Mary Dove of Hambden and her three granddaughters: Emily Dove, 10, Faith Francis, 8, and Hope Francis 6, sit on a bench outside the new Heritage House Sugarhouse on the Square in Chardon eating maple stirs, which for them is a family tradition that now spans three generations.
According to Dove she has been coming to the maple stirs for over 32 years — first with her children and now with her grandchildren.
Emily, Faith and Hope all agree the stirs are really good and love coming out to get them.
The Dove family isn’t the only one, though, who continues to come back year after year.
Heather Penrod of Chardon attended maple stirs with her mother, Carol Penrod, and daughter MyKaela Penrod-Smith, 12.
Penrod said she comes yearly and helps with the Kiwanis at the event. MyKaela enjoys the maple stirs.
Of Chardon, Jennifer Johnston brings her family out every week for the maple stirs, and she has been coming to them since she was a little girl.
Bonita Beech, known to her friends as “Bonnie,” is a lifelong resident of the area. The octogenarian has been coming the maple stirs most of her life, and enjoys the stirs because she thinks they taste good and wants to support her community.
Stir Booth Director Glen Haskell, who has volunteered for over 20 years, estimates the maple stirs started as far back as the early 1920s.
Haskell sees the stirs as tradition for the community, with people who visit have some great stories to tell. Also, through the event he has watched many kids grow up.
The stirs which cost $1.50 each are a small bowl of hot maple syrup that come with a stirring stick. The objective is to stir the syrup continuously until it reaches a creamy consistency.
Haskell says the stirs are made by boiling maple syrup to a temperature of 234 degrees which is what is called a creamed candy stage.
He discovered the 234 degrees to be just the perfect temperature, and if he goes above that the candy gets grainy like sugar instead of creamy, he said, and people don’t seem to like it grainy.
“They like their cream,” Haskell said. “Once I pour a stir it takes about four to five minutes of stirring to get that creamy candy stage. Once I get to that stage it’s still a little bit warm and you eat it and it just kind of melts in your mouth.”
Just being open noon to 4:00 p.m. for four weekends they have sold about 2000 stirs.
By the time they are done — including what they anticipate selling at the Maple Festival April 26-29 — Haskell estimates they will use about 1,600 pounds of syrup.
In addition to the maple stirs, maple cotton candy, maple syrup, maple dressings for salads and maple dog treats can be purchased as well.
For information on the stirs or the upcoming Maple Festival visit www.maplefestival.com.
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