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It’s Maple Sugar Time!

March 19th, 2013 · No Comments · Books, Children, City Library, Local History, Main Branch, NH Room, Teens, West Branch

Most of us think about the sweet syrup or candy when we hear the words “maple syrup.’

There is a lot of history behind the sweet confection we eat today.

Maple trees were discovered by the early Northeastern Indians, the Micmacs and Iroquois, and introduced to early European explorers.  It is probably one of the few  “treats” eaten by our forefathers and still enjoyed today.  Not much has changed in production except for a few inventions to make the gathering and cooking of the sap a little easier. It is still a pure product without any preservatives.

If you are interested in the history, location of sugar houses open for demonstrations, or the annual Maple Weekend which is March 23-24 this year, look at the N. H. Maple Producers website, www.mapleproducers.com. There are other interesting maple sugaring sites on the Internet, too.

You will also find many books about maple sugaring at the library.  Some of our favorites are:

Gabbert, Lisa.  Maple Sugar Festivals: Tapping For Syrup.  (Children’s Room)

Haedrich, Ken.  The Maple Syrup Baking and Dessert Cookbook. (NH Room)

Lasky, Kathyrn.  Sugaring Time.  (NH Room)

Lassonde, Barbara Mills.  Maple Sugaring in New Hampshire.  (NH Room and Circulation Depts.)

Metcalf, Rosamond S.  The Sugar Maple.   (NH Room, West, Circulation)

Nearing, Helen.  The Maple Sugar Book, with Remarks on Pioneering as a Way of Living in the Twentieth Century.  (NH Room and Circulation)

Perrin, Noel.  Amateur Sugar Maker.  (NH Room and Circulation)

Smithyman, Kathryn.  Native North American Foods and Recipes.  (Children’s Room)

Wittstock, Laura Waterman.  Ininatig’s Gift of Sugar: Traditional Nature Sugarmaking.  (Children’s Room)


The warm days and cool nights are great for syrup production.  Check out a book from the library, visit a sugar house, try some pancakes with syrup, or delicious maple candy and enjoy the short maple season.

Cynthia O’Neil   3/07/2013

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