Elmira maple syrup festival guide 2016

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WELCOME TO ELMIRA Downtown Elmira packs in quite a crowd. When the weather cooperates festival organizers can expect up to 70,000 visitors.

Welcome to the festival ............................................................ 3 Taste the tradition ....................................................................... 5 DIY maple syrup backyard collection ................................ 9 Top maple syrup competition ............................................... 12 2016 EMSF collectible toy introduced ............................. 16

FESTIVAL MAP

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PAGES 18-19

Professional maple syrup tasting ............................................ 21 Making this year’s season official ............................................ 25 Gourmet maple syrup recipes .................................................. 29 New government policies for producers ............................. 34 Did You Know?................................................................................. 35

2 | 2016 MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL

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2016 MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL | 3 WELCOME / FROM THE CHAIRPERSON

A WARM WOOLWICH WELCOME Elmira Maple Syrup Festival chairperson Drew McGovern, along with Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz and Elmira BIA representative Chad Nicholls, await your arrival on festival day!

Welcome to the 52nd Elmira Maple Syrup Festival.

I hope you all have a fun day and brought your appetite with you as we have lots for you to see and eat. We have sugar bush tours, we have many indoor shows and of course our wacky pancake flipping competition.

You have to visit our outdoor mall with over 150 vendors selling crafts and food. Please keep your appetite for our own pancakes and sausage served all day.

We didn’t become the world’s largest maple syrup festival without the support of many people.

Our committee of 25 people meets

throughout the year and on festival day 2,000 additional volunteers help us with this huge event.

We have to thank all the service groups, churches, and of course Woolwich Township and the BIA for helping us host this festival which is attended by approximately 65,000 visitors.

Experience all that makes the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival a tradition. It is a community event, a fundraiser, and a proud part of our heritage.

Come Taste the Tradition. Saturday, April 2.

Drew McGovern EMSF Chairperson

4 | 2016 MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL

On behalf of Council and Staff at the Township of Woolwich ...

Welcome to the 52nd Elmira Maple Syrup Festival.

Enjoy your day in Elmira.

Sandy Shantz Mayor

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TASTE THE TRADITION! TAP INTO THE LONG LIST OF ACTIVITIES AT THE ELMIRA MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL Perhaps feeling a bit stir crazy after being stuck inside after a long, hard winter – truly applicable this year – you’re eager to get out and enjoy the fact that it’s spring. That desire to be out, mingle with the crowd and stretch your legs is a prime reason so many people have festival day circled on their calendars.

The day offers up a leisurely way to get some fresh air while taking in the sights and sounds of Elmira’s transformation into the world’s largest one-day maple syrup festival. Two other senses – smell and taste – are also front and center: what’s a visit without a savoury treat? There are pancakes and a host of other mapleladen goodies, of course, but the vendors on the mall and over at the arena offer up a wide assort-

ment, with many people returning year after year in search of their favourites.

“It’s like a celebration of spring.

People are just dying to get outside,” says Drew McGovern, the chair of the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival.

Having served on the organizing committee for the better part of 20 years, he knows that many people have made the festival a rite of spring. Keeping true to five decades of tradition is paramount.

Once you’ve found your parking spot and made your way downtown, what exactly is there to do and see at this year’s maple syrup festival?

The most important thing of course and the whole raison d’etre MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR FEST | 7

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of the festival is to enjoy some of that sweet, sticky liquid, which will be dispensed throughout the pedestrian mall running the length of Arthur Street from Church Street to the cenotaph.

The main area to enjoy it though will be at the pancake booth, available on Wyatt Street as of 7 a.m.

Volunteers will ladle out some 900 kilograms of pancake mix – using a secret festival recipe – onto their griddles, and then invite you to smother them with Waterloo Region’s finest maple syrup.

If you think you can do a better job flipping the flapjacks, the pancake flipping contest might be for you. It will get underway at the WMC at 11 a.m. and carries on until a winner has been decided.

Unusual substitutes for your garden-variety spatula get extra points in this relay event.

While you’re at Lions Hall, no time is too early to start shopping for toys – the toy show and sale

runs throughout the day and this year features a new collectible: a 1916 Studebaker pickup.

If you want to see real animals in the flesh, move on over to the horse barn off of the Arthur Street mall, where Old MacDonald’s Farm features your typical animals as well as a hay maze for those willing to take it on. Downtown is also where you can try your hand at sawing a log, taste some old-fashioned taffy and visit a Mobile Sugar Shack. The gazebo will be the place for checking out some live music throughout the day.

With so much going on and so much to see, you may need a little break – the Zion Mennonite Fellowship right on Arthur Street offers up The Resting Place, where you can take a load off for a while.

