American Cooking: New England: Recipes

Introductory Notes - Section 1 of 1 (1 )

Pure Maple Syrup and Maple Sugar

Both pure maple syrup and maple sugar are made from the sap of the sugar or rock maple tree. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of pure syrup which with further boiling-down can be crystallized into about 2 pounds of sugar.

The finest Vermont maple syrup, labeled "Fancy," is a pale, almost white amber color with delicate flavor. "A," the next grade, is medium amber in color. Grade B is dark amber, has a strong flavor, and is the preferred syrup for cooking. Grade C syrup, which is the strongest and darkest, is sold mostly to commercial food processors.

Pure maple syrup is at its best as soon as it is processed; it will not change color, but the flavor diminishes with age. After the container is opened, maple syrup should be refridgerated in a tightly covered jar or can. If the syrup crystallizes, set the jar in hot water and it will quickly liquefy. If mold forms on top, carefully skim it off with a spoon, then heat the syrup to 180 degrees on a candy thermometer to inhibit further mold growth.

Grained maple sugar is boiled to 245 degrees, beaten while it is still hot and, when dry, molded into loaves, cakes, or other shapes; this is the traditional cooking sugar. Pure grandulated maple sugar is made in a modern steam-jacketed cooker that beats it while it boils; the result looks like brown sugar and can be easily poured or measured for cooking.

New England Clams

Two kinds of New England clams are important food: the soft shell or long necked clam (Mya arenaria) and the hard shell or little necked clam (Venus mercenaria).

Both are roughly oval in shape. the soft clam has a thin brittle shell and a distinctive long siphon or neck; the hard clam has a thick solid shell and short neck. (The two types are shown) Hard clams are frequently served raw on the half shell; soft clams are always cooked before they are eaten.

Though any soft clam may be steamed successfully, New Englanders consider the small ones - under 2 inches in length - best and refer to these as steamer clams. (The soft clams dug at Ipswich, Massachusetts, are especially prized for flavor and tenderness.)