February is when tree sap starts to travel back up tree trunks, meaning that it’s time to make maple syrup! The best days below freezing at night but warmer and sunny during the day. I live in the most southernly part of the US where you can still tap trees and make maple syrup. I tap both maple and black walnut most years and every so often we make some sugar on snow. We usually use store bought maple syrup for the sugar on snow- the syrup we make is too precious! The sugar in this case refers to the maple- it’s just cooked until it’s at softball stage and then allowed to set up quickly on the cold snow. Simple yet magical! A perfect way to celebrate Midwinter and the almost imperceptible warming of teh earth.
Sugar on Snow
Ingredients:
- 1 cup real maple syrup
- 1 TBS unsalted butter
- snow!
- a candy thermometer
- popsicle sticks (optional but helpful)
Method:
Heat your maple syrup and butter in a pan until it reaches 235°f.
Quickly pour it onto some nicely packed clean snow! I like to do this outside, but some people bring a bowl of snow inside.
Let the candy cool/ set up and then scoop it up with a popsicle stick and enjoy!