Maple Syrup - Iowa ingredient

syrup is even more American than apple pie. It is a strictly North American product. Canada, of course, is the leading producer, followed by New England, but even here in Iowa, mostly in the northeastern corner, we make maple syrup, too. And our maple syrup is just as delicious and just as in-demand as anything our neighbors to the north can produce. I'm Charity Nebbe. On this episode of "Iowa Ingredient," we'll head to the northern bluffs of the Mississippi River to see the logistics involved in collecting and processing sap for maple syrup. Then Chef Justine Wieczorek from Kalona Brewing Company will stop into our studio kitchen to show us some clever ways to cook with maple syrup. All that and more coming up next on "Iowa Ingredient." >> Funding for "Iowa Ingredient" has been provided by... Friends -- the Iowa Public Television Foundation... a grant from The W.T. & Edna M. Dahl Trust... Chef Lisa LaValle of Trellis Café and Chef Michael LaValle of the Des Moines Embassy Club. For more than 100 years, the Des Moines Embassy Club has provided a place to dine, celebrate, and do business, located in Downtown Des Moines and in West Des Moines. Details are at embassyclub.com. New Pioneer Food Co-op, offering local and organic groceries in Iowa City, Coralville, and Cedar Rapids. Everyone's welcome to shop the co-op, where local and organic isn't just a corner of the store, it's the cornerstone of everything they do. Iowa Community Foundations -- an initiative of the Iowa Council of Foundations, connecting donors to the causes and communities they care about. For good, for Iowa, forever. Details at iowacommunityfoundations.org. >> MidAmerican Energy -- diversifying the ways we generate electricity by investing in wind-generation capacity in Iowa. Information is available at midamericanenergy.com. MidAmerican Energy -- obsessively, relentlessly at your service. ♪♪ >> Trees give us so much -- shade, beauty, oxygen is nice. But sugar maples and some of their relatives also give us a slightly sweet sap that, in the right hands, can be transformed into liquid gold. You can collect maple sap the old-fashioned way with a spile and a bucket. Some producers create a complex network of tubing to collect their sap. But no matter how it's done, the people who collect maple sap in late winter and early spring have their work cut out for them. When you think "harvest time" in Iowa, you probably don't think "late winter." Don't be fooled. With the smallest change in temperature, with the slightest transition into spring, something miraculous happens. During a small window from late February to early April, maple trees being producing a delicious, divinely sweet ingredient which we make into maple syrup. Because of our geographic location, only a few parts of Iowa can commercially produce maple syrup. Trees need years, sometimes decades to reach their peak for producing sap. All of these hurdles lead us to a small Century Family Farm just south of Pikes Peak called Great River Maple. >> Great River Maple's kind of an interesting company, because our family used to make maple syrup way back, and then it had a generation where we didn't make maple syrup. And now we kind of re-fired that back up. We had the tress, and we had the opportunity to work together as a family and stay on the farm, and that was pretty special to us. We get the... >> Dan Potter owns Great River Maple. Along with his wife, three daughters, and other family members, he works with the trees, produces the syrup, and markets his product across the region. On this 60-acre plot of land, he taps over 5,000 trees every single year. >> The season may only be 12 days long -- that was our shortest season -- and up to 6 weeks long, depending on the flow. But the weather's got to jive, and the trees have got to be synched up with it. And that's just why you got to be so ready on the spot. During the year, it's all preparation for this intense two, three, four week window, whatever it may be. >> All right. Let's take them back to the big ridge and get them in touch with some trees, shall we? >> Sure. >> Over the years, not much has changed with how people make maple syrup. Collecting sap, on the other hand, went through a sort of renaissance in the 20th century. Gone are the days of the quaint tap and bucket. Today's commercial maple-syrup producers use a closed tube system. >> When you start getting into thousands of trees and thousands of buckets, it's way too much work to be able to keep