The making of maple syrup has changed considerably over the years.

The making of maple syrup has changed considerably over the years.

LISA L. BELL

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

A big bottle of maple syrup to pour over a giant stack of steaming pancakes is always a welcome sight on a cold winter morning.

According to Patti and Art Conser of Sweet Ridge Maple Farm in Columbiana, many people think that maple syrup comes out of the tree ready to pour. That is definitely not the case.

Running a maple syrup farm is not an easy task, even if you enjoy the bitter cold weather of Ohio winters. The hard work, long hours and unbearably extreme conditions are surely too much for most people’s liking.

Art Conser’s family has been making maple syrup for six generations. At the age of 10, he began helping his father, and he built his first sugar house as an agriculture project when he was in high school.

Although it is still a difficult job, the collection of sap and the process of making maple syrup have come a long way from the original spout and bucket method.

Every year the Consers begin during the coldest months of the year, usually starting in February and working through March tapping, hauling, boiling and bottling.

First the trees are tapped. Every year a new hole is drilled in a different spot on each tree and a line is run from tree to tree. A vacuum pump on the main lines is used to separate the sap from the air bubbles that are given off by the trees. Unlike the tap and bucket method, new equipment prevents snow and rainwater from getting into the sap, which is collected in stainless steel tanks.

“This works while I’m at work,” said Art, who is employed at Baird Bros. in Canfield.

Although he began with limited resources, Conser ended up with a full operation. He now has two woods (about 30 acres of leased woods), with 50-100 taps per acre, equaling about 1500 taps and 15 tanks. There are approximately 1-4 taps in each tree, depending on its size.

“Most of these trees were growing long before I was born,” said Conser, who is 60.

He explained that only the hard (sugar) maples are tapped because red and silver maples are soft and don’t give out as much or as good a quality of syrup. From February through March, the Consers spend a good majority of their time hauling sap.

Conser explained that to have a good season, there has got to be a lot of freezing and thawing so that the sap keeps moving through the lines.

“Timing is of the essence,” he said. “That’s a sure thing in this business.”

According to Conser, it takes about 50 gallons of sap to make about 1 gallon of syrup.

He explained that two years ago they hauled 27,500 gallons of syrup, and last year, about 20,000 gallons.

Once the trees are tapped, the sap is pumped and filtered. It is then hauled to the sugar house, filtered and run through a reverse osmosis machine. The hauling process takes about 2 hours round trip.

The concentrate is put into the feed tank, which feeds the evaporator, where it boils and it is drawn off as finished syrup.

“We can get rid of about three-quarters of the water before we start boiling,” said Conser. “The sap is crystal clear when it first comes out.”

It starts out at about 66 percent sugar (1.8 percent syrup). The boiling takes the water away and leaves the sugar in the pan, which then thickens and turns to syrup. Once it gets thick it has to be poured out. Once it reaches 7 degrees above the boiling point for water, it is done. It is then drawn off as finished syrup and filtered hot through a stainless steel system.

“We now have an automatic draw-off,” said Conser. “It’s just like having a person there at all times.

With the evaporator, the Consers can boil 300 gallons of syrup per hour.

“He’s got the front and I’m walking around checking everything,” said Patti.

Labeled “Pure Ohio Syrup,” the Consers’ syrup is sold at the IGA in Canfield; Sparkle’s in Cornersberg, Columbiana, and on Western Reserve Road in Boardman; Haus’ Cider Mill, Reesh’s Farm Market and Baird Bros. Saw Mill.

According to Conser, though syrup sales tend to fall a bit in the spring, they pick right back up in the fall.

Then by winter it’s time to start again.

Recipes Courtesy of Pattie Conser from “The Maple Syrup Cookbook,” by Ken Haedrich

Maple French Toast

2 eggs

2‚Ñ3 cup milk

1‚Ñ3 cup pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons cream

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon salt

Dash of nutmeg

8 slices of bread, crusts trimmed

Butter for greasing skillet

Warm pure maple syrup, fruit preserves, or lemon juice and confectioner’s sugar for topping

Beat the eggs until light. Whisk in the milk, maple syrup, cream, salt, and nutmeg to taste. Dip slices of bread in the egg mixture, one at a time, turning to coat both sides. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat, then butter it lightly. Cook the bread for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Keep warm. Repeat with remaining bread and batter. Serve with warm maple syrup.