If seeing Old Order Mennonites in person is more your style, hourly tours of rural Woolwich Township will be offered throughout the day, as will tours of sugar bushes – home to the sweet liquid that brought you here in the first place.

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ADDING TO THE FLAVOUR OF YOUR MAPLE FEST EXPERIENCE The Elmira Maple Syrup Festival Committee has a few new tricks up its sleeves this year.

Along with the staples of the festival, like the pancake tent and sugar bush tours, there will a new location for the renamed craft show, a country musician performing, and red sap pails for sale.

They also held a maple syrup competition for the first time, bringing in judges from the Royal Winter Fair to test syrup from local producers. The winner was announced as Maple Tap Farm at the first tap ceremony and gets the title of producer of the year.

“The very south spot of the mall which is right by South Street usually that’s what we call our headquarters where all the wagons unload, the very first vendor is usually a coffee guy. He’s not coming back. We’re now going to give the producer of the year that spot. Basically when people get off the wagons he’s the first vendor they see, or before they get back on the wagons he might be the last vendor they see,” said festival chair FESTIVAL EVENTS | 11

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FESTIVAL EVENTS: Plenty to see, plenty to do, plenty good family fun CONTINUED FROM | 9

Drew McGovern.

McGovern says the decision to not have the craft show at the high school anymore was for a number of reasons.

“There was a strike with the school board in the fall and we couldn’t book the gym. And then once we looked at it we decided it didn’t have too many visitors.

The one thing that they had at the craft show was we call the quilting ladies and we want to keep that, so what we’re doing this year at the WMC,” McGovern said.

They’ve renamed it the Mennonite Quilting Demonstration and Sale. They’ll be set up at the WMC quilting and with items available to buy. McGovern thinks this will be a better location since many events are already happening at the WMC, like the pancake mile, pancake flipping contest, and various animal shows.

“We think this could be a nice attraction. I think people come to the festival, they want to see Mennonites,” McGovern said.

A new addition to the festival, country singer Tianna Woods will

be performing twice at the WMC in the afternoon.

Larry and Holly Morrell Lesperance, Scott Morlock, and Kevin Carrol from the ‘Cowboy Up’ band and The James Downham Band will also perform at the Gore Park bandstand.

McGovern says they try to add a few new things each year and depending on how well received they are they decide to continue them.

The most visual addition to the festival this year are the red sap pails. They’re selling them for $10 as a fundraiser and to give folks a chance to tap any maple trees in their yard.

“These are just for townspeople that have a maple tree and they want to show their kids how maple syrup is made. We thought it was kind of a cool idea. We actually got a local manufacturer to make us red ones. He’s never ever, ever made red pails before, but red is our colour. We put this package together, our own backyard kit. And another gentleman did the big stickers. We’re using local manufacturers, the Mennonite community for these pails,” McGovern said.

Arc Industries assembled the pails free of charge.

They’ll be for sale at the festival in different locations, and you can find them in various businesses around Elmira leading up to the festival, such as the Bank of Montreal, the township office, the WMC, and Waters & Hastings.

“I know a couple of people in town have already called me and said hey the sap pail’s full of sap and the kids think this is pretty cool,” McGovern said.

“And who knows, maybe if people think it’s a great idea, next year maybe we’ll make some more. We’ll see how it works.”

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FESTIVAL ADDS EXPERT SYRUP-TASTING CONTEST TO ITS REPERTOIRE where the mayor and councillors would taste a few samples and then decide the winner, without any real syrup knowledge to go off of.

“I’ll be honest, to me maple syrup all kind of tastes the same.

It’s sweet. Mayor [Sandy] Shantz decided there was a lot of work involved in getting this together and she was quite happy to dump it. So she called me and asked the festival if we would like to take it over. And we jumped at the

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After testing a dozen different maple syrups at the first maple syrup competition for the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival, judges Bev Campbell and Don Giffen chose a clear winner – Maple Tap Farm.

Piggybacking off of the mayor’s pancake breakfast where traditionally the mayor chooses a favourite syrup, organizers turned it into a real contest this year.

Festival chair Drew McGovern says it used to be a low-key event

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COMPETITIVE SPIRIT: Regional producers put their best syrup forward; one winner declared FROM | 12

chance because well maple syrup festival, maple syrup competition, I couldn’t think of a better match.

We decided to take it one step further. We said well, if we’re going to do a competition let’s do it right,” McGovern said.

The Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association recommended the two judges who visited Elmira for a day of taste testing. They’re both judges at the Royal Winter Fair, so they know their stuff.

The OMSPA gave the festival

committee a list of all the local producers who are members of the producers association. Of those 82 producers, 12 submitted samples to be judged.

“For the first year we were quite happy with the response. We think it’s going to be 25 or 30 next year, once the word gets out what’s involved in it,” McGovern said.

