During colonial times in New England, winter had two “crops” – ice and maple syrup. Ice was harvested from ponds to stock the ice house for summer heat. Sap begins to flow in maple trees, ready to be collected and boiled down to the sweet syrup that is as popular today as it was long ago. At this Colonial Cookery and Customs for Kids Workshop at the Wilton Historical Society on Saturday, February 23 from 11:00 – 12:30, Museum Educator Laurie Walker will be discussing how maple syrup is made and will be showing the children how to use maple syrup to make a simple but delicious Colonial Maple Tart.
The Colonial Cookery and Customs for Kids workshop at the Wilton Historical Society teaches kids a “reciept” (recipe) used in the Connecticut region. While the food is prepared, they hear about Colonial manners, morals, and way of life. The monthly workshops feature relatively simple dishes made with local, seasonal ingredients, adapted for modern kitchens. All participants will sample their own cooking and take home recipe cards – as well as any leftovers! The children will learn how a Colonial kitchen would have operated, in order to appreciate the modern conveniences we take for granted. Previous sessions have made bannock cakes, pease porridge, pickles, an amulet of green peas, apple tansey, fairy butter, pumpkin bread, cranberry shortbread, New Year’s “cakes”, New England chowder, hand pies, cheese and ramp soufflé, pea and watercress Rappahannock, blackberry maslin, thirded bread, pound cake with “Oranges” juice, maple cup custard, pepper pot soup, scalloped tomatoes, dressed macaroni and cheese, and gingerbread cakes.
Suggested for ages 6 – 12.
Members: $10; Non-members $15. Space is limited — please register by contacting info@wiltonhistorical.org or call 203-762-7257.
The Wilton Historical Society, 224 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897 203-762-7257
www.wiltonhistorical.org
Did You Know?
“In the late 1700s and early 1800s, maple sap was produced into maple sugar, a granular, solid block of maple that had a long shelf-life and could be easily transported. Maple sugar was promoted by the Quakers and abolitionists as an alternative to West Indian “slave-produced” cane sugar; Thomas Jefferson even started a maple plantation at Monticello in 1791.
It wasn’t until the Civil War that the maple syrup industry was born, with the introduction of the tin can and the invention of metal spouts and evaporator pans. Most early producers were dairy farmers who made maple syrup and sugar during the off-season of the farm for their own use and for extra income.” – New England Maple Museum in Pittsford, Vermont
Connecticut Travel 
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