Do you have a picnic or party coming up? Try this crowd pleasing recipe. I have made these beans for many occasions. They are always a hit. When we tap trees, this is one thing the guys always look forward to having for lunch.
Maple Baked Beans
2 – 16 0z. cans butter beans
1 – 30 oz. can kidney beans
1 lb. bacon
1 medium onion - chopped
2 ½ T. vinegar
1 ¼ c. maple syrup
¾ c. ketchup
Fry the bacon and save about 2 T. of the bacon grease. Cook the onions in the bacon grease until translucent. Turn up the heat and add the vinegar – stirring. Add in the maple syrup and ketchup. Stir well. Add the beans. Simmer on the stove or put in a casserole dish and bake @ 400º for 30 – 45 minutes.
It’s hard to miss the huge sycamore tree along the driveway. It stands beside the summerhouse with a diameter of 4’6”. Many people ask when they see it, “How old do you think that tree is?”
Without any knowledge of how fast a sycamore grows, I would say 200 years old. That is until I saw the picture of the farm taken in the 1910’s or 1920’s and the sycamore wasn’t there.
The picture sparked my curiosity, so I researched sycamore trees. They are the largest deciduous tree in the eastern U.S., and can grow two feet in height per year. That’s amazing! I guess now I can tell people when they ask how old the sycamore tree is; It’s about 100 years old.
]]>The last few weeks have been busy at the farm. We have been bottling syrup and making other confections. Also, we have been busy cleaning the old farmhouse. There are so many neat treasures from years gone by. I especially like some of the old pictures and letters. A late 1940’s picture of Joe Wagner and family shows him at what appears to be a happy point in his life. I am sure he had days that were tough, gathering sugar water in the snow and mud and working hard every day to support the family. Looking around the farm at all of the stone walls that Joe built makes me appreciate his hard work. I sure hope Joe is happy to see improvements being completed on the farm again. Hopefully the smile on his face is as big as his smile in that old picture from 1949!
Pictures show a glimpse of the stone walls built by Joe Wagner.
Stone wall built as a fence along the property line.
]]>It’s now already May, and the 2018 maple season has come to an end. Even though it was a long season, the yield is down.
This summer will be busy getting equipment in place for the 2019 season.
]]>It’s now already May, and the 2018 maple season has come to an end. Even though it was a long season, the yield is down. We still have some taps to pull and cleanup to finish to officially close the season.
This summer will be busy getting equipment in place for the 2019 season. The tankers, releasers, vacuum pumps and tanks need moved into the sugar camp. And to add to the list, there is 16,000 feet of 1 ½” mainline that needs to be installed.
We will also be busy making delicious maple products. Try some now or make a loved one happy by sending it as a tasty, unique gift. Our maple sugar cakes, sugar, cream, and maple coated nuts are all made with our own Pure Pennsylvania maple syrup.
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