Oh, The Syrup!

Yesterday I mentioned that this weekend you might consider taking a mini-vacation to Ireland, WV. My favorite destination for this Friday or Saturday, however, would have been Pickens, WV. Since we have other plans, we will not be able to venture into Randolph County for The Maple Syrup Festival. It is difficult for me to express how wonderful the pancakes and sausage tastes that are served daily.

The maple syrup is good - however, the best maple syrup in THE WORLD is produced locally by Randi and Larry Helk. You may know them for their award winning honey. Their farm, The Last Resort Farm, produces quality maple syrup that is amazing. I have tasted many maple syrups from a variety of locations, but their product wins over all the others. Problem is that their production of maple syrup is very limited and mostly it is for their own consumption at this time. Here is hoping that they will be able to increase their production in future years.

Back to the subject of Pickens, their festival, and syrup manufacture. If you have not been to Pickens, this in itself is an adventure. This community is tucked away in the Randolph County mountains.





Pickens and our state have a long history of sugar making. The Indians made syrup first. They threw hot rocks into hollowed-out logs that were filled with sap. The early settler quickly learned to make the sweet stuff and use it as their main source of sugar. Today, maple syrup and sugar are widely used in cooking, baking, and as topping.

If you are interested in attending this festival, click on the link below. This link will provide activites that are available, maps, and information regarding maple syrup.

http://pickenswv.squarespace.com/maple-syrup-festival/