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The art and science of maple syrup, and stories from the people who make it
Maple Sugaring gives readers an intimate look at the art and science of America's favorite sweet. These stories, told by real-life sugarmakers, reveal how this ancient industry has continued into the twenty-first century. Thanks to the newest technology, and patience, New England sugarmakers are still keeping it real. A former maple sugarmaker and board member of the Maple Syrup Producers' Association of Connecticut, David Leff takes us on a journey into the very heart of New England's character. Along the way he talks with the sugar gurus, who share their expertise, insights, and anecdotes about their experiences in the business. What makes maple sugaring such a beloved tradition? Is it marketing savvy, family tradition, or something deeper—and harder to tap? This book is for anyone with a sweet tooth who is curious about the science, or who simply enjoys a good story. Maple Sugaring is full of wisdom, quirky characters, and recipes.
Prologue
Maple Passion Time
Space and the Special Theory of Maple Relativity
The Joys of Drudgery
The End of Maple?
Hot Rocks and Bubbling Cauldrons
Yankee Ingenuity
The Miracle of Maples
One Taste and You're in the Snowy Woods
The Sweet Experience of Agratainment and Marketing
Family, Community, Tradition
Food for Thought
Hold Tight and Pray
Acknowledgements
DAVID K. LEFF is a former deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. He is the author of Hidden in Plain Sight: A Deep Traveler Explores Connecticut and other books. His essays have appeared in the Hartford Courant, Appalachia, Yankee, Canoe & Kayak, and The Encyclopedia of New England. He lives in Collinsville, Connecticut.
"Former Maple Sugar Producers' Association of Connecticut board member David K. Leff waxes poetic about drilling trees for sap, lugging hundreds of gallons back to his garage to boil down into a few drops of fresh maple syrup, and the raw chapped hands and broken back that resulted in his new book."
~New Haven Magazine
"From heartwarming family history to the latest trends in sugaring technology, from traditional recipes to new culinary trends, from reminding the reader of the healthy and natural significance of maple syrup to the sugarmaker's passion for this labor of love, Maple Sugaring cleverly captures what's best of this time-honored New England tradition. Clearly, David Leff shares our passion."
~Mike Girard, Girard's Sugarhouse, Heath, Massachusetts
"David Leff provides an excellent account of the maple industry and the incredible sugarmakers that bring us this all-natural sweetener every year. Anyone who loves pure maple syrup and the rural lifestyle of the northeast will greatly enjoy this book.""
~Michael Farrell, author of The Sugarmaker's Companion: An Integrated Approach to Producing Syrup from Maple, Birch, and Walnut Trees
""David's book includes an age old recipe for a maple cocktail which includes bourbon, maple syrup and fresh lemon juice which was the inspiration to bring Chris and David together.""
~Charity Folk, Simsbury Patch Bulletin Board
"David Leff dives into a vat of maple syrup and comes out with a brilliant book on sugaring. His practical know-how and reverence for the practice are matched only by his skill at depicting the kaleidoscopic interaction of character, place, science, and passion that has created the New England culture we know and love. Tree by tree, shack by shack, he builds a world and illustrates it from every angle. Like John McPhee before him, Leff has turned cultural investigation into an art.""
~Eric D. Lehman, author of A History of Connecticut Food
""Maple Sugaring takes readers into the forests and sugar shacks of New England. Filled with entertaining anecdotes, traditional knowledge and recipes, this book on one of America's favorite breakfast staples is as informative as it is poetic.""
~Tracey O'Shaughnessy, Waterbury Republican-American
""Leff's word pictures of people, places, and the community they make are well drawn. They should appeal not only to readers with an attraction to maple sugaring, but also to anyone interested in rural New England.""
~Vermont History
""Former Maple Sugar Producers' Association of Connecticut board member David K. Leff waxes poetic about drilling trees for sap, lugging hundreds of gallons back to his garage to boil down into a few drops of fresh maple syrup, and the raw chapped hands and broken back that resulted in his new book.""
~New Haven Magazine
""David Leff's engaging new book demonstrates that while Vermont remains the largest producer in the country, there are sugar makers everywhere the sugar maple grows. He not only brings a wealth of historical knowledge but also a great degree of enthusiasm to the subject Maple Sugaring is a lively and accessible general introduction to the subject.""
~Heather Munro Prescott, Connecticut History Review