Welcome to Fulton's

Sugar Bush Gazette

Photo credit: John McQuarrie.

March 2020 News

2020 Maple Season 

OPEN DAILY UNTIL SUNDAY APRIL 19

Weekdays 9am - 3pm / Weekends 8am - 3pm 

 

There is lots to do at Fulton's:

  • Enjoy a meal in the Pancake House
  • Browse the Maple Gift Shoppe
  • Take a self-guided tour
  • Wander the trails and challenge yourself with one of the Trail Games (for all ages)
  • Bring the kids to play on the outdoor playground
  • Take a run on the sledding hill (sleds and baby sleighs are available to borrow)

 

Special activities take place on weekends, holidays and MARCH BREAK, weather dependent:

  • Fresh poured Maple Taffy and Maple Cotton Candy
  • Horse-Drawn Sleigh / Wagon Rides (weekends only)
  • Music in the Pancake House (select dates)
  • Campfires at the Heritage Maple Path (select dates)
  • Tours of the Sugar Camp, where our knowledgeable staff bring the "sap to syrup" story to life and answer your questions about syrup making.

Fun ~ Food ~ Family

Scribbles by Shirley

It's the most exciting time of the year. Anticipation and hope are what every farmer lives on while waiting for their harvest. Whether it's hay, soybeans, cattle for market or maple syrup, we all hope for a great return on the preparations that have taken place most of the year. As of February 25 we finished tapping (drilling holes in) our maple trees. Now to wait for Mother Nature to show her bounty. 

I am so very proud that eight of my nine Grandkids are working in the family business this season. From baking in the kitchen to working in the maple shop to taffy making, trail marking/ grooming, labeling, tapping, snow removal and shoveling, camp tours, repairing pipeline and any other maple  job required, they do it all. Our youngest remains our best taste tester and it won't be long until he will be tall enough to tap! As Nana my key role is to make sure there is lots of food and treats to fill the crew. 

In my 40th season responsible for smooth operations for our great staff and you, our loyal customers, it is a pleasure to now include more and more family members each year.

For our returning customers, you will be greeted by familiarity but also some additions. We have reintroduced our popular Maple Poppy Seed Dressing and have a single serving tetrapak of sap and lemon line sap now available. Come back for the memories of sleigh rides (on weekends), music, Heritage Maple Path campfires, family connection and outdoor fun. 

The Looking Back column has been postponed for the maple season as we are too focused and excited about the tasks at hand. We are looking ahead to our sap dripping, our evaporator being fired up and customers to chat with. 

 

Sweet maple wishes to you,

Shirley Fulton-Deugo

4th Generation Owner

A Special Order

Giant Maple Taffy

This couple had a special request for a five-dollar maple taffy and we rose to the occasion. We hope they shared it!

 

Our Taffy Shack is open after 10am on weekends, holidays and March Break. On your next visit to Fulton's Pancake House and Sugar Bush, don't forget to get some Maple Taffy ($3) or a bag of freshly spun Maple Cotton Candy ($5). Cash only.

Taste the Tradition!

The Trees are Tapped

Mother Nature gave Scott the nod to start tapping trees so he assembled the team and got things moving. As the tapping crew works through the sugar bush they let Scott know where there are fallen trees, which can stretch and sometimes break the pipeline. Using tracked ATV’s and GPS technology Scott can identify where a fix is required and easily travel with all the equipment needed. This map shows the location of our pipeline system.

 

Each spring when the weather forecast calls for days with above freezing temperatures and nights with temperatures below freezing, the trees must be tapped anew.

- Tapping consists of drilling holes about 5cm deep into the trunk of the tree. A plastic tap/ spile/ spigot is inserted into each hole.

- The taps are connected to pipelines (the blue plastic lines you see connected to our trees) which lead to the pumping stations.

- There are 5800 individual taps in 2000+ trees on our property.

- Fulton's has 45-50km of pipeline!

- Fulton's is not on a hillside, therefore a gentle vacuum system is needed to bring the sap along the lines to the sugar camp. 

- Taps are removed each spring after the sap run. 