up with it. So a few years back, what we ended up doing was going to a tubing system, which means there's a tap coming out of every tree that's connected to a tube and then connected to bigger tubes. Everything is gravity-fed on these tubes down into tanks that we have in the valleys. And then, from the valleys, we pump it back up to our sugar shack up at the house. A tree will produce sap, basically, a drip at a time. You put 5,000 drips at a time every second, you get thousands of gallons of sap flowing in these little 5/16-inch lines. And so, when it comes into our tanks, it is literally -- It can be just a torrent of water. >> Sap is very clear. It's as clear as water. It carries between 2% to 3% sugar in it, right out of the tree. It just flows right through the evaporator. That's the only time it's exposed to air -- when we're cooking. And then right into the bottles. And we just got to make sure that it gets treated right once it gets here. It's a good system. We thought it was the best. And that's what we're trying to represent here is the best of what we can do. >> That's my temperature probe. >> Producing maple syrup is a year-long effort. For Dan, being a maple-syrup producer comes with many sweet rewards. >> I get the chance to -- to be in the woods. I get the chance to do several of the things I like. The number-one thing I like is being with my family. That's huge with me. If you ask anybody that knows me, that's good stuff, and that's what I like. >> The Kalona Brewing Company is located in Downtown Kalona, a beautiful and historic community just a half an hour south of Iowa City. Once inside the restaurant, it's easy to forget that you're in a small town. With the feel of a big-city brewery and the friendliness of a small-town café, rural meets urban very nicely here. >> We have a wonderful establishment, I think. We -- Everything we cook and make is homemade from scratch. We try to use a lot of local ingredients. [ Bell dings ] >> I've got that split grilled cheese going on the yellow. >> The tone in the kitchen is quiet and relaxed for a busy Friday night. Justine Wieczorek brings young, fresh, and friendly flavors to the menu, which changes with the seasons. Customers can always enjoy wood-fired pizzas with homemade dough and mozzarella, hand-cut organic fries, and beer-battered onion rings. >> I say I cook -- It's more comfort food. You know, like, I try to do healthy things but also it's fun to do things that aren't good for you. People love it. I've become known for -- here -- for my soups. My soups sell really well. Like today, I made a huge pot, and it's, like, almost gone. [ Chuckles ] So, I do enjoy doing that. That's fun. I get to do something different every day and make people happy. They really like them. >> Justine uses local ingredients in her cooking as much as she can. >> I believe it's important because I think the quality is probably better. We're supporting the local people in their endeavors and their small businesses, and the customers like it. As the seasons change, the vegetables change, which is great. So, you know, I'm not stuck using the same ingredient for six months. It'll change, and it's a challenge. It challenges me. Like, "Oh, well, this month, we're gonna have these three vegetables." "Okay, well, what can I do with these three vegetables and how can I do it differently and make it taste great?" >> The bar area here is as comfortable as your living room. It's a beer lover's delight with a lot of brews on tap -- a few regulars plus seasonals and limited editions. >> Comes with a little cheat sheet so you can keep score. >> Oh, perfect. >> I feel like there's, like, two different worlds. You have the brewery where they're making beer and then you have the kitchen where we're doing our thing. And, you know, I go talk to them about beer, what would go good with this, good with that, "Can I use some of this for that?" You know, and they have different pilot beers. They have beers that we only have for, like, maybe a month or two, so I have to, like, snag some if I want to cook with it. Just kind learn from each other. >> Cooking with the beer is just one of the ways the restaurant and the brewery compliment each other. Chef Justine loves the creative process and hopes to offer her customers a unique experience. >> I've experimented with a lot of the beers -- cooking with them -- and some of them come out better than others. And I know which ones I like to cook with or there's one that I really like to use for