March Is Maple Month, Let’s Celebrate!

March is maple month, I learned this the other day when I went to a local restaurant and saw everything from Maple Sundaes to Maple Salmon on the menu. And they are not alone there are many places and events on hand this month to celebrate with your family.Now apart from being quite yummy, many nutritional site says it has a multitude of antioxidants. They also will tell you how it doesn't raise your blood sugar as much as regular sugar, which if you are watching your glycemic index that is better.

Now all that said, we really love the amber sweetener because it tastes good, which brings me to Maple Sunday which is always the 4th Sunday in March.   During the month of March many local producers or Sugar Shacks will have open houses so you can watch trees being tapped and sap being boiled down to pancake readiness.

If you want to get the party started a little earlier:

• Curran Homestead at 372 Fields Pond Road in Orrington will be hosting on Sat., March 18, 10-2, Sugaring Off Event and Irish Celebration at Fields Pond. This family friendly annual event will include hands-on participation in tapping a tree, collecting sap buckets , and boiling sap down to amber colored syrup. The sap has been running since Feb. 23, so we hope to have some syrup on hand to sample. Our sugar house will have a wood burning evaporator going full tilt In the Curran farmhouse kitchen we will have much food for purchase including choices flavored with maple syrup as well as Irish stew and soda bread in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. We plan on a horse drawn sled or carriage depending on snow conditions; this will be $5 per ride. We will have an EGG HUNT with prizes for all entrees.

Maine Maple Producer's map shows some of the local places to take the family on Maple Sunday:

Need more enticement? Check this out.