I love pancakes and waffles, and because I eat a lot of them, I go through a lot of maple syrup. I have tried all kinds of syrup, but I noticed that if you buy store brands, or cheapie non-brands, the flavor you get is a lot less than spectacular. I did a lot of searching, but the only way to get really tasty syrup was to pay the high dollar for name brands.
Until, I was talking to a friend of mine who is very budget minded. She told me that she didn't eat syrup herself, because she has diabetes, but she bet I could find a recipe to make my own maple syrup from scratch for a lot less money than I could buy it. Talk about a facepalm moment! I could not believe I had never thought of that on my own. So the search began.
Until, I was talking to a friend of mine who is very budget minded. She told me that she didn't eat syrup herself, because she has diabetes, but she bet I could find a recipe to make my own maple syrup from scratch for a lot less money than I could buy it. Talk about a facepalm moment! I could not believe I had never thought of that on my own. So the search began.
I plugged "homemade maple syrup recipe" into Goggle and was rewarded with dozens of entries. After checking out a bunch of them, I realized the only way to know was to experiment. I chose 3 recipes that I thought looked good and I went out and bought the ingredients. After making half batches of each recipe, I asked two friends over to help me test the results.
All 3 syrups were actually ok, but I didn't think they are great. So I decided to make my own recipe. I tried several times, and could not get it right. It's more difficult than you think to get the right taste, color and consistency. Finally, I stumbled on the perfect combination of ingredients. I was amazed at how yummy it was! I asked back my two friends for a pancake brunch, just to make sure I was not imagining things. They loved it too, they said it tasted just like store bought, brand name syrup. They each asked for a copy of the recipe, before they left.
The recipe is as follows:
Ingredients:
Directions:
Pour white and brown sugar together and stir till mixed thoroughly
Add water slowly, stirring with sugars
Add Karo syrup, vanilla, maple extract and butter flavoring, stir until combined
Simmer for 30 minutes, over medium/low heat, stirring frequently
If all granules are melted and mixture is smooth, remove from heat and allow to cool.
I like to use mine while it is still hot. After eating, I take the leftover syrup and pour it into a mason jar (can also use any jar with a screw on lid) and keep it in the refrigerator. Should keep until it is used. If the sugar crystals begin to reform, just heat it up in the microwave before use.
Making your own condiments takes some time, but in the long run can save you a lot on money. The next one I am going to try to make is salad dressing, if you are like me, you spend quite a bit on that.
Jade :)
If you are a pancake fan like me, I recommend this book, it full of really cool and unusual pancake recipes. You will be trying these recipes for a long time!
All 3 syrups were actually ok, but I didn't think they are great. So I decided to make my own recipe. I tried several times, and could not get it right. It's more difficult than you think to get the right taste, color and consistency. Finally, I stumbled on the perfect combination of ingredients. I was amazed at how yummy it was! I asked back my two friends for a pancake brunch, just to make sure I was not imagining things. They loved it too, they said it tasted just like store bought, brand name syrup. They each asked for a copy of the recipe, before they left.
The recipe is as follows:
Ingredients:
- 4 c. water
- 2 c. white sugar
- 2 c. brown sugar
- 1/2 c. Karo syrup
- 2 tsp. butter flavoring
- 2 tbsp. maple extract
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Directions:
Pour white and brown sugar together and stir till mixed thoroughly
Add water slowly, stirring with sugars
Add Karo syrup, vanilla, maple extract and butter flavoring, stir until combined
Simmer for 30 minutes, over medium/low heat, stirring frequently
If all granules are melted and mixture is smooth, remove from heat and allow to cool.
I like to use mine while it is still hot. After eating, I take the leftover syrup and pour it into a mason jar (can also use any jar with a screw on lid) and keep it in the refrigerator. Should keep until it is used. If the sugar crystals begin to reform, just heat it up in the microwave before use.
Making your own condiments takes some time, but in the long run can save you a lot on money. The next one I am going to try to make is salad dressing, if you are like me, you spend quite a bit on that.
Jade :)
If you are a pancake fan like me, I recommend this book, it full of really cool and unusual pancake recipes. You will be trying these recipes for a long time!
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