It's Maple Time!
Posted by Donna-Marie Pye on
The first weekend of April is always a popular one here in southwestern Ontario with the launch of the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival. Here in Canada we refer to it as "liquid gold" and while Ontario certainly produces an abundance of this golden syrup, the province of Quebec roughly produces two-thirds of the world's maple syrup.
Maple syrup was invented by the Iroquois people, who are indigenous to northeastern America. They pioneered the tapping technology that drew sap from the maple tree, as well as processing techniques for transforming it into syrup and sugar crystals. Though its sweet, rich flavour might make you think otherwise, maple syrup boasts plenty of health benefits. The syrup is filled with antioxidants as well as healthy minerals like zinc, magnesium, calcium and potassium. It is an essential sweetener used by vegans and vegetarians alike.
If you'd like to learn more about our local maple syrup industry, be sure to join us on Thursday April 6, 2023, when Kevin Synder of Snyder Heritage Farms joins us for an informative evening of maple syrup production and tasting combined with a cooking class called The Magic Of Maple. It's truly going to be a super "sweet" event that you don't want to miss.
Here's our favourite maple syrup recipes previously posted to on our blog...
Make-Ahead Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes