You don’t have to be a professional maple syrup maker to enjoy sugar on snow. You don’t even have to be an amateur! Neither do you have to live in Vermont, New England or sugar country generally! All you need is a candy thermometer or maple syrup thermometer, some fresh snow or shaved ice, and some maple syrup.
To make sugar on snow, first fill a baking pan or large bowl with clean, fresh snow or shaved ice and store in the freezer. (Either that or find a nice, fresh, clean snowbank nearby!)
Then pour some maple syrup into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Boil the syrup until it reaches 235 degrees Fahrenheit (or 23 degrees above the boiling point of water). This will be the “cream” reading on your maple syrup thermometer and correlate with the “softball” stage on a candy thermometer.
Remove your snow or shaved ice from the freezer (or proceed to your clean snow patch) and drizzle the maple syrup over the top.
Allow the syrup to cool for a minute, and then peel off the maple taffy with a fork or tongue depresser and eat!
Here in Vermont, sugar on snow is traditionally accompanied by hot apple cider, apple cider donuts, and dill pickles. Cider and pickles are easy to come by, but the right kind of donut is imperative! This is important! If you’re going for the full experience, here are some recipes for the right kind of sugar on snow donut:
Apple Cider Donuts by Damn Delicious
Baked Apple Cider Donuts by Sally’s Baking Addiction
Vegan Apple Cider Donuts by Choosing Chia
Gluten Free Apple Cider Donuts by Gluten Free on a Shoestring
See? Sugar on snow is not just for maple syrup makers – DIY or otherwise – but for anyone who can get their hands on a container of 100% pure maple syrup. Try it!
