Saturday, September 4, 2010

"My Favorite Color is Pancake and French Fries."

So said Ben this morning at breakfast, our Saturday pancakes.

The ingredients in a commercial pancake syrup are truly astonishing.  What's even more astonishing to me is that such junk is not cheap.  I've had to tighten my food expenses and  (painfully) cannot justify the cost of maple syrup right now because it's just not a very nutritionally important food, nor is it local for me.  I wanted to find cheap, non-chemical syrup.
My solution was in the More with Less cookbook (most of my solutions are, you know).



Maple Syrup - from More with Less, with a tweak

Combine in saucepan:
1 1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. water

Bring to boil, cover to prevent later crystallization, and boil for 1 minute.
Allow to cool slightly.
Add:
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 to 1/2 c. maple syrup

Store in refrigerator.

The original recipe called for maple flavoring, but I just dump in some of the real thing instead.  This way, I can stretch a quart of maple syrup for months.

I had used another recipe from MWL that was thickened with cornstarch, but it only kept in the fridge for a week or two before spoiling.

9 comments:

Jennifer Jo said...

It spoiled with cornstarch? Really? I've been thickening mine with Therm Flo and it keeps for months. http://bit.ly/9jtuil I'll examine it closer next time. Maybe we're adorning our waffles with mold. Yum.

Unknown said...

Homemade syrup is the greatest stuff - if you can't have maple syrup - we use it if we don't buy the real stuff from a friend ; )

Sylvia said...

I love Ben's favorite color. That's so sweet!

Deanna Beth said...

What a clever solution.

Jacinta said...

Oh must try that. Even though we have the fake maple syrup, it still goes too quickly. I think we'll be having pancakes for breaky tomoz!

www.modelmumma.blogspot.com

Julia said...

My husband has always made his own "maple" syrup with two cups white sugar, water, and the maple flavoring. I love making our own. We'll have to try it with the brown sugar and real maple syrup. That's a great idea.

Gina said...

I love making my own syrup too. Do you ever have trouble with the sugar crystallizing on the bottom? I don't know what I'm doing wrong.
Gina

Margo said...

Gina, I've never had that happen, but I have also read that you need to cover the sugar and water while it's cooking to prevent sugar crystallization. Hope that helps!

Life In A Pink Fibro said...

What a great idea. We don't have maple syrup that often, so I can buy the real thing knowing it will last months. I can't abide the fake stuff. I think your idea of using real syrup instead of flavouring is a good one.

Thanks for Rewinding at the Fibro.