Before we get to the contest update, we thought we would share something very Canadian with you. Our neighbours are making their own maple syrup this year. On our walks we see the buckets collecting the sap.
Quebec, our province, makes about 70% of the world maple syrup and over 90% of Canada's syrup. American friends, we are talking pure, real maple syrup, not the "table syrup" you seem so fond of that is just corn syrup and no offence, not really edible to your friends from the North. If you have never had fresh, just boiled syrup, you can't appreciate how amazing it is!
Interesting story - in 2011-2012 there was the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist. During this period, thieves stole nearly 3000 tons of this maple goodness. This was valued at almost $19 million Canadian dollars at the time. They were selling it to people in the US in small batches and those buying it were unaware it was stolen. 17 men were arrested in relation to the theft. Here is the most severe sentence were 8 years in prison and a $9.4 million fine, with an extension to 14 years in prison if the fine couldn't be paid. We take our maple syrup seriously in this country (it does run through our veins after all!)
------------------
Now to the contest
We have some guesses for the next week - and they could be right because as of lunch yesterday, there was still snow in the yard and it was snowing! Lady will say this is the earliest spring then she remembers (last year the winning date was May 11 and the year before, we don't want to talk about how much snow we had in April!). Maybe we get this one nice thing during this crisis (besides the peeps being home 24/7).
The pictures were taken from inside as it was very, very wet out and a fox was around. (We liked tracking her later on leash, no pictures captured today. She has been around a bit, so we hope to capture her, she is beautiful).
 |
| Looking out the side toward the front - you can see our fire pit! |
 |
| Front yard from the front door |
 |
| Back yard |
Come back next week to find out and to see us in our Easter stuff!
Happy Easter!
oh that is interesting!!! and we love maple syrup... no pancake is complete without. here the people have cans for the birch trees, but we have some doubt they get maply syrup that way ;O)
ReplyDeleteHari Om
ReplyDeleteI adore the real stuff - but it costs a mortgage here. I opt for runny honey instead...
Hmmmm, we have had a wee downturn in our spring, too (or should that be back-turn?); no snow here though! Hugs and wags, YAM-aunty xxx
We can find the real Vermont syrup here. It's pricey but VERY worth it! Pancakes and waffles and French toast don't taste as good without syrup.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Pennsylvania and married a man from Ohio. Both states produce maple syrup, some of which is sent to Vermont to be marketed as "pure Vermont maple syrup." You're right. Pancake syrup made from corn just isn't the same as maple syrup.
ReplyDeleteIt's snowing here right now and so far about an inch has accumulated on the grass. We hope for your sake that we don't win the contest as we guessed late May.
ReplyDeleteour world is upside down, or downside up. which it is might be where we are. hope your maple syrup falls down here to FL. I have eaten pure maple and it does taste a lot different than the fake maple. I had never eaten maple syrup until I married Bob 35 years ago. raised in Georgia which is sugar cane syrup country, that is all I ever had. Cane Syrup. can't even find it in the stores now and I do love it...
ReplyDeleteNow I want some pannycakes with butter syrup!!
ReplyDeleteThat snow just needs to let go!!
BOL
Hugs Cecilia
Gail loves maple syrup (the real stuff) on her porridge in winter.
ReplyDeleteMmmmmmm...Mama still remembers the real maple syrup the Lady and Man gave her!
ReplyDeleteWe sure hope all that snow melts this weekend!!!
xoxo,
Rosy, Jakey & Arty
I taught in Appalachia where they made maple syrup. The trees looked like they were on life-support--several tubes on each tree running into larger tubes...etc until it went into a vat at the bottom of the hill. We have Canadian Maple Syrup at the local shop...a little more expensive, but worth it.
ReplyDeleteWow, the snow is really disappearing! When the mom was a girl, she remembers making...or trying to make...maple syrup with her Girl Scout troop.
ReplyDeleteI can see snow in the mountain still
ReplyDeleteWe had some snow yesterday, but it melted within a couple hours. Now it's just cold and windy.
ReplyDeleteMy ghostwriter grew up in Niagara Falls NY, right across the river from Ontario. She knows what real maple syrup is. Yum!
None of that corn syrup crap on the Ranch. Full strength 100% Canadian maple syrup only for us. How cool that your neighbors have tapped their trees. I'm convinced that half of us will come out of the quarantine as amazing cooks and the other half will come out with a drinking problem. Guess which one I'll be. LOL
ReplyDeleteGlad to see your snow is going and your spring is springing! We are seeing the river rise - its gone up 6inches since last night - this is early and there is a ton of snow in the mountains this year. It could get really high really fast if the weather stays hot. And Mom LOVES Maple syrup. She developed a Blueberry Maple Barbecue sauce for a grower a couple of years ago...
ReplyDeletePurrs
Marv