My first crack at 2011 syrup

I took the dogs up to the sugarhouse this morning — the snow is still deep enough that it’s hard to find a good place for a long walk that doesn’t involve snowshoes.  We did a nice loop up through the sugarbush, on trails that Fraser and his tapping crew have packed down for us.  (A good time was had by all!)

On the way back, I stopped in to the sugarhouse and found Fraser getting things ready for another boiling session.  Sap is running, even though it’s not particularly sunny out today.    But Fraser estimates that he’s already made around 500 gallons, mostly Fancy and some Grade A.  He offered me one of the jars of syrup he’d canned straight from the evaporator (which he does so he’ll have something to give to friends who stop by.)  It is really beautiful stuff:

A jar of early syrup, next to a "sampler" set I was photographing

I had been trying to get a decent picture of a “sampler” — something we’re starting to offer on the website:  a small jug (3.4 oz) of each of the syrup grades we sell (Fancy, A and B) — so I set the Ball jar of syrup next to them, just to show off.  Pretty!