Cool weather extends syrup season in Falls Village for Maple Fest

FALLS VILLAGE — Maple syrupwas the primary focus on a chilly morning, Saturday, April 25, as sweet steam could be seen – and smelled – over the town green during the village’s annual Maple Fest.

Three of the town’s maple syrup operations were represented – Wangum Valley, run by Jody and Jean Bronson; Whiting Brook Farm, operated by the Jacobs family; and Acer Creek Farm, owned by the Gallagher family.

The prime spot to be was near the repurposed oil drum that Denny Jacobs converted into a propane-fueled maple syrup boiler. Using frozen syrup that was about half-finished and left over from the spring’s production, Jacobs had a small saucepan filled with sap handy in case the mixture needed topping up.

As he chatted with fellow syrup maker Jody Bronson – and whoever else wandered by – Jacobs kept a watchful eye on the thermometer in the boiling syrup.

This year, Whiting Brook Farm collected 1,700 gallons of sap and produced 35 gallons of syrup.

Conversation turned to how best to store the finished product before bottling. Bronson said plastic jugs can darken the syrup over time, while glass containers sometimes result in a lighter color. The best containers are made of tin, he said, which have the least impact, though they are no longer common in retail and must be sourced from wholesalers.

Northwest Passage played at Maple Fest in Falls Village Saturday, April 25. From left, Ed Thorney, Greg Reiss, Rachel Gall and Scott Cameron.Patrick L. Sullivan

At the Center on Main, Susan Scherf from the Institute of American Indian Studies in Washington, Connecticut, gave a presentation on how Native Americans used maple sap.

Rather than boiling it into syrup, Scherf said, they produced maple sugar, sometimes mixing it with dried corn for a low-bulk, high-energy snack. Maple sugar could also be used to make alcohol and vinegar.

She added that Native Americans often used containers made of fire-resistant birch bark to boil their sap, and there is archaeological evidence of using a moose hide for the same purpose.

Back on the Green, local band Northwest Passage began playing around 11 a.m., as visitors, many of whom had filled up on pancakes and waffles with real maple syrup at Off the Trail Café, lingered in the cool air.

The band consists of Ed Thorney (harmonica, vocals), Rachell Gall aka “The Falls Village Fiddler” on violin and vocals, Greg Reiss on guitar and lead vocals, and Scott Cameron on guitar.