I love fresh Maine maple syrup. It ads a hint of sweetness to pancakes, tea, breads and candy… oh my, the candy! And have you ever tried using maple syrup as a meat rub? If you haven’t, you are missing out!

Maple syrup is one of the many things that Aroostook County is proud to produce. Our maple syrup producers take great pride into putting their own personal touch on a delicacy made from the sap of a maple tree. Most of the sap is collected the old fashioned way - with buckets hung from trees and boiled down over a large wood fire - which sounds like the best laboratory on earth! It’s this process and years of crafting the perfect recipe, which makes our maple syrup stand out among the rest.

One of our favorite early spring activities is Maine Maple Sunday. On the fourth Sunday of March, Aroostook County celebrates the season by offering free samples of maple syrup made from a variety of sugarhouses. Not only will you be able to try free samples of this “sugary sand” but a variety of farms offer demonstrations and sugarbush tours on how to make pure maple syrup from hundreds of maple trees. As a child, I remember playing games with my friends, devouring sugary treats and dancing to the wonderful live music echoing from the local farms, until my legs were too tired to stand! And the food – oh my, there was so much food! Food you would never think of putting maple syrup in, but actually made it a hundred times better: baked bean with maple syrup, hot dogs steamed in sap, and homemade maple BBQ sauce. For dessert, there would be a variety of maple syrup lollipops, maple coated nuts, and maple ice cream samples!

My favorite part of the Maine Maple Sunday events were the pancake breakfasts… stacks and stacks of pancakes that seemed to never end. I remember smothering homemade maple syrup, and putting on a little extra more to celebrate the special weekend. If you plan on going to the breakfast, which you should, remember to go early! The lines can be pretty long in The County since everyone looks forward to this event every year.

Don’t forget to come out next weekend and enjoy one of the many great things that Aroostook County has to offer. We promise that you will have an experience that is truly unforgettable.