Maple syrup festival at Indian Creek this weekend

CEDAR RAPIDS - Cindy Golding wants to clear up a few common misconceptions about maple syrup.

It's not only produced in the Northeast; it doesn't need any additives; and it isn't just for pancakes.

“Most people don't know what real maple tastes like,” says Golding, who owns Sweet Maple Farms with her husband, Joe, at their homestead, 7000 Tower Terrace Rd.

While baking, she uses pure maple syrup tapped from their trees instead of sugar. She also uses it in meat sauces, homemade pumpkin and apple butter and tea.

It all comes from the 200 sugar maples on their 40 acres.

“I had to send a sample (of syrup) to a guy in Vermont, because he didn't believe it came from Iowa,” she says.

What: 27th annual Maple Syrup Festival

Where: Indian Creek Nature Center, 6665 Otis Rd. SE, Cedar Rapids

When: 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Tickets: Advance tickets are $6.50 for adults and $3.50 for children ages 3 to 12; $7 for adults and $4 for children at the door

Information: (319) 362-0664

Golding's interest in pure maple syrup began almost 20 years ago when her husband took their children to the annual Maple Syrup Festival, planned again this year on Saturday and Sunday at Indian Creek Nature Center, 6665 Otis Rd. SE.

With the tips he learned at the nature center, Joe Golding decided to tap a few maple trees on their farm.

“He bought the taps and a book and said, ‘here you go honey, have fun,” she says.

In 1991 the Goldings tapped five trees, making syrup for themselves and as gifts. Five trees became 10 and word spread about their “liquid gold” - a term often used for light pure maple syrup. Now, they tap about 100 trees each season and sell maple syrup based on its grade or color.

Sugar and black maples are the best sources of sap, according to the Forestry Extension of Iowa State University Extension. Silver and box elder maples can also be tapped, but the volume of the final product will not be as high.

Indian Creek primarily taps silver maples. Sugar maples are planted as the older box elder maples die, says Jean Wiedenheft, the nature center's land steward.

The maple syrup season has a narrow window - temperatures need to be above freezing during daytime hours and below freezing overnight for optimum sap flow.

This winter's consistently colder temperatures should result in an abundant sap volume, says Margaret Wolter, program specialist at the nature center.

Usually there is a big thaw in January, which causes trees to lose sap, she explains.

“This year is good because we haven't lost any sap,” she says.

Last week when Indian Creek volunteer Mary Taylor of Cedar Rapids drilled a spigot into a sweet maple facing the sun, she excitedly exclaimed, “Hey, there's sap in there already.”

Indian Creek's sugarhouse is run by volunteer sugar master, Fred Balster, 80, of Cedar Rapids.

A lot of sap is needed to make maple syrup.

Balster estimates 200 to 250 maple trees at the nature center are tapped each year.

“On a good running day, we can get 3 gallons out of one tree,” sugar master Balster says.

Because sap has a high-water content, the majority of the water has to be boiled down to bring out the maple syrup taste. It can take as much as 30 to 50 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup.

Due to the amount of time and cost it takes to produce pure maple syrup, processed syrup - like the kind found in most grocery store aisles - only contains a small amount of it.

“A gallon of maple syrup costs $80 while a gallon of corn syrup costs $3,” Golding says.

Pure maple sugar consists only of boiled-down sap. Unlike processed syrup loaded with high fructose corn syrup, pure maple syrup is rich in nutrients and minerals like manganese, zinc and calcium.

“We don't put anything in it like brown sugar or Karo (corn syrup),” Balster says.

Golding, who also cans vegetables from her garden and fruit and berries from her trees, takes comfort knowing where her food comes from and what exactly is in it.

“We never went back to Aunt Jemima,” Golding says.

MAPLE-GLAZED CHICKEN WINGS

Makes 4 to 6 appetizer servings1 small onion, chopped1/2 cup pure maple syrup5 tablespoons chili sauce2 tablespoons cider vinegar1 tablespoon prepared mustard1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce2 1/2 pounds chicken wings (about 18)Combine the onion, maple syrup, chili sauce, vinegar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce in a shallow dish.Add the chicken wings to the dish, turn to coat and marinate for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator, keeping them covered and turning occasionally. (The wings can be marinated for up to 2 days).Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the wings in a shallow baking pan so they are not touching one another. Discard remaining marinade.Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden and crispy; turn the wings every 5 minutes to make sure they are browned evenly.

MAPLE BREAD

Makes 4 to 6 servings3/4 cup pure maple syrup1 tablespoon butter, softened4 thick slices bread, without crusts1/2 cup chopped walnuts, pecans or raisins1 teaspoon lemon juice2 cups milk2 eggs1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon vanilla extractPour the maple syrup in the top of a double broiler. Butter each slice of bread, then cube. Add bread to the syrup, along with the nuts and lemon juice.In a medium-sized bowl, beat the milk, eggs, salt and vanilla and pour over the bread mixture. Do not stir, but press the bread down with a fork so that it is thoroughly moistened.Set over gently boiling water and cook, uncovered, for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until a knife inserted into the top of the pudding comes out clean. Add more boiling water to bottom pan as needed.The pudding makes its own sauce; spoon it over each serving.

ICED-MAPLE ESPRESSO SHAKE

Makes 2 servings3 ice cubes3/4 cup cold, brewed espresso or other strong coffee1/2 cup milk1/4 cup pure maple syrup1/2 pint vanilla ice cream1 tablespoon coffee liqueur, optionalChill two big glasses in the freezer. Put the ice cubes inside a folded tea towel and crush them, just a little, with a hammer.Combine the crushed ice, espresso, milk, maple syrup, ice cream and liqueur, if desired, in a blender. Process briefly until smooth, but with a slight slushy texture. Pour into frosted mugs.

MAPLE-GLAZED CHICKEN WINGS

Makes 4 to 6 appetizer servings

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

5 tablespoons chili sauce

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 1/2 pounds chicken wings (about 18)

Combine the onion, maple syrup, chili sauce, vinegar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce in a shallow dish.

Add the chicken wings to the dish, turn to coat and marinate for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator, keeping them covered and turning occasionally. (The wings can be marinated for up to 2 days).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the wings in a shallow baking pan so they are not touching one another. Discard remaining marinade.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden and crispy; turn the wings every 5 minutes to make sure they are browned evenly.

MAPLE BREAD

Makes 4 to 6 servings

3/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon butter, softened

4 thick slices bread, without crusts

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, pecans or raisins

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 cups milk

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pour the maple syrup in the top of a double broiler. Butter each slice of bread, then cube. Add bread to the syrup, along with the nuts and lemon juice.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the milk, eggs, salt and vanilla and pour over the bread mixture. Do not stir, but press the bread down with a fork so that it is thoroughly moistened.

Set over gently boiling water and cook, uncovered, for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until a knife inserted into the top of the pudding comes out clean. Add more boiling water to bottom pan as needed.

The pudding makes its own sauce; spoon it over each serving.

ICED-MAPLE ESPRESSO SHAKE

Makes 2 servings

3 ice cubes

3/4 cup cold, brewed espresso or other strong coffee

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 pint vanilla ice cream

1 tablespoon coffee liqueur, optional

Chill two big glasses in the freezer. Put the ice cubes inside a folded tea towel and crush them, just a little, with a hammer.

Combine the crushed ice, espresso, milk, maple syrup, ice cream and liqueur, if desired, in a blender. Process briefly until smooth, but with a slight slushy texture. Pour into frosted mugs.

Recipes from “Maple Syrup Cookbook” by Ken Haedrich