Thanks go out this month to the brigade that prepared dinner at the VFW on Sunday February 26, 2006. Led by chef Brad Yearwood the team of Jan Streeter, Judy Keltz, Mary Lynn Vickers, Christine Coffee, Don Antinore and pastry chef James Newman did a wonderful job of presenting a very well received dinner. It started with a chicken consommé followed by baby greens with citrus and candied walnuts vinaigrette. The entrée was prime rib of beef with baked stuffed potato and baby carrots.

While we did not get the attendance we were hoping for we got some very good press coverage. The members of VFW Post 307 were very pleased with our work.

This month we will again be trying something a little different. In place of our usual meeting we will be heading to Livingston County for buckwheat pancakes and fresh maple syrup. The chapter members and guests will assemble at the RIT Inn and Conference Center, the former Marriott Thruway, at 4:30 on Tuesday, March 28. According to plan we should arrive for dinner at 6:00 and be back to Rochester by 9:00 pm.

It is the desire of your board of directors to do more events of this nature. As program chair Van Laughlin is looking into a wine tasting tour, a baseball game and soccer at the new Paetec Park. He has also started talks with the Food and Wine School in Canandaigua about our chapter taking a tour later this year. It is our hope that these opportunities are what will bring our members together in larger numbers than have been attending.

We want to continue our effort to help the Veterans of Rochester through fund raising dinners. If YOU want to help organize the next dinner the position of chef de cuisine is available. We are looking for nice, tasty food. We want to make a profit we can share with the VFW. In addition to being a good thing to do it is one of the steps on the way to chapter chef of the year and fellowship in the American Academy of Chefs. When I have someone to fill that position we will confirm a date at the VFW and ask the rest of the members to step up and help out.

Since this month's meeting is about Maple Syrup here is a little of what I have learned on the Subject. The state reports that in 2005, New York State's 1,485 maple syrup producers made more than 222,000 gallons of syrup. Only two other states, Vermont and Maine, produced more syrup. Canada is the largest maple syrup producing country in the world. It tales almost one and a half millions to produce that amount of syrup. That averages 0.156 gallons of syrup for every tap in the state. It is estimated that in 2004 New York produced more than seven Million Dollars worth of syrup. But the syrup industry has a total impact of almost twenty-nine million dollars.

It takes an average of 41 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup

Maple producers use a specialized bit which drills a hole about a half-inch wide and three inches deep. The hole is drilled about four-and-a-half fee above the ground at an upward angle of about 10 degrees. That allows gravity to assist in draining the sap from the trees.

Maple producers use a specialized piece of equipment called a spile to draw the sap from the tree. A spile is similar to a spigot. It's gently inserted into the tree by hand and then seated with a mallet or hammer. Spiles serve several purposes - they provide a seal against the spread of microorganisms into the tree, they allow sap to flow out and they support the sap collection system (bucket or plastic tubing)         

The classic method of collecting sap involved covered buckets hanging from spiles. Since thr 1950's plastic tubing has made the process less labor-intensive and more cost-efficient. The tubes connected each tree to a central collection system that can hold a two day supply or about three gallons per tap. Since the 1960s, maples producers have used vacuum pumps with plastic tubing systems to collect sap.

Traditionally, wood was used to fuel the evaporators to produce maple syrup. Wood fires created a homey atmosphere that many maple producers believe is part of the perfect maple experience. And wood is easily available as a fuel, aiding in forest management when diseased and fallen trees are used. But it takes a full cord of wood to produce 25 gallons of syrup. I have never cut a cord of wood but just stacking one is a lot of work.

By boiling the sap you concentrate its sugar from 2% to approximately 66%. It is done in two stages, a "sap pan" and a "syrup pan" for finishing. It allows a controlled removal of syrup as it reaches the final stages of processing, creating higher-grade, uniform syrup.


While commercial operations rely on hydrometers smaller operators use a practice called "sheeting". A flat edge scoop that sheds the syrup in "sheets" if it has reached the correct sugar concentration.

Before packaging, maple syrup is filtered to remove precipitates that form during processing. After filtering, syrup is graded according to the amount of light passing through it.


Characteristics of each grade
Grade A Light Amber, is very light and has a mild, more delicate maple flavor. It is usually made earlier in the season when the weather is colder. This is the best grade for making maple candy and maple cream.
Grade A Medium Amber, is a bit darker, and has a bit more maple flavor. It is the most popular grade of table syrup, and is usually made after the sugaring season begins to warm, about mid-season.
Grade A Dark Amber, is darker yet, with a stronger maple flavor. It is usually made later in the season as the days get longer and warmer.
Grade B, sometimes called Cooking Syrup, is made late in the season, and is very dark, with a very strong maple flavor, as well as some caramel flavor. Although many people use this for table syrup; because of its strong flavor, it's often used for cooking, baking, and flavoring in special foods.

If asking which is the best syrup it is like asking which is the best beer, the best wine or the best cut of beef. Depending on its application and the personal tastes of the consumer any grade may be the best for a particular use. The tenderloin makes a great steak but it's not real good for pot roast.

Hope you all enjoy the trip. I must be out of town for work. See you next month back at the VFW

Paul