Maple Sunday: A Maine Tradition
It’s delicious drizzled over a hot stack of pancakes or waffles, or in those little leaf-shaped candies. But where does that sweet, rich brown liquid come from?
Each year on the fourth Sunday of March, you can get up close and personal with the folks who make your favorite breakfast topping — maple syrup. At the annual Maple Sunday event, close to a hundred sugarhouses throughout the state of Maine open their doors to the public for live syrup making demonstrations, free samples, tours, and even hayrides and other fun activities for the family.
Photo by Sarah Katzenell
On Maple Sunday, you can witness sap being drawn from trees, watch 40 gallons of tree sap boil down into one gallon of syrup, and sample some freshly made syrup over pancakes or ice cream. You can even stock up on delicious treats to take home, including maple-spiced nuts or maple-flavored cotton candy, and of course, bottles of pure Maine maple syrup straight from the source. Make sure to get there early, though — word travels fast.
These are just a few of the best sugarhouses to check out at next year’s Maple Sunday festivities:
Bob’s Sugarhouse, near Bangor, offers a feast of maple-flavored goodies — baked beans, cider, and ice cream or fried dough covered in syrup. At their retail store, Bob’s carries bottles of maple syrup, maple walnut fudge, maple popcorn, and maple BBQ sauce, as well as a variety of other unique products. If you miss out on Maple Sunday, you can still stop in — Bob’s is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 to 5. If you can’t make it to the shop at all, don’t worry — Bob’s also sells a variety of products online through their website, www.mainemaplesyrup.com.
252 East Main Street
Dover-Foxcroft, Maine 04426
(207) 564-2145
bob@mainemaplesyrup.com
Just down the road, Breakneck Ridge Farm also sells maple syrup as well as another unique specialty — farm-raised buffalo meat. They offer syrup boiling demonstrations, maple tea, and other delectable treats. While you’re there, stop by the chuck wagon for lunch for their delicious buffalo burgers or chili. In July, Breakneck Ridge also welcomes visitors for Open Farm Day, where you can see their herd of fifty buffalos and take a hayride across the beautiful property. Their buffalo meats, syrups, and other specialty products are also sold online at www.breakneckridgefarm.com.
160 Mountain Road
Blanchard Twp, ME 04406
(207) 997-3922
In Southern Maine’s beautiful Sebago Lakes Region, Cooper’s Maple Products provides all day fun and excitement for the family, with syrup making demonstrations, a special pancake breakfast, and acres of farmland with miniature horses, peacocks, and ostriches. Don’t wear your best shoes, though — you’re bound to get muddy on the dirt road up to the farm.
1 Chute Road
Windham, ME
207-892-7276
Nearby, Grandpa Joe’s Sugar House is a traditional farm that’s been family-owned since 1916. Make sure to stop by for the delicious BBQ lunch, and bring your own unique dish made with maple syrup for the special Maple Sunday Cookoff.
03 Murch Road
Baldwin, ME
207-787-3300
Looking for something really unique? Travel back in time to Augusta’s Old Fort Western, a beautifully preserved historic landmark from 1754, where you can watch 18th-century style demonstrations of maple tapping, then sample delicious syrup over cornbread or fresh-fallen snow, like they did in the old days. The history buff in your family will also love the walking tour through the Fort. Old Fort Western offers many special events in addition to Maple Sunday — check their website, www.oldfortwestern.org, for more details.
6 Cony Street
Augusta, ME
(207) 626-2385
This is just a small sampling of some of Maine’s finest syrup makers who open their doors on Maple Sunday — to find a sugarhouse closer to you, check out this list from Maine Food & Farms.
You may have missed your chance for this year, but it’s never too early to plan for the future. Many of these sugarhouses are also open to visitors at other times of the year — call or check their websites for details. The crowds will be a lot smaller, and you can still buy a beautiful glass bottle of maple syrup to bring home. So when you think about maple syrup, don’t even think about the supermarket brands — when you’re in Maine, you’re never far from the source.
Written by Kathy Hawkins on April 18, 2007
Filed Under Maine, Events
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