Granola

4 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (cashews, pecans, or almonds)

1 cup raw (unroasted) sunflower seeds

1‚Ñ2 cup sesame seeds

1‚Ñ2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (available in health food stores)

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons pure maple syrup

6 tablespoons light-tasting vegetable oil, such as sunflower oil

1 cup chopped dried raisins or dates

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Toss the oats, nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, coconut, and salt to mix in a large bowl. Combine the maple syrup and oil in a saucepan; warm over low heat. Pour over the oat mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon, then roll up your sleeves and work the mixture with your hands until everything is moistened. Spread — no more than about 1‚Ñ2-inch thick — on baking sheets and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden. Cool thoroughly, and then stir in the raisins. Store in jars or plastic bags.

Sticky Buns

1‚Ñ2 cup finely chopped walnuts

1‚Ñ4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon cinnamon

1‚Ñ2 cup pure maple syrup

1‚Ñ2cup (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon cold butter

21‚Ñ4 cups unbleached or all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3‚Ñ4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together the walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside. In a small saucepan, bring the maple syrup and 4 tablespoons of the butter to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 30 seconds, then scrape into square baking pan or a 10-inch deep-dish pie pan. Set aside. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Toss to mix. Cut 4 tablespoons of the butter into 1‚Ñ2 -inch pieces, add to the flour mixture and add the milk. Stir gently, just until the mixture forms a damp, cohesive mass. If the dough seems a bit wet, work in a tad more flour with the back of a wooden spoon. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan. Turn the dough onto lightly floured surface and knead gently, five or six times. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into the best 9x12 inch rectangle you can manage; don’t worry if it isn’t perfect. Brush the surface with the melted butter. Cover the dough evenly with the brown sugar mixture, patting it gently with your hands. Starting at the 9-inch edge, roll up the dough like a carpet, pinching at the seam to seal. Cut into nine 1-inch slices and lay them flat in the syruped pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and invert onto a large plate; do this quickly, but carefully, being aware that the syrup is very hot. Oven mitts are a good precaution. Scrape any syrupy stuff from the pan and spread over the buns. Serve hot or warm.

Lacy Sweet Potato Patties

1 large sweet potato (about 1‚Ñ2 pound)

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

2 tablespoons heavy or light cream

1 tablespoon cornmeal

1‚Ñ2 cup minced ham or Canadian bacon

1 tablespoon minced onion

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt

Oil and butter for frying

Wash the sweet potato and remove any bad spots, then grate it into a bowl. Mix in the salt and set aside for 5 minutes. While that sits, beat the egg lightly in a large bowl, then whisk in the cream and cornmeal. Using your hands, squeeze the moisture out of the grated potato, then add the potato to the egg mixture. Stir in the ham, onion, and pepper and salt to taste. Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter, let it melt, then — using about 1‚Ñ4 cup of the patty mixture per pancake — spoon the mixture into the skillet; don’t crowd the pancakes. Spread and flatten the patties with a fork to a thickness of about 1‚Ñ4 inch. They should be no wider than your spatula. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side, flipping only once; they’ll be dark and crusty on the outside. Serve hot. The patties hold up for a little while in a hot oven, if you want to serve them all at once.

Recipes from Our Ohio

Grilled Maple Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin

1‚Ñ2 cup pure maple syrup

1‚Ñ2 cup prepared mustard

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Black peppercorns, cracked (optional)

Mix syrup, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in bowl. Marinate tenderloin in mixture for four hours. Grill over hot coals; turning frequently. Tenderloin will be done when it reaches 160 degrees internally.

Parsley and Maple Vinaigrette

2 medium shallots, minced

2 tablespoons minced garlic (optional)

1‚Ñ2 cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley

1 tablespoon sugar

1‚Ñ4 cup maple syrup

1‚Ñ4 cup Dijon mustard

1‚Ñ4 cup red wine vinegar

1‚Ñ4 cup white balsamic vinegar

21‚Ñ2 cup salad oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine minced shallots, parsley and garlic (optional) in food processor or blender with mustard and sugar. With machine running, add vinegars, followed by maple syrup. Continue with the machine on; add salad oil in slow stream. Season to taste. Oddly enough, this is probably the most important step and tough to explain. It all depends on the types of salt and pepper you choose to use and your own palate. Start with about 1‚Ñ2 teaspoon salt and about 1‚Ñ4 teaspoon pepper or a few turns of the pepper mill. Mix this into the vinaigrette and taste by dipping a piece of lettuce into the vinaigrette. Continue to add a little salt and then taste until all the flavors are in balance.

Recipe submitted by Martha Balint