Halloween Candy

Birch Syrup Candy

1. Heat birch syrup on medium to low heat, without stirring, until candy thermometer reaches 260 F (hard ball stage) or until until dropping a test spoonful into a glass of cold water turns the syrup into a sticky ball.
2. Remove from heat and drop by the spoonful onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. 
3. Freeze till hardened. 
4. Store candies in the freezer as they like to try and resort to liquid stage.  (Birch syrup, unlike maple syrup, does not crystallize.)

Dehydrated Yogurt

by Joanne Bell

Use plain yogurt and sweeten yogurt with birch syrup, to taste, or blend with berries.

1. Spread yogurt on parchment paper in a thin layer.
2. Dry in a food dehydrator or in an oven with a pilot light or in an oven on the lowest possibly temperature.  Thinner layers will be a bit crunchy.  Thicker layers will be the consistency of fruit leather.

Sugar Beet Candy

1. Wash and peel sugar beets.
2. Slice thinly and cover with water in a large pot.
3. Cook until beets are soft (approximately 1 hour).
4. Strain beets, reserving liquid in another pot.  For more yield, mash the strained beets and then squeeze the mashed beets in a cheesecloth bag to extract more liquid.
5. Heat the reserved liquid on medium to low heat, without stirring, until candy thermometer reaches 230F (soft ball stage) for toffee or up to 300 F (hard crack stage) for hard candy or until dropping a test spoonful into a glass of cold water turns the syrup into a sticky ball the consistency close to what you are hoping for.
6. Remove from heat and drop by the spoonful onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.   
7. Let cool.