The first test for the syrup was the Brix level, which is the sugar content. The judges placed two drops of syrup on a special meter, closed it, and within seconds it

gave the Brix level.

“Syrup is 66 per cent sugar, that’s pretty sweet. Syrup producers know where the Brix level should be to make maple syrup.

They were actually checking to make sure that they were in that range. The second one, they were checking the colour. There are different grades. You’ve got a golden syrup, an amber syrup, a dark syrup,” McGovern said.

Then they checked the clarity.

Good maple syrup is clear because nothing is added to it. And

the final judging criteria was the taste test.

“We all got involved in it. There were five of us there and we all had these little cups of syrup, tasting them and every one I tasted, ‘you know what, it tasted like maple syrup,’” McGovern laughs.

“But the two judges, they were actually picking them apart. And they were saying ‘that’s got a little burnt taste to it,’ ‘that’s got a little kick to it.’ I’ve seen less activity in a scotch tasting. We found it fasBEST SYRUP | 15

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AND THE WINNING MAPLE SYRUP PRODUCER IS ...

The Elmira Maple Syrup Festival unveiled the winner of their new maple syrup competition to be Maple Tap Farm from New Dundee.

“Along with the producers we got a list of names and we got 12 samples in and brought in two judges, professional maple syrup judges. That is actually a thing. We spent the greater part of Wednesday going through all the samples,” said festival chair Drew McGovern.

Part of the prize is they’re going to supply the syrup for the festival, which is approximately 160 gallons.

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festival, worth about $8,000, plus a booth FROM | 13

cinating and we were thrilled they both agreed on the same one.”

They ate dill pickles and sour cream and onion chips between taste tests to clear their palates.

“We sat for the afternoon drinking little cups of maple syrup and eating dill pickles. I still hadn’t a clue what I was doing, but it was fun,” McGovern said.

The bottles had their labels removed so the judges didn’t know which producers made which syrups.

The winning farm gets the festival’s syrup order, which is roughly 160 gallons.

“Usually syrup is around $45 or $50, so we’re talking $7,000, $8,000

worth. For most producers they would be quite happy getting an order like that,” McGovern said.

All the entrants to the competition received feedback from the judges on how to improve their syrup.

“The other 11 people they are actually a sponsor of the festival because they gave us a gallon of syrup to enter the competition. So the gallon they gave us we’re actually going to serve it at the pancake tent. We’re actually going to give them the opportunity to put special stickers on their bottles showing they’re a sponsor of the 2016 festival,” McGovern added.

“It’s just going to get bigger and better.”

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16 | 2016 MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL COLLECTIBLE / LIMITED EDITION SOUVENIR

THIS YEAR’S COLLECTIBLE IS A 1916 STUDEBAKER PICKUP TRUCK For 30 years running, the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival organizers want visitors and sap enthusiasts to take home a souvenir – a collectible toy car.

This year’s limited-edition toy is a 1916 Studebaker pickup truck, decked out in Canada’s colours.

“It is red, with a white top, and a white cover with a big maple leaf on it. It has silver wheels and black fenders,” said toy show organizer Doug McLean. “The reason we picked this one was because it was 100 years old. We are in 2016, and this was produced as a real vehicle in 1916.”

McLean says that choosing this year’s car wasn’t easy. With 29 years of picking cars behind him, there aren’t many options left.

Not to mention, model car makers aren’t manufacturing many new templates for the collectible toy industry.

“We have been doing this for 30 years, and you use up a lot of car designs over that period of time,” he said. “It is a little bit of elimination. We always hope for the company to come out with a

This year’s toy collectible is the 1916 Studebaker pickup truck, available at the toy show.

brand new model, and we would have liked to get on that, but there were no new models this year.”

The collectible Studebaker is just a taste of the many different kinds of toys that are going to be on display at the annual toy show, running alongside the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival.

The show runs at the Lions Hall in Elmira on the evening of Apr. 1 and all day during the festival’s main events on Apr. 2.

“It will be a good show,” said McLean. “There is going to be a substantial variety (of toys). You can come and see just about whatever it is you are interested in.”

There are only around 250 of the cars made for the festival, so get there early.

The collectible model pick-up is going to be available for sale for $45, all taxes included, at the festival headquarters, or after the weekend’s events by visiting www.elmiramaplesyrup.com.

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2016 MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL | 17 SWEET CELEBRATION / MAPLE WEEKEND

PROVINCE READY TO CELEBRATE MAPLE WEEKEND IN APRIL The second annual Maple Weekend kicks off across Ontario from April 2-3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hosted by the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association, the intention is to introduce people to local maple syrup producers and their pride and joy - syrup. Local sugar bushes involved include Snyder Heritage Farms in Bloomingdale and Winding Road Maple in Elmira. You can visit www.mapleweekend.ca for a full list of local sugar producers in your area and the activities they have on tap.

