Liquid Gold

This is the time of year that many of us locals look forward to for a couple of reasons.  First, the end of winter is at least on the horizon, although that means that skiing and shredding is coming to a close for another year.  Most importantly, the beginning of March brings us to Sugaring season.  The below freezing nights and warm spring days brings the deep forests and farmlands alive with  farmers and the like hoping to cash in on natures bounty of Maple Syrup.


The long process to the finished product begins by collecting the sap produced by the Sugar Maple tree.  The individual sap buckets have given way to more commercial ways of collecting sap by pipelines to a holding tank.  The sap (about 2% sugar) is then transported to the sap house where it is boiled and the excess water evaporates leaving the caramelized sugars.


The weekend of March 22-23 brings us to the annual Maple Sugar Open House at many local sap houses.  There are festivities for kids, tours of sap houses producing maple syrup, and complimentary samples of maple syrup, maple cream and candy.

If you find yourself passing The Dorset Inn, be sure to stop and enjoy a short stack of pancakes or French Toast with Pure Vermont Maple Syrup and a side of Wallingford Locker Bacon.  You'll be glad you did!