March is traditionally maple syrup time. Canada, where I live, produces almost 85% of the world’s maple syrup. Few places on earth experience the warm days and freezing nights required to make the sap run — or drip, to be more precise. Once collected, it takes a whopping 40 gallons of clear, watery sap to produce a single gallon of golden maple syrup. And to get those 40 gallons you need to tap 4 mature maple trees, each at least 30 years old, for 6 straight weeks. Boiling the sap down takes more time and lots of heat, either outdoors or in a dedicated sap house. The first time my friend tried to make maple syrup, she did it in her kitchen. It produced so much steam it brought the ceiling down.
SHADES OF MAPLE
To reduce confusion and fraud, maple syrup labels have been revised to follow international standards. “Canada No.1”, “Fancy” and “Grade B” are now given a grade and colour. Here’s the revised label system:
Grade A Golden, Delicate Taste: The lightest in colour and flavour, this syrup is ideal for maple candy, ice cream and sugar.
Grade A Amber, Rich Taste: This delivers the classic maple sweetness you expect on pancakes and breakfast food.
Grade A Dark, Robust Taste: With its deep colour and pronounced flavour, this syrup is perfect for baking, or for those who want more intense maple flavour on their waffles.
Grade A Very Dark, Strong Taste: This dark, syrup can be overpowering. Save this hard-to-find grade for baking or cooking with meats and other strongly flavoured dishes.
Is your maple Syrup Real?
While real maple syrup will display a grade and colour, many corn- and cane-based syrups come in similar bottles and sit beside the real McCoy on the grocery store shelf. If the label says “pancake syrup”, “table syrup”, or even “maple-flavoured syrup”, it’s not real maple syrup. Before you buy, check the ingredient list. Real maple syrup will have one ingredient and one ingredient only – maple syrup.
Storing Maple Syrup
Unopened, maple syrup can keep in the cupboard for a year. Once opened, refrigerate maple syrup to extend its shelf-life another year. – if it lasts that long. If you have more syrup than you can consume right away, transfer small quantities into sterilized glass mason jars and freeze, leaving a good inch of headroom for expansion. The syrup won’t freeze solid, but it will keep indefinitely.
These carrots are easy enough for a weeknight meal but tasty enough to serve company.
Scale
Ingredients
3 cups (750 mL) baby carrots* 1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil
Generous grinding black pepper
Generous pinch fine sea salt 1 tablespoon (15 mL) butter 2 tablespoons (30 mL) maple syrup** 1/2 cup (125 mL) roughly chopped walnuts 1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped cilantro or parsley, optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F (220). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
In a large bowl, toss the carrots with the oil, pepper, and salt. Spread in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast 10 minutes.
In the meantime, bring the butter and maple syrup to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the walnuts and cook until syrup returns to the boil. Drizzle over the carrots, stirring to distribute evenly.
Continue roasting until carrots are tender-crisp, about 15 more minutes.
Serve hot sprinkled with chopped cilantro or parsley, if using.
Notes
*If you don’t have baby carrots, use regular carrots that have been peeled, quartered and cut in 2-inch lengths.
**You can like, substitute pecans for the walnuts.
If you like, you can add slivered red onions to the carrots.
Keywords: carrots, maple syrup, walnuts
A version of this article originally appeared in Grand Magazine.