18 | 2016 MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL

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FESTIVAL MAP 2016 1 Devour Our Pancakes Starts at 7 a.m. Pancakes with maple syrup.

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2 Shop the Mall & Eat up!

Craft booths, vendors serving an assortment of goodies: apple fritters, baked goods, BBQ turkey legs and home-style meals.

Run a quarter mile – eat a pancake – and repeat! 9 - 11 a.m. Held on outdoor track.

Alternate location is the indoor track.

3 Old-Fashioned Maple Toffee Demonstration Maple Syrup boiled over an open fire & poured over packed snow. Yum! $1/sample.

The pooches of “Four Paws Flying” perform their Dog Sport Variety Show. (30 min. show) Show times: 8:30 a.m. & 1:45 p.m.

4 Sugarbush Tour Venture to a local working sugar bush by bus to experience how maple syrup is made. Not wheelchair accessible, see ticket booth for accessible directions. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. $5.50/adult, $3.50/child 3-12, 2 & under free.

5

First Aid Wagons

6 Breast Feeding Comfort Zone (8am - 3pm)

7

Local Bands at the Gazebo Larry and Holly Morrell Lesperance, Scott Morlock, and Kevin Carrole from the ‘Cowboy Up’ band, The James Downham band. Times posted at location.

Toy Show & Sale Toys of the past & present featured at Lion’s Hall.

Purchase the official Limited Edition Maple Syrup Bank. Friday 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. $3, Saturday 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. $2/adult, 12 & under free.

Maple Syrup Display See what makes a winning maple syrup.

Located in main lobby of the WMC.

Dog Show

Pancake Flipping Contest

Watch this wacky pancake-themed relay at the arena. Competition starts at 10 a.m. until noon.

8 Mobile Sugar Shack Can’t make it to the Sugar Bush on Festival Day? Then join the Waterloo Wellington Maple Syrup Producers at their miniature Sugar Shack and Evaporator in the Family Area.

9 Resting Place Zion Mennonite, 47 Arthur Street. 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

10 Mennonite Movies Two short films: Who are the Mennonites & Mennonites of Ontario will be playing in the Farmer’s Plus boardroom. Enter off Church St. 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m. & 3 p.m.

Birds of Prey Show

11 Saw a Log Souvenir Join the Venturer Scouts of the 1st Elmira Scout Group to test your sawing skills. Take your branded slice home as a souvenir! $2.

Got Magic Tour

12 Old MacDonald’s Farm See the animals, explore the straw maze and climb on the tractor in the buggy shed by the pancake tent. 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., $0.50 adult/child.

Country Music Concert

13 Go for a Pony Ride Tots can take a ride around the ring on ponies that are just their size! Rides are $5 per ride.

See large raptors and watch the hawks fly over the stands. Show times: 9:15 a.m., 12 p.m., & 2:15 p.m. (45 min. show) Young magicians perform illusions, escapes & close-up card tricks in a fun 1 hour show in the Community Room. Shows at Noon & 3 p.m.

Tianna Woods performs at 1 & 3 p.m.

Dance Show

Enjoy a variety of styles at the dance show by Encore Dance Studio. Show time: 3:45 p.m.

7 Antiques & Collectibles Show Discover antique treasures from vendors.

Friday 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., Saturday 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., $3 adult, 12 & under free.

14 Train From Waterloo Three round trips to Elmira on Festival Day (not wheelchair accessible). Visit www.steam-train.org for details and tickets.

15 Interactive Outside WMC “Knight School,” balloon artist, face-painting & even fire juggling.

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2016 MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL | 21 PRO VERDICT / CREAM OF THE CROP

THERE’S AN ART TO JUDGING SYRUP “All maple syrup is not created equal,” says maple syrup density judge Bev Campbell.

Campbell, who helps judge maple syrup density at the Royal Winter Fair, was one of two judges at this year’s Elmira Maple Syrup Festival maple syrup competition.

Choosing a winning syrup involves much more than a simple taste test.

“Maple syrup is like wine. You can never find that same bottle of wine twice and the flavour of maple syrup is affected by region, soil, weather conditions and genetics of trees,” Campbell said.

The flavour of maple syrup significantly varies from producer to producer, between various production systems, from year to year with a single producer, and even with specific woodlots.

Maple syrup is judged on density, clarity, colouring, and flavour.

For density, it has to be between 66-68.5 Brix in sugar density. He says the most pleasing to the palate is between 66.9-67.1. A slightly higher density creates a more sugary syrup with a bit more thickness.

