Back when we lived high up in the Vermont hills, one of the first signs of Spring was the chorus of spring peepers in March. The jingle-like sound of their mating calls echoed up from the marsh a mile below us. Another sign was snow pulling back from the base of the trees, as radiant heat from sunlight was absorbed by the bark and radiated back into the surrounding snow. On warmer days I could imagine the sap stirring in the roots and flowing upward into the trunk.
Driving on nearby Green Mountain Turnpike (really just a dirt road), I knew Spring had truly arrived when I saw the first plumes of white smoke from the chimney of Mitch’s Maples, telling me the boiling of raw sap into delicious maple syrup had begun.
Maple finds its way into all kinds of dishes; this is one of my favorites:
Vermont Maple-Fried Apples and Dried Tart Cherries
- 2 Tbs. butter
- 6-7 apples cut into slices—not too thin (I like Honeycrisp)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. granulated white or maple sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup, (I suggest Grade A Very Dark–used to be called Grade B)
- 1/4 tsp. each nutmeg, ginger, and
cinnamon - 1/3 cup tart dried cherries or raisins
Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add apples and salt and cook for about 3 minutes until well coated with butter. Lower heat and stir in maple syrup. Cover and cook for about another 3 minutes.
Mix together the spices and sugar and sprinkle over the cooked apples to coat. Add dried cherries or raisins and stir. Cook the mixture uncovered until the apples start to soften, about 8 minutes depending on the kind of apples you use.
Enjoy on pancakes, French toast, or over pound cake.
