Maple season is officially upon us and it’s oh so sweet! But before we dive into some seriously scrumptious maple must-haves, let’s appreciate how much effort and care goes into making the sticky golden treat Canada is renowned for!
It takes approximately 40 gallons of maple tree sap to produce 1 gallon of finished maple syrup – ya, holy sap! The collected sap undergoes several meticulous rounds of boiling, filtering, inspecting, and grading to yield the final product.
Crafting real Canadian maple syrup is a labour of love and because of that, it tastes that much sweeter.
To help you tap into this year’s maple season, here are five Farm Boy maple products for you to try, along with some ideas for how you can enjoy them.
1. Farm Boy™ Maple Cookie Gelato
This is a special seasonal treat that you can only find in our stores starting in the beginning of March for a limited time, which is why it makes #1 on our list. If you love all things maple…
Do. Not. Miss this.
If you’re not familiar, Gelato is like ice cream’s lavish Italian cousin. It has a denser, velvetier feel than most traditional ice creams because less air is incorporated into it as it’s being made. It’s also usually made with less butterfat than the average ice cream (4%-9% vs. 14%-25%), allowing flavours to better meld together with every bite. Gelato is meant to be served at a slightly warmer temperatures than ice cream. Why? So that your mouth doesn’t go numb while you’re enjoying it, allowing you to experience the full impact of the flavours incorporated.
Italians sure knew what they were doing here. The scientific thought and attention that goes into delicately hand-crafted gelato explain why it feels and tastes so luxurious.
Our Maple Cookie Gelato combines a traditional vanilla gelato base with a maple treat many know and love – our Farm Boy Maple Cream Cookies. Crumbled cookies are carefully folded into the mixture so that the gelato’s texture isn’t compromised. The result is creamy maple paradise.
Ways to Enjoy
- On its own, scooped into a bowl. It’s so good, it doesn’t even need anything with it.
- Place a scoop on top of a slice of one of our Farm Boy Loaf Cakes. Try Banana Chocolate Chip, Carrot, or get wild and try Maple Walnut for double the maple!
- If you’re a coffee-lover, you need to try this traditional Italian way of serving gelato. Brew a fresh shot of espresso and pour over a scoop or two of our Maple Cookie Gelato.
- Try a salty-sweet combo by crumbling some of our classic Salted Pretzel Qs on top of scooped gelato.
- Brioche Con Gelato…basically a Sicilian ice cream sandwich. Slice a warm brioche bun down the center, stopping about 3/4 of the way through so the two halves are still attached. Scoop in some Maple Cookie Gelato and enjoy!
Caution: you may want to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
2. Farm Boy™ Maple Wood Smoked Bacon
Rather than using maple syrup, this product is made using the wood of maple trees to smoke the meat giving it another layer of depth and unique flavour.
And we don’t take any shortcuts with this bacon. We make it the old-fashioned way with the best cuts of pork side traditionally smoked over real maple hardwood. No added colours, flavours, or MSG.
One whiff of this cooking in the morning will get you up out of bed with your eyes still shut!
Ways to Enjoy
- Classic bacon and eggs breakfast. You can’t go wrong here.
Pro tip: lay your strips of bacon out on a baking sheet (either with a sheet of parchment paper or on a baking rack) and try baking in the oven if you’re not a fan of cooking bacon in a pan. - Upgrade your avocado toast with strips of bacon and a poached egg on top. Filling and full of flavour.
- Bacon Mac ‘N’ Cheese. Crumble some cooked bacon into homemade Mac N Cheese for a smoky, savoury twist!
- Level-up your burger with a few strips of crispy Maple Wood Smoked Bacon.
- Loaded baked potatoes or mashed potatoes. After cooking bacon, crumble and mix into your mashed potatoes with sour cream, garlic, and chopped chive.
3. Farm Boy™ Maple Beer Nuts
Sweet and salty, crunchy goodness!
Have you ever wondered why they’re called beer nuts?
Beer Nuts is a popular American brand of snack foods whose original offering was roasted peanuts with a sweet and salty glaze. It’s said the name resulted from their growing popularity in bars and liquor stores around the 1950’s – apparently, their signature nuts and beer were a perfect match!
Since then, others have created their own spin on the nuts. Some recipes incorporate brown sugar, molasses, cayenne, chipotle…even orange juice!
And today we present to you our maple-tastic take on beer nuts. Our Maple Beer Nuts are made using real Canadian maple syrup and premium peanuts.
If you go to grab one can…consider grabbing two. They’re highly snackable!
Ways to Enjoy
- Simply delicious as they come, they’re the perfect little snack when you’re craving a small treat.
- Crush them and use them as a sweet and salty cake, cupcake, or ice cream topping.
- Add to your favourite homemade trail mix recipe for a maple twist.
4. Farm Boy™ Buttermilk Pancakes & Pure Ontario Maple Syrup
Short stack, tall stack, small stack, fat stack!
Pancakes and maple syrup are a timeless duo! If you really want to tap into maple season this year, indulge in a tasty stack of pancakes, customized to your liking, and load them up with real maple syrup.
Our Premium Buttermilk Pancake Mix makes the cooking process quick and simple. The mix is perfectly measured to guarantee delicious fluffy pancakes the whole family will love.
Looking for a fun activity to pull your kids away from their screens this weekend? Get them in the kitchen and let them help you make a pancake breakfast! Using our mix not only makes pancake cooking easy, it also minimizes pancake mess (bonus!).
But let’s get things straight here. Pancakes aren’t just for kids and they’re not just for breakfast. Pancakes are for anyone, anytime.
Sometimes you just want a good pancake; sometimes it’s right before bed.
Ways to Enjoy
- Try adding fruits to the mix like blueberries, raspberries, or fresh chopped dark cherries.
- Try out our recipe for apple pancakes with warm apple cider sauce.
- Pumpkin spice pancake! Add a bit of pure canned pumpkin and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg if you’re an all-year-around pumpkin spice fan.
- Try adding quick oats and chocolate chips for an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie-inspired pancake.
- Carrot cake pancakes. Grate some fresh carrot, cinnamon, and nutmeg into your mix and then top with a drizzle of cream cheese glaze (here’s one recipe for an easy glaze)
No matter how you tailor ‘em, top with Pure Ontario Maple Syrup! Our syrup is Canada Grade A and is made on a 5th generation family maple farm near Woodstock, Ontario.
5. Farm Boy™ Maple Butter Tarts
Butter tarts are a Canadian bakery staple and these are a must-try for maple fans. Deep pockets of gooey classic butter tart filling featuring real Canadian Maple syrup are baked in crumbly shortcrust pastry for the most mouth-watering bite.
These handmade, locally sourced treats are the perfect way to brighten someone’s day. Leave some for your front-line working neighbour on their doorstep, drop some off for your grandma, send some to a teacher that you appreciate – spread the butter tart love!
Ways to Enjoy
- They truly are perfect as is.
- Warm them in the microwave quickly and top with a little ice cream.
Fun fact: did you know Ontario has an entire Best Butter Tart Festival where professional and home bakers compete for the title of best butter tart in Ontario?
Are you craving maple yet? Head to stores soon to get your hands on our maple season favourites listed above, as some of them are only available for a limited time.
And we love seeing how you’re enjoying our Farm Boy Products, so share and tag us in your photos of your Farm Boy maple creations on social media.
