Salted Maple Pie

March 22, 2020

The first Saturday in March, I went to Funks Grove for a maple sirup-making demonstration. The day was sunny, 60 degrees, and perfect. Several of the volunteers said the weather was the nicest they had seen in their many years of experience. None of us knew how quickly the world would turn sideways in the weeks that followed, and since I am currently self quarantined in central Illinois, I thought I would share a positive experience from that beautiful day. This post is not sponsored, I am simply sharing a personal experience. Much love to everyone and please stay safe.

A quick historical note about the spelling of sirup from a Funks Grove volunteer: “Sirup” was the initial spelling of the word in Webster’s Dictionary, and refers to the process of boiling pure sap to make the end product. “Syrup” indicates the addition of sugar.

Funks Grove is located in Shirley, Illinois, and is the southern-most maple sirup producing operation in North America. In fact, maple sirup is only made in North America due to the weather conditions that allow rapid freezing at night and warmer temperatures during the day. This rapid fluctuation in temperature makes the tree sap rise from the roots of the trees to the tips of the branches and back, in a cycle that recurs over several days. In central Illinois, the time span to tap maple trees occurs between mid-February and mid-March.

Funks Grove demonstrates two ways to make maple sirup out of sap. The first demonstration used a propane-powered evaporator similar to the first evaporator invented by a maple sirup producer in Vermont. 40 gallons of sap makes 1 gallon of sirup, so this process takes time. The steam slowly rose towards the sunlit ceiling inside the Sap and Honey House as water evaporated from the sap and lightly scented the air with the smell of sirup.

Photo of Funks Grove Sap and Honey House

The second demonstration included a history lesson on the origin of how maple sirup was discovered. The full history can be found here. A Native American Iroquois chief was hunting and gashed a tree with hatchet while hunting rabbit. He placed a vessel under the hatchet and the vessel was forgotten until the next day. The chief’s wife went to draw water from the creek in order to cook the rabbit, and she found the vessel already full of a clear liquid she thought was water. She used the liquid to cook the rabbit in, and she and the chief were both surprised at the resulting sweetness. Native Americans would cook the sap by first heating rocks in a fire and then moving the hot rocks to a hollowed out log filled with sap. The heat from the rock caused the water to escape from the sap, leaving sirup behind. This became a natural sweetener for Native Americans to use. Pioneers learned how to make maple sirup from the Native Americans and the process for boiling sap evolved over time.

I got to experience tapping a maple tree by turning a hand drill through the bark of the tree. Less than an inch into the tree, the sap began running out. The liquid is surprisingly clear and not overly sweet due to the amount of water. After inserting a spile and hanging a covered bucket, we were off to the best part of the tour, buying all the maple treats from Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup Shop! I highly recommend the pancake mix to go with a bottle of sirup!

Salted Maple Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie

This recipe is adapted from Sister Pie bakery in Detroit, Michigan. I learned about their “Pie it Forward” program and became an instant fan. The program allows people to buy a slice of pie for someone in need. You can even participate in this awesome program online. If you are a pie nerd like me you will also drool over the unique pie combinations in the Sister Pie cookbook.

One 9-inch butter pie crust

1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup good quality maple syrup (Grade B is recommended)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
3/4 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, beaten for brushing the pie crust
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Blind bake the all-butter pie crust using pie weights or dried beans. Let cool.

In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter and maple syrup. Add the brown sugar, cornmeal, and kosher salt. Whisk to combine.

In another medium bowl, add the eggs and egg yolk. Add the cream and vanilla. Whisk until combined.

Slowly pour the egg mixture into the maple mixture and whisk just until combined.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the blind-baked shell on the baking sheet. Brush the crimped edge with the beaten egg. Pour the maple filling into the pie shell until it reaches the bottom of the crimps.

Carefully place the baking sheet with the pie in the oven and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour. The edges should be puffed and the center slightly jiggly when shaken. The filling will continue to set as it cools.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool 4-6 hours. Once the pie is room temperature, sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt. Slice into 6-8 pieces and serve.

Wrap any leftover pie in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.