y far the most commonly listed Native American use of the maple tree was for the manufacture of maple sugar and maple syrup. In addition to its consumption as a sugar and syrup, processed maple sap that was left to ferment was made into a vinegar and an intoxicant by the Iroquois. Nutritional studies of pure maple syrup have found the syrup to contain many nutrients that are important in the human diet, particularly calcium. Pure maple syrup may have approximately the same calcium content as an equal volume of whole milk. e-mail us your recipes at: recipes@prippssugarbush.com

Maple Meat Rub On Country Ribs

• ½ T. salt
• 1 C. maple sugar
• 2 heaping t. celery seed
• 1 heaping T. chopped fresh basil or 1t. dry basil
• 5 cloves garlic minced
• 2 heaping t. paprika
• ½ t. pepper
• 5 lbs. Country ribs

Spray a large shallow roasting pan. Place the ribs in a single layer in the pan and rub the ribs using all of the rub. Loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil and place in a 450 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees for 45 minutes then place the ribs on a hot grill for 8 minutes (4 minutes each side) OR leave the ribs in the oven uncovered for another 8- 15 minutes basting frequently.

Tip: Place the pan juices in a small saucepan, add ½ C. ketchup and 1t. Mustard, bring to a boil and reduce for a few minutes. Serve with the ribs.