With all the Hungry Reader nostalgia going on, we couldn't help but run to the bookshelf for our copy of Little House in the Big Woods. Whether it's hasty pudding or salt-rising bread, Ma's always got something special cooking away on her wood-fired stove! We thumbed through pages slowly, looking for one passage in particular--Mary and Laura's first taste of maple sugar:
"Here, Laura and Mary," Pa said, and he gave them each a little round package out of his pocket.
They took off the paper wrappings, and each had a little, hard, brown cake, with beautifully crinkled edges.
"Bite it," said Pa, and his blue eyes twinkled.
Each bit off one little crinkle, and it was sweet. It crumbled in their mouths. It was better even than their Christmas candy.
"Maple sugar," said Pa.
Ahh! Just as magical as we remembered it!
The next week, the entire Ingalls family travels (by horse-drawn sled, of course) to Grandpa's house to help with the maple sap harvest. The men tromp off into the woods to 'tap the trees' while the women-folk stay home to prepare a special feast. That night, everyone celebrates with good food, good music, and dancing.
Our favorite moment comes when Laura and her cousins scoop up big plates of snow and Grandma pours a ribbon of steaming syrup onto each one. The syrup hardens into candy, which is devoured immediately. The children go back for again and again another helping, for "maple sugar never hurt anybody."
We're glad to hear that this tradition of celebrating the maple harvest with a fantastic dinner and great company continues on today. In his New York Times article "Sap Happy," Oliver Schwaner-Albright describes a hearty repast of split-pea soup, piles of pancakes and fois gras drenched in maple syrup, and scrambled eggs with blood sausage. Judging by Pa Ingall's descriptions of maple harvesting, it sounds like this kind of fare is necessary fuel for the day's work!
Check out the article for a modern-day description of artisan maple harvesting and recipes for Maple-Roasted Rack of Venison and Maple Syrup Pie. For now, though, we think we'll curl up on the couch and finish reading about Laura's adventures in the Big Woods...
(photo credit: HarperCollins)
I remember reading this book and insisting on making maple syrup candy the first time it snowed!
view jbhansen's profile
We are deep into sugaring season now and have already harvested around 56 oz. of syrup from our maple in the front yard.
We were also inspired by Little House in the Big Woods.
view samaritan's profile
Farmer Boy is always the one that makes me hungry. It's like every meal is Thanksgiving.
view mollyjade's profile
When I was little I always wanted to make maple syrup candy in the snow the way Laura and Mary did in Little House in the Big Woods! Still haven't been able to, though.
view as3087's profile
My FAVORITE books from childhood!!! I still read them on sick days.....
some of my food memories from the books: When Ma makes popovers in 'On the Banks of Plum Creek' when Nellie Olsen comes to Laura's party, the green tomato pie (I think that one is from 'The Long Winter'), obviously the above maple syrup excerpts, and the ginger-water! (which I always think of when I go to the coffee shop next-door and get their iced ginger lemon infusion)
view DC Sarah's profile
I actually have a Little House Cookbook too! I got it when I was in my tweens...so I didn't cook too much out of it (but did thumb through it repeatedly). This post reminded me of it and the fact that I've never cooked anything out of it (but I've kept it!)
I found it on Amazon too:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064460908/ref=reg_hu-wl_mrai-recs
view Thats Swell's profile
I tried to do the candy with the show when I was about 7 years old -- It didn't seem to work with Aunt Jemima. Then again, I was 7 and had no idea what I was doing...
view lekkercraft's profile
I'm heading home to VT tomorrow to help my parents make maple syrup - it wouldn't be spring without it!
To make sugar on snow, the way Grandma does it in Little House in the Big Woods, you actually need to heat the syrup to the "soft ball" temperature on a candy thermometer. If you just warm up the syrup and pour it over the snow, it won't harden into candy, and you’ll just end up with a maple flavored snow cone.
So, using real maple syrup (it doesn't take much - maybe a cup?), heat it in a tall pot (so it doesn't boil over) to soft ball. Then drizzle the heated syrup over a cake pan of snow that you've packed down with your hands. Wait a minute for it to harden, then use forks and fingers to pick it up and eat.
Traditionally, sour pickles are eaten along with sugar on snow.
It's pretty simple, and very yummy, just keep an eye on the syrup when it's cooking, so it doesn't burn or boil over.
view Rosie's profile
mollyjade, I was just about to say the same thing. I have the complete Little House boxed set, and sometimes I pull down Farmer Boy just to read the descriptions of meals. This is one of my favourite passages:
"Almanzo ate the sweet, mellow baked beans. He ate the bit of salt pork that melted like cream in his mouth. He ate mealy boiled potatoes with brown ham-gravy. He ate the ham. He bit deep into velvety bread spread with sleek butter, and he ate the crisp golden crust. He demolished a tall heap of pale mashed turnips, and a hill of stewed yellow pumpkin. Then he sighed, and tucked his napkin deeper into the neckband of his red waistcoast. And he ate plum preserves and strawberry jam, and grape jelly, and spiced watermelon-rind pickles. He felt very comfortable inside. Slowly he ate a large piece of pumpkin pie."
Oh, lordy. I could really go for a piece of pumpkin pie right about now.
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