Sue has been telling me how interesting the sugaring process was that they used to do at the farm in Tamworth, NH. She found the Meadow View Sugar House in Union, NH gave tours and this was the time of year to go when they were boiling. So, off we went Sunday afternoon for a new adventure! We were there for over 2 hours while Nick Kosko showed us in great detail each aspect of the sugaring process.

Because Sue was familiar with sugaring, she was able to ask some really great questions that I would have never thought of. Nick was a great host, and it's clear that he loves what he does. And his 2 young kids seem to enjoy it as well as they both came out to visit. Jacob even helped Sue carry in a couple of stacks of wood for the fire; Sue just can't resist hauling wood around.

When we first arrived, Nick hadn't been able to start the boiling process on the sap because it had been so cold. The sugar maple had frozen and you have to be careful not to heat it up too fast. But after about an hour, he fired up the furnace and the sap really started to flow. And the smell! You just can not imagine how wonderful the smell is unless you've experienced it yourself.

This is just one of those experiences that you'd think you could pass on and not miss anything. Well, you won't miss anything. But I find my life experience so much more enhanced each time I do something new. And this was definately one of those experiences that I am so thankful to Sue for introducing me to.

And just to show me what the difference in this from much of the store bought brands, Sue made a couple of small pancakes for breakfast Monday morning and used a bottle of the syrup that we had bought. The taste was spectacular.