I come from a pancake family. By that I mean that pancakes were (and still are in my house) the celebratory food of choice for major events: birthdays, family visits, holidays, etc. My grandparents had a few homemade recipes to choose from (even buckwheat pancakes that had to sit overnight in the fridge), but the other part of the pancake ritual was the syrup.
Not just any syrup...THE sirup. My grandparents lived in central Illinois and bought their sirup from Funks Grove in Shirley, IL. Founded in 1824 by Isaac Funk, a future member of the Illinois Senate and a friend and supporter of Abraham Lincoln, the property is located near what eventually became Route 66 in that part of Illinois. Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup (spelled with an "i" on purpose) has a fascinating history and the best sirup ever. Of course, it's about the only sirup I've had, unless you count that other stuff I have to have when I'm at IHOP or Denny's or some other pancake serving place. I order 2-3 gallons of it each summer and carefully ration it all year long.
Thus my dilemma...I got behind on my paperwork and when I sent in my order, there wasn't any left. Mind you, it was not a good year for sirup in Shirley, IL, and so production was down as well. So now I must humbly ask if anyone knows of a local CT maple syrup producer that I could try. While I cannot claim to be a New Englander, all three of my children can, and I'm sort of hoping to try out a more local option that they could remember visiting and getting syrup from. No offense to Vermont Maple Syrup producers, but I find that option to be too sweet and heavy. So, I will attempt to get over my sirup snobbery at least for the next little while if anyone can point me in the right direction. I'm happy to let you know how it goes!
P.S. I'm also looking for honey, but not the clear runny kind you buy at the store. I'm looking for the solid, cloudy stuff you have to scoop with a spoon. That's another childhood memory I'm chasing...
9 comments:
I must think you've not had Fancy Light Amber grade Vermont Maple Syrup. It's not as you describe your experience with Vermont syrup. That sounds more like the medium or dark amber which lacks the subtlety of Light Amber. Hard to come by though as most Vermonters sell it to restaurants and suppliers out of Vermont where they can demand a higher price.
Perhaps it's not the origins of the syrup that is important to you but the taste which varies greatly by grade. I prefer "B" grade which has a much stronger maple flavor than "A" grade (or it's sub-grades). I don't think it really matters who produced it. Grading is grading. Much like butter. AA is AA whether it's name brand or store brand. For what it's worth.
on the drive towards Miller's Pond there is a house in Durham that has a posted sign with phone number to call to get some of the syrup they produce from the land right there. Earlier this year I saw all the taps and hoses situated in the trees which you can see just when driving by. Its on the right side when heading towards the pond, and I believe it is on Haddam Quarter Road (might be Foothills Rd or Millbrook - not 100% sure). I don't think that you could get any more local than that.
How about a shopping opportunity on Main Street at the New England Emporium? Or to Lyman's?
Bee-people, let's hear about the various forms of honey! I have seen the spreadable honey in the Stop and Shop...
Windy Hill Farm next door to Country Flower Farm in Middlefield has great honey. I've heard that consuming local honey can help with allergies.
I was just in the health food grocery store in Old Saybrook (Main Stree) and in the back of the store they have a display of honey including at least two types of spreadable honey products. However, I don't recall if they were locally produced.
We enjoy the Hebron Maple Syrup festival every year. It is around Feb / March and a great place to purchase syrup as well as to see it being made
I run the North End Farmers Market and Paoletto Farms (http://www.paolettofarms.com/)will be at our market on August 13th. They sell really thick honey (sort of crystallized, and really good), thinner honey, and other honey-based body products. We're trying to get a maple syrup (sirup!?) person, too, so check the eye for updates. I always post a "what's happening this week" post here to let you know who the guest vendors of the week are.
Good luck!
Rick's Sugar Shack has great syrup. Local guy, very kind. East Haddham maybe? Google him. And I too think grade B is the way to go.
For honey, try the Savannah Bee Company (online). They're amazing.
Thanks, everyone. I had to skip out to Chicago for the last week, but I appreciate your suggestions and I will get busy tracking them down!
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