“The next issue that we deal with is clarity and all we’re doing is looking for impurities, possibly sugar sand that might sit in the bottom of the bottle and that’s just a process, how it’s TASTING | 22

Assessing the quality of maple syrup involves many factors, much like wine

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been filtered,” Campbell explains.

Syrup producers typically use either gravity or pressure filtering systems. Pressure filtering systems will be able to get any sugar sands – or niters – out. To test the clarity judges hold bottles of syrup up to the light or a window to look for anything in the syrup.

“From there we are looking at flavour and flavour is really the challenge of what is the final aspect of judging of syrup. We find that in many cases the producer is trying to make the best syrup that they have, but sometimes through no fault of theirs they may have some challenges with flavours due to one, their operations of how they’re processing it or two, the challenge of using improper methods or not doing best practices methods in the process,” Campbell said.

Numerous off flavours can deter from an otherwise good syrup.

Some of them include detergents, chemicals, or a musty smell.

These can be the result of improperly washed bottles or not using quality processing equipment.

When filters have been stored from one year to the next and not

thrown away there can be a musty smell to the syrup. This also can happen if filters are washed in a washing machine instead of just in straight hot water because of the residual detergent in the washing machine.

A “buddy” flavour happens when a producer collects sap from a tree at the end of the season when trees are budding.

“It is very strong, it tastes like a bitter chocolate. What causes that is the syrup producer may be trying to gather that last little bit of a run to make his quota or trying to squeeze out some sap or it has also, possibly the sap has started to ferment or go bad. It gives it a sickening sweet flavour and it can be similar to a honey sometimes,” Campbell said.

Being free of all of those off flavours is what makes a great maple syrup.

“That would be the biggest factor in judging maple syrup is finding out the flavour. In the competition in Elmira we had two really good flavoured maple syrups. They both were very close to each other but one was just a little bit better than the other one,” Campbell said.

2016 MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL | 23

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Last year’s warm temperatures, for instance, led to a very short season. Prolonged mild spells may produce lower grade syrup.

By mid-March this year, things were much better. But there’s no guarantee from day to day.

“We need some colder weather.

We’re OK as long as we get a slow transition from winter into spring – hopefully we don’t get too warm too fast.

The more ideal the conditions, the better the syrup, say some producers, especially those who’ve been at it a while. They really like a good cold snap.

There’s merit in that belief, says Leuty, but a mild winter is no reason to throw away the sap pail.

“With the technology they have now, the filtration and evaporations techniques, they can get some pretty darn nice quality out of some average sap.”

The bottom line, however, is that we have to wait until after the sap stops flowing to assess what kind of year it’s been.

“We don’t really know until it’s done.”

Snyder Av

Determining what kind of sap season an area can expect is a little like looking into a crystal ball.

Sometimes it looks like it’s building up to a really good season and all of a sudden the temperature warms up way too fast and it stays warm – you end up with a very poor season, notes Todd Leuty, an agriforestry specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food.

Predicting how and when the sap will run for farmers is part science, part fortune telling.

The season can start off with good intentions. A string of sub-zero temperatures at night followed by warm winter highs around plus eight degrees Celsius can make for a decent season.

Four or five days like that in a row and you can get good sap flows, he notes. That basically sets up the maple tree to produce at pretty much an optimum rate.

Of course, Mother Nature doesn’t always provide optimum conditions, so in recent years production has been up and down.

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2016 MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL | 25 SO IT BEGINS / MAKING IT OFFICIAL

FIRST TAP MORE THAN CEREMONIAL THIS YEAR It’s been a record year for local maple syrup producers.

Terry Hoover, president of the Waterloo Wellington Maple Syrup Producers, said the first they had ever boiled sap was March 1, but this year it was Feb. 28.

Roughly 100 people gathered for the first official tap of the season at Shady Grove Maple Farm in Breslau on Feb. 26, where there was plenty of that sweet stuff to go around, along with the traditional pancakes and sausages, of course.

“I think we only had 50-60 last year. It was a great turnout and on top of that the sap actually ran.

That was way cool,” Hoover said.

As everyone gathered around a large tree in front of the house bundled in winter coats and mittens, local politicians chipped in with their best wishes before helping with the ceremonial first tap.

“It’s great to be here today and CEREMONIAL TAPPING | 27

26 | 2016 MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL

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we’re always excited for the first tapping,” said Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz. “Coming here I was thinking Kitchener-Waterloo gets to end the season with Oktoberfest, but we get to start it with the tree tapping. I wish you all the best over the next few weeks and I hope the weather cooperates.”

Regional Chair Ken Seiling noted the importance of maple syrup to the local agriculture and that when we think of farming we shouldn’t only recognize livestock and crops.

Hoover welcomed the crowd to the maple syrup farm.

