Maple Info: Lots of Ideas for Using Lots of Syrup

Several years ago I visited a certain European country where maple syrup was not part of the national menu (the country was Macedonia, but I'm not going to point fingers). Our hosts admitted that, while they appreciated visits from Vermonters, they'd also filled a kitchen cabinet with bottles of unused maple syrup. They couldn't believe how many pancakes Vermonters must eat to go through as much maple syrup as we apparently consumed.

Well. It's not about the pancakes (although they're delicious, along with waffles, crepes, and French toast).

I started to list all the places where I regularly use maple syrup. It was long. No one took notes. Today, on the eve of Maple Open House Weekend, I'm reviving that list for a simple reason: I don't want anyone to worry that they won't find a use for all the syrup they acquire while touring Vermont's sugarhouses. Or, if you're well aware of how to go through gallons of syrup, this list may come in handy for people to whom you're giving maple syrup gifts - in foreign countries or closer to home. Here we go:

And that's just the list of regular maple syrup use in my kitchen, not the fancy stuff like Jicama, Orange and Grape Salad (again from Ken Haedrich) or the extravagant Baked Vermont dessert that takes a Baked Alaska concept to a new place (from Gesine Bullock-Prado, her site is so beautiful, just go and browse). And that's only the syrup - that doesn't include maple sugar, maple cream, maple candies or any of the other maple specialty products I have on hand, which include hot sauce, ice cream, pork spice rub, maple-pepper, maple-filled truffles, and multiple maple spirits. If I really looked, I'd probably find more.  

The conclusion here: you will never run out of uses for maple syrup. And, frankly, my stocks are getting low, it's time to do something about that. . .

Helen Labun Jordan writes about food, agriculture, and other topics from Montpelier, VT. Want more ideas about touring Vermont sugar houses? Check out her article on maple and the taste of place from the Spring 2011 issue of Vermont's Local Banquet.