desserts. You can make a caramel out of it. You get to experiment and, you know, have the time to practice and see what flavors you get out of them. And I've narrowed it down to a few beers that I know turn out the best with food, so... And we use the beer in beer batter. We use the beer in our beer cheese, which is on the menu, so we try to incorporate as much as we can. I do something different every day, whether it's what I'm making or what happens that day with people around me. I've learned a lot over the last 10 years, working with other chefs and the creative process, so it's fun. At the end, you have an end result, and if it's amazing -- It's usually amazing, you know? And it's like, "Oh, that's really good." And everybody likes it, you're like, "Yay! It's good," you know? And it makes everybody happy. Everybody's happy when they eat good food. ♪♪ >> And now we are here in the kitchen with Chef Justine. Thank you so much for being here. >> Oh, yeah. Thanks for having me. >> What are we gonna make? >> Today, we're gonna make a maple mango chutney. >> Ooh. That sounds good. >> A simple version of it -- kind of spicy, kind of not -- over some shrimp. >> Fabulous. Well, let's get started. What do we do? >> We're gonna start with a little bit of oil. First, I like to sauté the garlic and the ginger a little bit. >> All right. >> Get it going. >> Hear a little sizzle there. That's great. [ Sizzling ] >> We'll just cook that for a few minutes. Now that it's looking like it's getting a little bit of color, we're gonna go ahead and add the mango and the other ingredients. [ Sizzling ] You can go ahead and stir that up. >> We just cubed up 1 mango. >> Yep. Little brown sugar, let it melt together. >> All right. >> Little bit of crushed red pepper. Give it a little spice. >> Will all of the mango cook down? Or do we want chunks to remain? >> It'll cook down a little bit. We'll let it simmer for a few minutes with the maple syrup and everything. Let it come to a boil. And, um, it'll reduce a little bit, and it'll -- They'll soften up, and they'll change color a little bit. >> Now, in coming up with recipes that use maple syrup, of course, a lot of us just put it on pancakes. But what do we need to think about? It's a sugar, so how do you know how much to add and how it's gonna behave? >> It's sweet, but it's not as sweet as regular sugar. So, you can add about as much as you like. >> And it's -- You know, honey's a liquid sugar, but honey's a lot denser. >> Right, yeah. It's similar to using honey or agave nectar, but it's not as intense. So, you can use a little bit more, so I went ahead with 1/2 cup on this recipe. So, it's not overpowering -- not overpowering maple flavor, and it's not super-sweet, but it balances out the mango. >> So, there's plenty of liquid in here. We need to let that simmer and reduce down? >> Yep. When need to let it simmer and reduce for about 5, 10 minutes, and then it'll be good to go. >> All right. All right. So, this is starting to look close. >> Yep. It's almost ready. >> All right. Time to make shrimp, right? >> Yep, so now we'll get our shrimp going. >> And what are you planning to do with them? >> I just put a little oil in the pan, and we're just gonna sauté them. You can grill them or skewer them. You could do whatever you like and they would go pretty good. But today, we'll just sauté them. Can I have the tongs? >> Oh, yes. I'll give you the tongs. There you go. >> And they only take a few minutes per side. So, it's a quick, easy dish. >> The shrimp looks perfect. Should we plate this up? >> Yep. >> Now, have you experimented with this kind of sweet and spicy with shrimp before or is this a-a new idea? >> Um, no, I've done similar things in the past. I've used -- This is my first time using maple syrup. So, I've used honey and other sweeteners, like we talked about earlier. And this was a good way to try something different. >> Right. And how much sauce? I think this is gonna be delicious. Do you want it on top? >> Just drizzle it on top, and we'll be okay. >> All right. Let's do that. Oh! That's beautiful. Now we're gonna try it. I can't wait to see what the sauce tastes like. Mmm. >> Really hot. >> It's delicious, though. It tastes a little like a sweet Thai chili sauce. >> Mm-hmm. >> But maple-y. [ Chuckles ] That is delicious. Thank you so much. All right, and we've made a wonderful hot and sweet sauce. What are we gonna make now with maple syrup? >> Now we're gonna do an apple maple sauce that will go good on some pork. >> All