“I’m a little surprised. I thought with a group of politicians it’d be a lot warmer,” Hoover joked. “But at least it’s not minus-20 and it’s a gorgeous sunny day.”

He noted they should be calling this year’s first tap the last tap because it’s so early that most producers have already finished tapping. That’s not to say it’s going to be a shorter season, it just started sooner.

Dan Goetz, owner of Shady

Grove and host of this year’s tap, greeted everyone as well. He’ll also host the tap next year because the first tap switches locations every two years.

“It’s a special time of year for us producers. Welcome to the farm.

We’ll go down and have pancakes after the tapping and a little fellowship and away we go. Let’s have at it,” Goetz said.

Hoover says this year’s maple season is off to a great start. They had a run at the beginning of February, but that was just too early to tap. He says on Feb. 28 with a beautiful 10 degrees the sap was flowing all the way until 4 a.m.

“We had a bumper run. We get about three of them a year. So we’ve already had one, which is great. We were boiling all day [Monday] just to get caught up,” Hoover said.

He says this is the earliest start to the season he’s ever seen. And as for the quality of the syrup, it will be excellent as per usual.

“I mean it’s Ontario syrup. The quality is always the best. It’s better than anywhere in the world.

Enjoy your day at the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival!

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2016 MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL | 29 COOKING WITH MAPLE SYRUP / BY CHEF DIERRE ACHESON

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For more tasty recipes using local ingredients check out our blog at www.neverenoughthyme.ca.

Happy cooking!

PECAN BUTTER TART CHEESECAKE Crust On your drive into the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival you will be thinking of fluffy pancakes, fritters, and anything you can dream of kissed with fresh maple syrup.

The trees are tapped and the sap is flowing. Our first batch arrived today and it is light and sweet.

There’s something to be said for knowing the people who produce your food. Buying local gives us the privilege of crafted cheese from Monforte Dairy, meats from Wellesley Gourmet, coffee from Eco Café in St. Jacobs. The owners of these little gems give their all to make memorable experi-

ences that keep us coming back for more. All within a half-hour drive from Elmira.

Never Enough Thyme creates events and corporate deliveries with the same ingredients in a creative tasty way. Maple syrup is a big part of the ingredient list.

Fred, Judy and Joel Martin and Murray Reist of West Montrose Maple Products work tirelessly this time of year to get fresh maple syrup to us. We are always considering other ways to use the sweet stuff. Another local ingredient for us is the big flavour of Block 3 beers and ales. We use the

beer in breads and most recently our brisket braised in their Maple Sugarbush Brew!

As a chef, finding these ingredients allows us to create new recipes and find another source of inspiration for menus, events and the next article. Sharing and creating recipes is a passion for myself and our readers to enjoy. It also keeps our little shop interesting and special. Someone said last week they felt like they had discovered a little gem. As a shop owner I could not help but feel proud.

We are so fortunate to have

24 gingersnap cookies 1/3 cup butter, melted 1/3 cup sugar 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Cream cheese layer

32 oz of cream cheese softened 1 cup maple syrup 4 eggs 1 Tbsp. vanilla 1/2 cup 35% cream

Butter tart layer 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup butter 1 egg 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 cup maple syrup

This recipe can be made in muffin tins with cupcake liners or a RECIPES | 30

30 | 2016 MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL M.S.G., Gluten, Lactose and Nitrate Free Products.

RECIPES: Not mom’s french toast recipe FROM | 29

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In food processor, pulse the ginger snaps to a crumb, stir in melted butter and sugar pulse until combined, add pecans and pulse once more.

Press evenly into a spring-form pan. Bake in oven at 325 F for approximately 10 minutes, pull from oven and cool.

Using a mixer with paddle attachment, beat softened cream cheese and scrape bowl occasionally to keep the cheese together.

Once all the cheese is whipped, add the syrup and eggs, one at a time. Beat the mix until the egg is incorporated and add another egg. Add vanilla and cream and mix until it is just combined.

Pour the filling into the ginger snap-lined pan and bake in the middle of the oven at 325 F for 45 minutes.

For butter tart topping, cream together the butter and brown sugar, add the egg and vanilla and whip until smooth and combined.

Slowly whip in the maple syrup.

Pour butter tart mix on top of the cheese cake, garnish with pecans and place back in oven for

approximately 20 minutes. Bake until firm. Allow the cheesecake to cool and place in fridge.

SAVOURY STUFFED FRENCH TOAST 1 loaf maple oat bread 1/3 cup milk 3 eggs 2 sprigs thyme, chopped Salt and pepper 6 slices peameal bacon Monforte cow cheddar 1 apple, sliced

Sear peameal in hot pan to cook on both sides.

Cut maple oat loaf into 1-1/2inch slices.

