Submitted By: jwmerc@gmail.com – Click to email about this post
It is said there are about 125 varieties of the maple tree in the world – 13 of them native to North America. The predominate variety used to make real maple syrup in the New England/eastern Canada areas is the SUGAR maple (Red maple is also used to some extent) – of which sap we boil down during a brief ‘window’ each spring to make the wonderful (and wholesome!) sweet stuff used in coffee, baking applications – and more. MEANWHILE – on THIS side of the continent a little-known group of knowledgeable beekeepers monitors the unpredictable spring weather conditions here locally for the Vine and Broadleaf (AKA: Bigleaf) maple tree “flow” – when the food supply from those two species provides a key ingredient for honeybees to make a VERY special raw honey. Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate so it’s rare (once every three years on average) that enough of this delicious food finds it’s way into a jar bearing the name – now is one of those times! Jeff and JW Merc has – for now – a sufficient amount of raw Oregon Maple Blossom honey available in anticipation of our next “pop-up” visit to Wheeler (on the landing in front of the building where you find Pelican & Piper) – Tuesday, March 15th – from at least 1-5 pm. Quarts are $25 each, pints $14 and there is just one half-gallon ($50) available (the usual array of other honeys/jar sizes will also be there). Pre-orders are a MUST. Contact Jeff directly through the JW Merc Facebook page – or send a text directly to his cell (208-424-0042) – and of course e-mail works equally well! Speaking of real Vermont maple syrup – please notice the picture of an early sample from this year’s “boil” which has already begun there. We won’t see any of that new stuff for quite some time – but Jeff still has a good number of delicious half-liters of both Amber Rich and Dark Robust available in glass jars – $16 each or take two for $30. See you in downtown WHEELER on TUESDAY MARCH 15TH between 1 and 5 – please get your Oregon maple blossom honey orders in ASAP!!! JW
