A local pour: Maple syrup is now coming from Pennsylvania trees
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This guide to all things maple is by Pennsylvanian Tim Herd. -
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I don't mean to sound sappy, but, I really love maple syrup.
Real maple syrup, that is -- moreso because I know that it's made in good quantity and quality from trees right in this region.
Local maple syrup can be had in abundance now that the sap is again flowing and flowing well in and from maple trees north of Pittsburgh and in the mountains east of town.
"Compared to last year, we're having an outstanding sap run," says Bill Phillips of Fort LeBoeuf Maple, just outside Waterford, Erie County. He's chairman of the Northwest Pennsylvania Maple Association's eighth annual Taste and Tour Weekend this Saturday and Sunday.
If you don't know about the natural and human processes that take this watery tree food and boil it down into sweet human foods, from syrup to sugar, you might want to head north for the event, for which 14 sugar shacks hold open houses.
The Northwest Pennsylvania Maple Association -- syrup and sugar makers in Crawford, Erie, Warren, Venango and Mercer counties -- hold their eighth open house event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both Saturday, March 19, and Sunday, March 20.
Drop in at any of the 14 participating producers listed and mapped out for you on the website pamaple.org (or call 1-814-796-3699). One, Hurry Hill Farm near Edinboro, has its own maple museum (hurryhillfarm.org or 1-814-734-1358). Each one will be giving away as well as selling every kind of mapled treat. Hurry Hill, for example, will be sampling "syrup, cream, candy, crumb, peanuts, cotton candy, mustard, barbecue sauce, pancake mix" and more, and serving maple hot chocolate.
While you're up north, check out:
The second annual event, benefiting the Edinboro Historical Society and Edinboro Volunteer Fire Department, runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both Saturday, March 19, and Sunday, March 20. Gather at the fire department at 125 Meadville St. for pancakes and sausage with local syrup ($7 or $3 for children 12 and younger), as well as music and an arts-and-crafts show and sale. For more: 1-814-734-3562 or edinborohistory.org.
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 26 at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve in Fox Chapel, they'll pay their annual "homage to the almighty maple" with a natural history hike and a pancake breakfast ($10 or $6 per member, children 2 and younger are free). Reserve by calling 412-963-6100. See photos of last year's event at aswp.org/calendar/Maplemadness.html.
From 2 to 3:30 p.m. March 27, Jennings Environmental Education Center near Slippery Rock in Butler County gives a free indoor-outdoor presentation on how a tree works and demonstrates maple sugaring. Call 724-794-6011 or visit dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/jennings.aspx.
The 64th annual fest runs March 26 and 27 and March 30 through April 3 in Meyersdale, Somerset County. There are activities in and around Maple Festival Park starting at 10 a.m. each day, from car shows to a parade to the historical pageant, "Legend of the Magic Water." See sap turned into syrup and sugar; you even can taste spotza -- hot maple syrup poured over ice to form a taffy. The Lions Club will be serving pancakes and sausage daily, too. Admission to the park costs $5 for adults, $1 for children 6 to 12. For a full list of activities, visit pamaplefestival.com or call 1-814-634-0213 (toll-free 1-866-858-0213).
First Published March 17, 2011 12:00 am
