SABATTUS — Ed Jillson’s interest in farming somehow got started when he was 5 years old. His wish list at the time was short. “All I wanted,” he says, “was a farm set.”

After pestering his mother, he was allowed to tag along on the local milk route that same year, and by the age of 10 he had worked up to pulling a hay wagon out in the fields.

He was lucky that his wife, Pat, whom he met at a youth fellowship in Litchfield, was agreeable to his farming aspirations. The pair started working the Jordan family land, now known as Jillson’s Farm, opening their first farm stand in Sabattus in 1966. They managed to purchase the farm from Mrs. Splain, a member of the original Jordan family, in 1988. That same year, their sugar shack was constructed.

Today, the Jillsons produce about 300 gallons of fresh syrup each year. They never know from year-to-year how the season will go because it’s so dependent on the weather. But even maple syrup production has benefited from technology: The Jillsons added a reverse osmosis machine last year that removes two-thirds of the water in the sap before boiling, which lowers fuel consumption and speeds up production for the Jillsons.

Located at 143 Jordan Bridge Road, the farm grows flowers and vegetables in  eight greenhouses, but to many, the farm is best known for its maple syrup production and the breakfasts they started serving based on that sweet product.

During the winter months, the Jillsons host a regular all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8 to 11 a.m. The menu includes eggs, pancakes, French toast, muffins, home fries, sausage, baked beans, corned beef hash, juice and coffee or tea. During sugaring season, Mrs. Jillson said sugarhouse tours can be arranged for groups of 10 or more people, which include breakfast and maple taffy on snow.

Wanting to spread the joy of maple syrup, Mrs. Jillson decided to share two of her favorite recipes, Maple Bread Pudding and Maple Sugar Pie, both of which she “borrowed” from cooks.com. “The pie is quite rich, like cheese cake,” she said.

When cooking with maple syrup, Mrs. Jillson recommends using the extra-dark grade, which comes in at the end of the season. She said the sugar content is less, and it produces a stronger syrup. “When we cook, we like extra dark. It has more flavor and cooks better.”

This year, Maine Maple Sunday is on March 27, and the Jillsons will again be participating.  Breakfast at Jillson’s that day will go from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Along with breakfast, this annual event also features taffy on snow, free maple syrup samples, self-guided tours of the farm and lots of maple products for sale, including maple-cream donuts, maple fudge and ice cream.

For more information, call the Jillsons at 375-4486 or go to www.jillsonfarm.com.

Recipes:

Maple Taffy on Snow

Supplies you’ll need:

2 cups real maple syrup

Heavy saucepan

Tray filled with packed, clean snow or crushed ice

Candy thermometer

Ladle

Collect a tray full of new, very clean (preferably) freshly fallen snow. Place it in the freezer until the syrup is done cooking. If snow is not available, crushed ice makes a good substitute.

Pour the maple syrup into a heavy saucepan. Allow it to boil over medium heat until it reaches 234 to 238 degrees. The temperature is critical for the success of the final product.

After the maple syrup has reached the correct temperature, place a small amount of the hot syrup into a ladle. Dribble an amount the size of a quarter on top of the snow or crushed ice. If it is the right temperature it will immediately harden into a small round piece of sweet taffy. If it is not hot enough, it will stay liquid and melt a hole in the snow or crushed ice. If not hot enough, continue boiling until it reaches the correct temperature.

Peel the round piece of snow taffy off the snow or crushed ice and enjoy. If you make a lot of snow taffy, pull the pieces off the snow or crushed ice and allow them to air dry before wrapping the individual pieces in parchment paper or wax paper to serve later.

Maple Bread Pudding

2 cups stale bread crumbs

4 cups milk, scalded

3/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup broken nut meats

Optional: Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or 1/2 cup raisins

Pour hot milk over the bread crumbs and cool. Add maple syrup, melted butter and eggs. Add salt and nuts. Stir slightly to mix; put into a buttered baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for about an hour. Sprinkle with cinnamon and raisins if desired. Serve plain or with whipped cream. Serves 6 to 8.

Maple Syrup Pie

Easy to make. Very rich, but light. Makes 3 pies.

4 eggs

1 cup maple syrup

1- 1/2 cup whipping or heavy cream

1- 1/2 pound brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter, softened

3 unbaked pie shells

Beat eggs. Whisk in next 4 ingredients, one at a time. Pour into pie shells and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until knife inserted into middle comes out clean.

Maple Meringues

If you are in the mood for something “maple-y,” but don’t have any syrup, here is a recipe for a meringue cookie using maple extract instead, which the author first sampled in Quebec and are rather difficult to find.

4 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

1/2 teaspoon maple flavored extract

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add white sugar and confectioners sugar 1 tablespoon at a time while continuing to whip to stiff glossy peaks. Mix in the maple extract. Spoon meringue onto the prepared cookie sheets in 1 inch circles.

Place in the preheated oven, and immediately reduce the temperature to 250 degrees. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until cookies are dry and easy to remove from the paper.

FMI

* For a list of other locations participating in Maine Maple Sunday, go to www.getrealmaine.com.

* To learn how to use maple syrup in your cooking and to find other fun maple syrup recipes, go to www.mainemapleproducers.com.

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