is extremely involved and specific, but in simple terms, grade A maple syrup is noted to be of excellent quality, free of residue, murkiness, and strange odours, and contains no evidence of fermentation. Though my personal preference is for dark, robust taste syrup for drizzling over ice cream or pancakes, and amber, rich taste syrup for cooking and baking, there’s a colour class to suit every taste and every occasion.
On Saturday mornings I make homemade pancakes from scratch, with bacon cooked crispy in the oven. During the last few months I’ve transitioned my pancake recipe from all-purpose white flour, to whole grain spelt flour, and more recently gluten-free oat flour. A bottle of Nova Scotia maple syrup, cold from the fridge, and sticky at the top, adds a familiar consistency to our breakfast table despite these changes.
Another favourite for breakfast is a small dish of thick, tangy Greek yogurt topped with a straight up drizzle of maple syrup. And how could I forget about the small jar of homemade maple peach whisky jam I’ve got tucked on a shelf on the door of the fridge? Slathered on a thick slice of buttered sourdough toast it makes for a simple and happy start to the day.
Maple syrup is also known to be a great substitute for refined white sugar, which (as the mother of a young child) has become increasingly important to me. I often make large batches of oven-baked granola with maple syrup and sesame oil, a combination that tastes fabulous, and even more so when submerged in milk. Maple scones and sticky buns are other breakfast treats I like to bake when we feel like eating something special in the mornings.
Whisking maple syrup into a basic, homemade vinaigrette adds sweetness and depth to a light summer salad made with wild blueberries and goat cheese. And speaking of wild blueberries, am I right in saying maple syrup and wild blueberries seem made for one another? Pancakes, crisp, grunt, jam, cocktails, and more, all benefit from this perfect pairing.
When it comes to baking with maple syrup I’ve had great success making banana bread, cornbread, muffins, and cake. I will generally substitute an equal amount of maple syrup for white sugar, and reduce the liquids in my recipe by about two tablespoons, and up to one quarter of a cup. Though maple syrup may not hold on to its distinguishable maple flavour when masked by quick bread, muffin, or cake batters, I often rely on it as a sweetener when I bake and cook. Where white sugar is processed in factories, and possibly loaded with chemical additives, Nova Scotia maple syrup stands in stark contrast. Usually boiled over a hardwood fire, and produced by people who are practically my neighbours, choosing real maple syrup is an easy, and tasty, choice for my family table.
Small Batch Maple Peach Whisky Jam
- 1/2 peach, chopped or 1/2 cup drained canned peaches
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon pectin
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon whisky
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem.
- Special equipment required: candy thermometer
Directions:
- Wash one pint, or two half pint Mason jars with hot soapy water and dry.
- Combine peach slices, maple syrup, sugar, pectin and lemon juice in a medium to large pot. Stir to combine and cook over medium-high heat, at a boil, until jam reaches 220F on a candy thermometer. Remove pot from heat.
- Stir in whisky and thyme leaves into hot jam. Carefully pour into clean jars. Cool and keep in the fridge, covered with a tight fitting lid, for up to two weeks.
Kelly Neil showcases some of the best and some of her favourite ways to use the incredible bounty of ingredients Nova Scotia has to offer.