Whisk together milk, eggs, thyme, salt and pepper. Place pan on medium heat, drizzle oil in pan. Place the maple oat bread into the egg mix, pull out immediRECIPES | 31

2016 MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL | 31

RECIPES: Local maple brew masterpiece FROM | 30

ately and place into the pan.

Cook in pan until golden brown and the egg is cooked.

Once cooked place hot peameal on top of French toast, add slices of your favourite apple (mine is Red Prince).

Top with sliced Monforte cow cheddar, then add another slice of French toast.

Slice the sandwich in half and serve with Elmira’s maple syrup.

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32 | 2016 MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL

Just a budding start-up on festival day in 1996, The Observer now has deep roots in the communities we’re proud to serve. That’s why every year at this time we savour the taste of the success that all boils down to our many readers.

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VOLUME 21

COMMENT PAGE 6

THE MO UNTING COSTS OF MORE EXTREM E WEAT HER

Verdict in Cowan tr ia expected l on June 15 Prosecu tor says

• Born & Raised in Elmira Grand daughter Levi & Melinda of Shantz Supporting Communit for 20 years. y

•

m

•

| 2016

| ISSUE

09

KINGS WR REGULA AP UP R SEASON ON TO , PLAYOF FS

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THAT TIME

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double billing no acciden t in closing argumen ts against former Woolwic h mayor WHITNE Y NEILSON

IT’LL BE NEARLY SUMMER Cowan will before Todd tice Mich find out his fate after Jusael Epste in date for a decision reserved a June 15 on charg and breac es of fraud h Mild win Woolwich of trust against ter saw former mayor Todd wrapped the flowing Cowan. up closin The trial in Februa sap g argum morning ents in a Kitch ry, with produc ener court Monday On the fourt ers alre Woolwich Mayor room. h and final ady boi Feb. 29, Sandy Shantz it down day of trial [WHITNEY NEILSON prosecutor and maple syrup ling / THE OBSERVER] to maple Jennifer reminded producer Terry Caski the Hoover watch syrup Cowan falsifi judge of the docu e as regional Chair ments ed, which WHITNE Ken Seiling prepare claiming the defen Y NEILSON s the bucket was inadv se is for the first official ertent.

“The evide stuff to THE MAPL go aroun tap of the season nce is damn E SYRUP said. d, along traditional last week at just begu SEASON ing,” Caski with the Shady Grove n and it’s has pancakes e Maple sunn Charges sages alrea cord and Farm in Breslau y , day.” dy a reyear. of cours sauof fraud . e. under $5,00 breach of He noted “I think “The first trust were 0 and we they shou we ever members laid berfest, ing this year. It was only had 50-60 March 1 ld boile be but of the Ontar a year ago after year’s first calld was and this we get to last lice Antithe tree tap becau tap the last year io Provincial on top of a great turnout start it Feb. 28.

Racke tapping. and se Other guys it’ll be that the PoI wish you with claims Cowa ts Branch inves the best sap actua most produ it’s so early that ran. That on Feb. over all tigated lly 10. It’s just boiled back n had billed was way $2,700 in and I hope the next few week ished tappi cers have alrea cool,” Hoov said. one of those years for more than expenses dy finthe weath ng. That’ s everybody er to both the and Regio ates.” it’s going er coopers not to about,” As every n township say to said Terry to talk one gathe the doub of Waterloo. He it just starte be a shorter seaso a large tree Regional Hoover, dent of red aroun paid back le reimb the presi n, d in front d ursements issue was noted the Chair Ken Seilin bundled of the hous Maple SyrupWaterloo Wellington Local politi sooner. once the brought g impo in winter coats e cians chipp rtance of Producers. to light he was respo syrup to with their mittens, Roughly maple ed in and the Hoover nsible from and admitted best wishe 100 peop that when local agricultur welcomed helping crowd to s before for the first the outse le gathe e and with the we think the the mapl red t. ceremonial we shou tap. e syrup son at Shad official tap of the “I’m ldn’t only of farming farm. first sea- thoug a little surpr y Grove recognize stock and ised. I TRIAL | in Bresl “It’s great ht with livecrops.

2 au last FridaMaple Farm a group we’re alway to be here today ticians it’d Dan Goet there was y, where of poliand s excited be a lot plenty of Grove and z, owner of Shad tapping warmer,” Hoover that swee ,” said Wool for the first joked. “But y host of t this year’ tap, greet Sandy Shan not minu wich Mayo at least s ed every it’s s-20 and one as well.

He’ll also was think tz. “Coming here r it’s a gorge host the ing Kitch I ous because tap next gets to end ener-Wate the first year rloo the seaso tap switc n with Okto hes -

WHERE T

NOT A S IRES ARE A SPE CIALTY, IDELINE .