right. >> Mm-hmm. >> That sounds delicious. So, how do we get started with that? You decided to go more sweet and savory. Is that something you like to work with? >> Yeah, I like incorporating sweets, especially with fruit. I went with fruit this time. >> Oh, and apples and maple syrup -- That's fabulous. >> Yeah. A lot of maple recipes are desserts, but I decided to go the other route. >> And these are -- Are they Granny Smith apples? Did you go for something that's a little tarter, or does it matter? Just whatever apples you want to use? >> Yeah, a little tart green apples. So, we're just gonna let these cook down for a few minutes. >> Okay. [ Sizzling ] So, the apples are starting to get a little brown on some of their undersides. Is that a-a sign that it's time to move on? >> Yep. Now's a good time. We'll go ahead and add the lemon juice. >> All right. >> And some white-wine vinegar. >> All right, so that's a lot of acid. What's the, uh... >> It'll balance out with the maple syrup. >> Okay. >> It'll calm down. It's more of a savory sauce. >> Yeah. So, what kind of a consistency are you looking for with the apples? Do you want them to get soft? >> They'll be a little soft, year. >> All right. But you want a little bit of bite left to them? Or do you want applesaucy mush? >> No, we'll stop it before they're complete mush. So, we just need to let that cook for a few minutes, and then we'll add maple syrup. >> So, this has reduced quite a bit. >> Yep. Looks good. Now's a good time to add our maple syrup. >> Wonderful. And that color is so beautiful. In my personal taste, the darker, the better. >> Right. >> It just seems to have a stronger flavor, but it could just be my imagination, too. >> No, you're right. So, we'll let it simmer on medium to high for a few minutes. Then we'll reduce again. >> So, now we're gonna make it an even more intense maple flavor, 'cause we're gonna cook away more of the moisture. >> Yep. >> All right. And you want this to be really thick and syrupy or...? >> It'll get kind of thick. Want to reduce it by half. >> Okay. >> And then we're gonna add it to the food processor later, but in the meantime, we can start our pork. >> All right. >> 'Cause that's gonna take a few minutes. >> And pork and maple -- That's also a pretty classic flavor combination. >> Yeah, it's pretty common -- a lot of recipes with bacon. I tried to -- And apples go well with pork, so it's kind of traditional. But it's something everybody could do at home. We'll go ahead and add just a little bit of salt and pepper. So, we'll let these cook for a few minutes on eat side -- nice and brown -- while that's reducing. >> All right. And you're ready to flip that. How do you know? >> You can see, on the edges, it's gotten a little white -- It's changed color a little bit. And it's got a nice, golden color on the other side. >> Oh, wonderful. >> So, now's a good time to let it sit and do the same thing to the other side. >> So, this has reduced down about by half, so that's ready to -- for the next step, which is the food processor? >> Yep. I'm gonna put it into the food processor. We're going to puree it. It turns it more into a sauce or a puree -- easier to eat with the pork. >> And it's gonna be pretty thin but lots of flavor. >> Yeah, the apples will help thicken it up. So, I blended it for a few minutes, got all the ingredients incorporated. >> And I know you had water standing by, but you decided it was juicy enough? >> Yeah, I decided that it was okay. 'Cause sometimes, you might over-reduce it, and it's good to add a little bit of water. But this one looks good. >> And I've got a bowl all ready. It looks just beautiful. It looks like applesauce... but so much more. >> Right. >> All right. And how close are we with the pork? Are they almost done, too? >> Yep. Pork looks good. >> All right. >> Probably go ahead and plate. