Maple…for more than just pancakes

Is there really anything more Canadian than maple syrup? I mean the thing is on our flag.  And with the amount of leaves we rake every fall, we must be rolling in maple trees, right?

I took a trip up to Sugar Moon Farm and had a chance to learn a little bit more about just what it takes to turn all those trees into the perfect sidekick to a heaping pile of pancakes.

My husband and I  heard that there was a hiking trail that covered the grounds around the sugar farm, and we’d heard that there might be some pancakes involved in the day’s visit…

The 6.2 km hike over the Rogart Trail is a beautiful way to see some amazing Nova Scotia territory – a river (known locally as New Portugal Brook) leads the way through most of the hike, and about ¾ of the way through you come across a beautiful waterfall.

My piece of advice to you? Hike first, eat at the pancake house afterwards.  By the time we finished covering some fairly substantial ground, we were both starving.

The pancake house is next door to the sugar shack, and as soon as you walk in you are met with a wonderful old stove cranking out a ton of heat (it was a chilly day for late April).  The room instantly makes you feel warm and cozy – there’s another fireplace towards the opposite end of the room, the view to the flat-top grill is open, and there are exposed beams and beautiful wooden walls.

I had already started gnawing on my jacket sleeve, and our server took that as a pretty good indication we were ready to eat.  We sat in front of the fireplace and took a look at our possibilities.

Being a lover of maple syrup, I was hooked when I saw that they have a maple beer made by Garrison Brewery in Halifax.  In addition, the server recommended their specialty, known as the Sugar Moon Special: three pancakes, sausage, and a side of homemade baked beans.  One look between the husband and I and we were both in.

Let me tell you something about those pancakes – and I consider myself to be somewhat of a connoisseur – Sugar Moon has found the great balance between a fluffy middle and a crispy exterior.  The whole plate was great, and hit the spot after a 6.2 km hike.

After snacking, we had the chance to chat with Quita Gray (she owns Sugar Moon Farm with her husband Scott Whitelaw) who gave us a wonderful history of how they came to be part of this industry and the work that goes into operating a working sugar farm.

Both Quita and Scott have backgrounds in forestry, and looked to Sugar Moon Farm as a way to combine an abiding interest in things agricultural and a mutual love of the forest– and being a sugar producer was certainly it.

They met with the farm’s previous owner and agreed to a two-year apprenticeship in maple production as part of the deal to purchase the operation.  That was in 1996, and since then they’ve been perfecting their craft just outside of Earltown. They’ve done a ton of work to make the New England-style operation as authentic as possible.  They traveled throughout Quebec, Ontario, and the Eastern US to find the right model to bring back to Nova Scotia.  They began year round operations in 2001.

So how busy could a sugar farm get during peak season? 450 people a day, kind of busy. And most of that action is packed into the months of March and April – although they are open year-round.

Quita took us on a tour of their facility (this is something they do for free) and we had the chance to learn a lot about the art and science of making maple syrup.

Here’s a little tidbit: 85% of the maple syrup in the world is produced in Canada, but Quebec produces 90% of Canada’s maple syrup, which leaves a tiny little slice for Nova Scotia.  We make the best of our short window for maple-making, and considering that the season in Nova Scotia is only two months long, producers like Sugar Moon Farm, and the other 49 in the province, do a great job of satisfying our maple needs.

And it takes a ridiculous amount of time to coax the sap out of the trees to even make the syrup.  Each tree is tapped once per season and yields (in an average year) about 20 litres of sap per tap, which makes 500ml of maple syrup. So next time you walk by a maple tree, reach out and give it a hug. It’s working hard.

The rest of the tour took us to see where they boil the sap to produce syrup; the folks at Sugar Moon use a wood-fired system that mimics the traditional style of syrup making found in New England and Quebec.

The sap is carried by gravity to the sugar shack through a series of tubes that run in a network directly from the trees.  It’s an impressive feat considering that they have close to 35 acres of trees.

They boil sap about 12 to 16 times over a three to six week period. Also, when the sap is harvested during the maple season influences not only the color, but also the taste of the syrup.  Syrup produced from taps early in the season is lighter in colour, and has an almost honey-like sweetness.  Syrup produced from sap harvested later on in the season is darker in color and has distinctive caramel qualities. Who’d thought you could get all this from some little ole’ maple trees?

So my husband and I headed home with our maple in tow, and we got to thinking about what we could make with our sweet treat. We decided to go with an old favourite – salmon.

We decided to grill the salmon, and pair that with a simple maple Dijon potato salad, and some grilled peppers.  Making the glaze for the salmon is dead easy: take your maple syrup and grate the zest of one orange into it.  Glaze your salmon and then put it on the grill and cook to medium.

For the potato salad: sautee one diced onion, and de-glaze your pan with some apple cider vinegar.  Add a tablespoon of grainy Dijon mustard, and two tablespoons of maple syrup, season with thyme, salt, and pepper and toss with boiled new potatoes. And you thought that maple syrup was just for your pancakes!

We also took whole, mini sweet peppers and tossed them lightly in olive oil, salt and pepper and put those on the grill to char slightly.

Sugar Moon Farm is another great example of a family owned business carving a niche for themselves in a home-grown industry.  So the next time you need a pancake, or a 6.2km hike, or some beer made of maple syrup, or an amazing, feel-good meal (they also host amazing Chef’s Nights with local chefs), take yourself to Sugar Moon Farm.  Just be sure to enjoy the hike first, food second!