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- Truck - Indu strial - Law n&

35 Howar d Ave.,

ELMIRA

FIRST TAP

Garden On The

, ON | 519

Sweet.

SPORTS PAGE 14

Thank you for our first twenty years.

And the many more ahead.

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2016 MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL | 33 MIXOLOGY / BY MIKE MCLEAN

MAPLE SYRUP KEY TO THE CANADIAN OLD FASHIONED Maple syrup has been making its way into a variety of products, especially those with a particularly Canadian bent. That trend applies to spirits, including Canadian whisky. Of course, you can also apply a little do-it-yourself to the creation of a beverage suitable for this time of year.

The showcase of this recipe is the balance between the maple syrup and the spicy rye. The cherry bitters and aroma of cinnamon make this a truly Canadian cocktail.

I’ve literally made thousands of this recipe over the past two years and it’s very popular – not to mention easy enough for people to make at home.

CANADIAN OLD FASHIONED 2oz (60mL) Canadian Club 100% rye whisky 0.5oz (15mL) maple syrup 2 dashes cherry bitters (I prefer Dillon’s DSB Bitters)

Stir all ingredients with ice for approximately 30 seconds.

SERVING THE COMMUNITY FOR OVER 30 YEARS

Strain into a rocks glass with one large ice cube or square.

Garnish with a cinnamon stick rubbed around inside rim of glass.

Think of it as something a little different for the adults, a break from all the other maple treats that make up the menu the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival is famous for.

Cheers!

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The rulebook has changed for maple syrup producers this year. According to the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association, it’s about time.

After lobbying governments for more than a decade, some of the numerous changes to maple syrup legislation requested by Ontario producers are finally in place, including amendments to grading maple syrup and packaging rules.

Ray Bonenberg is a past-president and current media representative for the OMSPA, says the group has been lobbying for changes for 11 years, and says he has one word to describe the change in legislation.

“Finally.”

The changes came into effect on Jan. 1, and Bonenberg, who has his own sugar bush operation in Pembroke, says it brings the maple syrup industry up to par with the rest of the food industry by adding words to describe the taste onto the different levels of colour. There were five categories for maple syrup, but now, there

are four. He hopes the new system will also boost sales of the sickly sweet syrup.

“It simplifies things, but it’s optional. The golden colour has a taste descriptor of delicate. The next colour is called amber, and it is described as rich (and so on). It is what we have been pushing for,” he said. “Most of the other food industries have gone that way.

Cheese goes from mild to strong, beer goes from light to rich and full-bodied. People love it. It is a marketing tool and it is helpful to

the consumer to understand what they are getting.”

While the changes aren’t everything Bonenberg and other Ontario producers had hoped for, he says now, instead of continuing the fight for government regulations, it is time to focus on getting the syrup to consumers so everyone can enjoy the sticky delicious treat on their waffles or in their everyday recipes.

“We didn’t get everything we wanted in the regulations, and we have expressed our concern, but the horse is out of the barn.

The legislation is done. We have fought that fight,” he said. “We suggested nine changes, they made four. We’ll make the best of it. We are focusing on marketing and working with OMAFRA.” Other changes include the ability to package syrup products in smaller containers, mandatory batch codes on syrup sold to the public to allow tracing of product and required food grade equipment to prevent lead contamination from old buckets and pans.

2016 MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL | 35 SWEET INFORMATION / FACTS ON SAP

DID YOU KNOW? In an average year, each taphole will produce about 10 gallons of maple sap, which is enough for about one quart of pure maple syrup.

It takes about 40 gallons of maple sap to make one gallon of maple syrup.

A maple tree needs to be about 40 years old before it will be large enough to tap for syrup production.

The boiling point of maple syrup is 219 degrees Fahrenheit, or seven degrees above the boiling point of water.

While the sugaring season may last six to 10 weeks, most of the sap will be collected in 10 or fewer days.

While there are seven species of maple trees in Ontario, only two species — sugar maple and black maple — are important in maple syrup production.

Sap flowing in high volumes is called a “run.”

Inspiration Starts Here

Maple syrup is boiled even further to produce maple cream, sugar, and candy.

The removal of sap doesn’t harm the tree as long as the number of taps is limited and the tree is healthy.

When European settlers came to Canada about 300 years ago, they found the aboriginal people were making a crude, dark sugar from the sap of maple trees.

Historically, sap was collected using buckets. However, in most modern maple operations, buckets have been replaced with a system of plastic tubing.

The freezing action during the winter months and spring nights allows maple trees to produce a large quantity of carbon dioxide gas. It is this gas that forces the sap to flow upward inside the tree during the warming cycle of the day. The sap moves along a pressure gradient from a zone of relatively high pressure to a zone of lower pressure.

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