Sweet October!

I walk my dog Mollie early every morning.  It’s real pleasure, especially this time of year when the autumn leaves are turning brilliant shades of gold, amber and scarlet.  There is a crisp bite to the air, and drops of dew rests on the fallen leaves that now blankets the ground.

But I also notice something unusual in the morning this time of year, every year.  Many of the trees in the neighborhood smell incredibly sweet—like syrup!  Of course, being a research addict, I just had to find out why.

According to Wikipedia, the syrup which we all use on pancakes is made from the sap of maple trees (of which my neighborhood is lined with in groves!) that is “tapped” from the trunk around early to mid-spring.

So why is that I’m smelling this sweet syrupy aroma now?

In preparation for the harsh, cold winter up here in the Pacific Northwest while these trees are shedding their leaves, they are also producing a “starch” in their trunks and roots.  This starch is converted to sugar (sucrose) that rises in the sap in late winter and early spring when it begins to warm up and is no longer needed to insulate the tree itself.  The maple trees are then tapped by drilling holes into their trunks and collecting the exuded sap.  The sap is then heated to evaporate much of the water, leaving the concentrated syrup.

Voila! Homemade maple syrup.

According to research, maple syrup was first collected and used by the indigenous peoples of North America, and the practice was adopted by European settlers.  Today, it’s used as a condiment for pancakes, waffles, French toast, oatmeal or porridge.  It is also used as an ingredient in baking and as a sweetener or flavoring agent (I love maple syrup sweetened sausage links for breakfast!).

So do yourself a huge favor and whip up your favorite breakfast at the first opportunity to warm up your cold October mornings.

All the sweetness in the world to you,

Addison Carmichael