Reflections from the Ah­nish­i­nah­bæó^t­jib­way (We, the People)

MAPLE SUGAR

Boil down pure maple syrup in a heavy kettle until it starts to foam, then add a small amount (1 tsp. Per gallon of syrup) of home-rendered fat (pork or venison) or ghee [or coconut oil] as an anti-foam agent and to aid in crystallization.  Continue boiling until all of the water has been boiled out of it.  In order to determine when this point is reached, we thoroughly wet a finger and let a drop of the molten, boiling sugar drip onto it and transfer this drop into our mouth (making sure the tongue is thoroughly coated with saliva first).  If the drop forms a soft blob on the tongue and sticks to the back of the teeth, it is time to remove the kettle from the heat.

     Place the kettle on a stable, heat-proof surface.  (We use a piece of plywood on the floor to get better leverage for stirring.)  With a strong, long-handled wooden spoon, begin stirring it as it cools and stir continuously.  If the syrup has cooked long enough, it will begin to crystallize into maple sugar after about 15 minutes of stirring, or as the sugar reaches room temperature.  If it doesn’t crystallize, put it back on the stove, cook it some more, and try again.

Continue stirring, using the wooden spoon to work out any lumps that form, until the sugar has cooled down to room temperature and resembles brown sugar in texture and consistency.

Store maple sugar in pint-size containers in the freezer, taking out a pint at a time for use.  It will “keep” about a month or two in the cupboard.  [Maple sugar stored in birchbark mokuks will last all year.]

Note: Maple sugar is best made from sap runs early in the season.  In fact, it is often impossible to convert syrup to sugar from late-season sap.  Also, the best “fool-proof” way to succeed, is to apprentice yourself with someone who has experience making maple sugar.  It’s a specific and delicate process, and even the experts fail from time to time.

MAPLE STRAWBERRY SHAKE

            3 cups frozen strawberries (or raspberries)

            1 pint half-and-half 1,2

            ½ cup maple syrup

Pour berries, still frozen, into blender, if necessary whacking the freezer-bag with a rolling pin to separate the fruit; loosely filling the blender approximately up to the three-cup mark.

Cover, plus an inch, with half-and-half, and add about ½ cup of maple syrup.  Blend until it reaches a thick milkshake consistency.  Encourage the shake into serving glasses with a spatula, and enjoy.

        The actual amount required is slightly less than a pint.
        Those allergic to milk may wish to use either fruit juice or Rice Dream; or partially defrost the strawberries and make the shake with strawberries and maple syrup only.

MAPLE CUSTARD TREAT

            1 pint half-and-half

            2 eggs

            ½ cup maple syrup

            ½ tsp. vanilla extract

            pinch of nutmeg

Break eggs into a bowl and beat until smooth.  Add all other ingredients except nutmeg and mix thoroughly.

Pour into a lightly buttered baking dish, dust with reserved nutmeg, and bake at about 250-300°F until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Another variation: Pour the mixture into an uncooked pie shell which has been brushed with egg white and allowe dto dry; then put into a pre-heated 425°F oven, turning the oven down immediately or after five minutes depending on the heat-retention qualities of the oven, and cooking until the inserted knife comes out clean.

Cool, and garnish with maple-berry dessert sauce and/or whipped cream.

MAPLE-BERRY DESSERT SAUCE

1½ cups frozen non-domesticated berries,
preferably raspberries or blueberries

            Water

¼ - ½ cup maple sugar, or to taste

About 2 tsp. Corn starch or other
thickening agent

Put the frozen berries in a saucepan, and cover the bottom of the pan with a small amount of water.  Cover and cook over very low heat, checking to make sure that there is enough liquid so that it will not burn, and cook until the fruit is done.  Add maple sugar to taste, and continue cooking until dissolved.

Mix corn starch or other thickening agent in water, and, stirring the hot mixture, add the thickener a little bit at a time.  When the sauce has almost reached the desired consistency, stop adding the thickener, as the mixture will continue thickening upon cooling.

Cool, and enjoy over custard, custard pie, ice creams, waffles, or other treat.

MAPLE WHIPPED CREAM

            1 pint whipping cream, chilled

            1 tsp. Glycerine-based extract of vanilla

            Scant ¼ cup maple sugar

Chill bowl and beaters.  Beat whipping cream until it forms soft peaks; add vanilla and ample sugar, and continue beating until whipped to the desired consistency (but stop before the cream turns into butter).

 

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