A trip out to Snyder
Heritage Farms during Syrup Season
On Saturday I spoke
with Kevin Snyder from Snyder Heritage Farms about getting a frozen turkey and seeing
their maple syrup operation. He invited
me out that day telling me that the sap flow may to be nearing its end.
When I arrived that
afternoon I had trouble locating the sugar house because I didn’t see any
building that was producing tons of smoke and steam. Eventually I spotted a tractor with a huge
stainless steel tank attached to it next to a building with a chimney emitting
a bit of steam, and figured that must be it.
When I got over to the building Kevin spotted me and invited me in. I didn’t really know what to expect but was
very impressed with what I saw.
The Snyder’s boiler
is a beautiful piece of equipment. About
20 feet long, with one smoke stack and two steam stacks rising to the roof I
asked why so little steam and smoke were visible coming out of the
chimney. Kevin explained to me that this
was due to the extremely high efficiency of the boilers design. Although it’s burning firewood, it actually
achieves complete combustion thanks to the design which allows the smoke
leaving the initial fire to re-burn creating more heat. This means that the fumes leaving the smoke
stack are really just pure water and CO2, rather than a dark sooty
smoke that might be seen leaving a less
modern sugar shack. Thanks to the high
efficiency of the system the sugar house air was clean and comfortable to be
in, not thick and hot. It was clear that
the energy being consumed was going straight to the sap with very little of it
being wasted.
Another level of
efficiency is achieved even before the sap reaches the boiler, because first it
passes through a reverse osmosis system
increasing the sugar concentration of the sap from about 2% to 10%. The sap then needs to be boiled to drive off
more water and reach a concentration of close to 70% sugar, but considering
that the reverse osmosis system saves energy consumption by 50% or more it’s a
very important system to have.
In addition to their
maple trees, all the firewood used is also grown on the Snyder’s farm, making
their maple syrup a truly locally produced sweetener. In fact the same goes for the GMO-free feed
they give their turkeys—it’s all grown right on their farm.
Ideally there would
be a recipe here that features turkey and maple syrup all together, but I don’t
have one of those yet! The recipe that
follows is just our family’s favourite use of maple syrup!
½ cup local popcorn
2-3 tbsp. local oil
As much maple syrup and butter as you would put on your pancakes…
A dash of salt
Heat your oil over medium heat in a large pot and add the popcorn when
the oil is hot, briefly stirring to distribute the kernels and oil evenly, then
cover the pot. When the popcorn is done
popping turn off the heat and add the syrup and butter. Stir until the syrup and better have
disappeared, add a dash of salt, and allow to cool for a few minutes. Enjoy!
The more syrup you add the more it will caramelize, but I find that just
a little bit of syrup is how I like it best.
Maybe 2-3 tablespoons is enough for my taste. It adds a nice maple flavour with a subtle
sweetness, without creating too decadent of a snack.
This makes a great snack in school lunches, or in the car on road
trips. On one particular trip the maple
kettle corn we brought helped me make it through the night!