- Sugar Maple trees can be safely tapped at about age 35-40, or when the diameter of the trunk reaches 40cm. A larger tree can support more taps.

- The amount of sap drawn does not harm the tree and many maples can be tapped well past 200 years of age. 

Below, the tapping crew is ready to hit the trails. Nana has stocked their prep room with snacks and water to keep them energized and hydrated for the work at hand. And powered by Fulton's Maple of course!

 

 

Miles and miles of trudging from tree to tree keeps these young men fit! Often spring tapping simply tires them out and they require a nap and some dog therapy.

When that happens, Team Awesome gets called to the rescue! 

Huskins Coffee  

Kent Huskins is a hometown boy, raised in Almonte.  After retiring in 2015  from a 14 year pro hockey career (including a Stanley Cup win in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks), Kent decided to take his interest in coffee/ café culture  to the next level. 

With each added experience in this new world, his enthusiasm for the coffee industry grew. When a retail opportunity emerged in Santa Ana, California, Kent and his wife Bri decided to make it the family business and Huskins Coffee was born. Kent hasn't forgotten his roots. He brought the Stanley Cup to Almonte once so local residents could enjoy it. And he created a specialty Hometown Latté made with Fulton's Organic Maple Syrup. 

Product of the Month

Fulton's Reusable Bag

Hot off the press! We have just received our first shipment of Fulton's Reusable Shopping Bags. 

These bags are a great size for taking your lunch to work, for a trip to the post office or for transporting loose things to and from the car. They have a handy pocket in the front as well. 

Purchase them for $3.50 each or receive one FREE with a purchase of $50 or more (before taxes). 

Recipe of the Month

Make Your Own Maple Taffy

'Tis the season..... maple that is! Impress your friends and family with some fresh-poured Maple Taffy. After a fresh snowfall, gather up a baking pan of snow and pack it into the pan well. Store the pan of snow in your deep freezer.

1. Start with some Fulton's Organic Maple Syrup. In a pot on the stovetop, cook over a medium-low heat until the temperature reaches 118C / 245F. Do not stir! Use a candy thermometer and watch it carefully to ensure it doesn't boil over. 

2. Remove pot from the stove and carefully pour about 2 Tbsp at a time of the hot maple syrup onto the packed snow in a thin line.  Let the syrup strips cool and become firm for a few seconds. 

3. Using a Popsicle stick and once the syrup starts to set a little bit, dab it and then roll/ gather it up on the stick into a lollipop. 

4. Allow the taffy to set for a few minutes on the snow until it's firm enough to eat.

5. Enjoy! 

Hint: Gather some fresh snow in a pan and store in the freezer to use at a later date. Wouldn't a summer taffy party be fun?

WARNING: Do NOT allow children to handle the hot syrup. 

 

Upcoming Local Events

March 16-20, Ontario March Break-  Celebrate by bringing the gang out to Fulton's for some outdoor fun and a meal in the Pancake House. Details at fultons.ca. 

April 4-5, The Ten Collective Exhibit, 10am-5pm, Mississippi Textile Museum in Almonte. A group of ten Canadian artists featuring diverse backgrounds and styles of painting. Free admission and parking. Further details here. 

April 4-5, 6th Annual Maple Weekend. Maple Weekend shows you how Ontario maple products are made, from tree to table, and lets you taste and buy quality maple products.Hosted by the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers’ Association.

April 4-5, 18th Annual Pakenham Maple Run Studio Tour, 10am-5pm.  Art, craft, food and heritage. Wander. Experience. Indulge. Details and a map/ brochure here. 

April 4, Temperance House, 3-6pm, Riverside Inn, Almonte. A one-day spirits tasting experience like none-other.  www.spiritssocietycanada.ca 

April 5, Sugar Shack Supper, at the Almonte Lobby Bar. Taffy and Bannock at 4:30pm. Dinner begins at 5:30pm. A multi-course maple-themed meal featuring Fulton's Maple Syrup. Contact Almonte Lobby Bar to reserve. 613-461-2745

 

399 Sugar Bush Road, Pakenham, ON, Canada
613-256-3867

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