It's that time of year...

Dear Diary,

With chilly nights and warmish days the sap buckets are being hung on the Maple trees in my area.  March is Maple Sugar month!  Some people still use the traditional metal buckets with their little lids while others, mainly those who sugar commercially, have gone to plastic and even tubing that snakes from tree to tree.  I prefer these traditional buckets for the aesthetic appeal.

Every farm had their Maples, many like this, planted along stone walls that ringed their property.  Perhaps the stones act as solar collectors and warm the roots to encourage the sap to flow.  Many towns have a Maple Syrup Sunday, when you can visit the sap houses and watch the "sugaring off" in person.  For most New Englanders in the 18th century Maple syrup and honey were the only sweeteners, cane sugar wasn't widely available.  You can see the process, with some great old photos, here. 

In honor of Maple Syrup March, I will have French toast with locally produced syrup for breakfast this morning.  It is a favorite of mine.  There is nothing like the flavor of real Maple syrup and doing my part to support local producers is something I'm glad to do.