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> I've got a spoon for your sauce. >> All right. >> Oh, that looks beautiful. >> So, it's something you can just serve over the top of the pork. It'd be good with some rice, or served with a salad would be nice. Like that. >> That is lovely, and I want to taste that sauce to really get the flavor. See what that's like. Mmm. Oh, my goodness. That is so delicious. >> Got the maple, apple. >> Yeah. Wow. That is a taste explosion. Chef Justine, thank you so much. >> Thank you. ♪♪ [ Rooster crows ] Miss Effie's Country Flowers and Garden Stuff is a you-pick flower farm in Donahue, Iowa. Visitors are handed clippers and a bucket and invited to take their time exploring the farm. >> We started this in 2002. My husband and I wanted to figure out a way that we could make some income off of our two little acres out in the middle of the country. And I wanted to connect women with agriculture again, but I didn't think, in 2002, I could do it with green beans. But I could do it with flowers, and so we started a 20x20 patch of you-pick flowers, and people came. Part of our schtick is that you can cut flowers from anywhere on the property. Our main cutting bed is roughly 80x80, but we have lots of little gardens tucked in along the side. It gives them a little bit more of an experience of walking through a big garden and cutting whatever they want rather than going to a designated patch and saying, "Oh, you can only cut these." So, they feel like little kids again and stealing the blossoms that they were never supposed to pick. Hey, girls. >> Miss Effie is a fictional character created with Cathy's grandmothers in mind. It's important to her to preserve their way of life. >> A lot of women understand where their food came from. And we, as mothers, and particularly my age of women -- We became the frozen-TV-dinner, Hamburger Helper generation, because it was easy to fix when we got home from work. And so, we've raised generations of daughters that can't cook. And that is part of our mission is to share that information. >> It's the Lafrenzes' creativity that makes this place special. Thanks to Cliff's engineering talents, they've been able to add many features to the property over the years. The Summer Kitchen is a retail store where Cathy sells farm-fresh eggs and other local treats and treasures. >> I had wanted an old corncrib, 'cause I thought an old corncrib would make a great gazebo. So, I'd go and I'd start knocking on doors, when I'd see one in somebody's backyard or pasture, and say, "Are you willing to sell me your corncrib?" And in true Iowa-farmer fashion, anybody that still had an old corncrib wasn't going to sell it to me because they might need it some day. And finally, I found one. But it has become this incredible party spot. We invite our customers to bring a picnic lunch and just sit in the corncrib. >> More than anything, Cathy hopes to offer visitors an experience -- a way to go back in time, to relax, and to slow down. >> It is this great life here. I love seeing the kids play on the swing. That is one of my favorite parts. It fills us with joy because it's so simple. I love it when people think of this as a beautiful setting. They suddenly get what Grand Wood was looking at because of our hills and the different shades of green that we have. And I love seeing that knowledge click with them. >> That's it for this week's show. Thank you for exploring some of the many flavors of Iowa with us. I'm Charity Nebbe. See you next time for another sweet episode of "Iowa Ingredient." ♪♪ All of us at "Iowa Ingredient" are fans of all things celebrating Iowa food. And in 2015 and early 2016, we visited the terrific restaurants, farms, and other food events featured on this program. But circumstances can change. So we encourage you to call ahead if you're planning a trip of your own. We hope that you get the opportunity to indulge in some of Iowa's delicious flavors and to visit some of our unique destinations. Thanks for watching. >> Funding for "Iowa Ingredient" has been provided by... Friends -- the Iowa Public Television Foundation... a grant from the W.T. & Edna M. Dahl Trust... Chef Lisa LaValle of Trellis Café and Chef Michael LaValle of the Des Moines Embassy Club. For more than 100 years, the Des Moines Embassy Club has provided a place to dine, celebrate, and do business, located in Downtown Des Moines and in West Des Moines. Details are at embassyclub.com. New Pioneer Food Co-op, offering local and organic groceries in Iowa City, Coralville, and Cedar Rapids. Everyone's welcome to shop the co-op, where local and organic isn't just a corner of the store, it's the cornerstone of everything they do. Iowa Community Foundations -- an initiative of the Iowa Council of Foundations, connecting donors to the causes and communities they care about. For good, for Iowa, forever. Details at iowacommunityfoundations.org. >> MidAmerican Energy -- diversifying the ways we generate electricity by investing in wind-generation capacity in Iowa. Information is available at midamericanenergy.com. MidAmerican Energy -- obsessively, relentlessly at your service.