alternatives to $$$$ maple syrup
Have you seen the price of maple syrup lately? Not the fake stuff, but the real thing. We love it on our pancakes but just can't justify the price anymore. I've been foregoing it all fall but found a recipe for this cider sauce that I'd like to share.
Combine 4 tbsp sugar w/ 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Slowly whisk in 1 1/2 c cider. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat til thick. (You can vary the sugar amount if you want more or less, but 4 tbsp's been pretty good for us.)
What do you put on yours?
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30 Comments:
RMG Family Sugar Bush here in Michigan has quarts of syrup for $17.50 from trees in the upper peninsula. For the real thing, that's an amount I'd pay just for the experience.
LunaPierCook at 7:45PM on 12/03/08
we love nutmeg syrup - just water, sugar, and nutmeg
5starfoodie at 8:16PM on 12/03/08
On the rare occasions I eat pancakes, I like them with just butter, no syrup. Waffles, depending on what kind, I might eat with butter and/or syrup, or plain. When I make waffles, there are always enough left over to freeze, and when I eat those, it's either just warmed up and plain, or with a little butter -- more most people would eat toast, I guess.
French toast, on the other hand, has to have butter and maple syrup. Dripping and gooey. And if I'm doing it right, I also have pork sausages which happily drown in the maple syrup.
Or I'll eat French toast with butter and cinnamon. Or butter and raspberry syrup.
dbcurrie at 8:34PM on 12/03/08
I use real organic grade B maple syrup. It's worth the money to me. That said, I rarely eat pancakes/waffles, etc. so it lasts a while. I tend to use it more for stuff like mashed sweet potatoes and mixed with yogurt as a dip for fruit.
My mom, a woman who counts every penny, but also LOVES good food, makes syrup out of the syrup (half maple syrup/half blueberries or cranberries). It's a way to stretch the syrup while still giving a blast of great flavor. The half cranberry/half maple syrup on cornmeal muffins is probably one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted in my life.
chisai at 8:41PM on 12/03/08
Do you have a Trader Joe's nearby? Their pricing for the real stuff is really reasonable.
CassieRose at 8:46PM on 12/03/08
@Cassie--I was going to say that, but you beat me to it. TJ's has an awesome price on maple syrup.
buffy at 8:52PM on 12/03/08
All right, this may sound slightly odd, but I love my pancakes topped with sour cream (butter if for some mysterious reason I'm out of sour cream), sprinkled with sea salt, and then drizzled with blueberry syrup (home-made).
brooke29 at 9:05PM on 12/03/08
@brooke ~ That like have a blintz (without the filling) YUM!
izatryt at 9:09PM on 12/03/08
@iz - exactly!!!
brooke29 at 9:21PM on 12/03/08
@chisai-- the maple syrup/cranberries on cornmeal muffins sounds sooooo delicious.
Christina at 9:41PM on 12/03/08
chisai, sounds awesome. Would be very appreciative of a more specific recipe. Do you use raw fruit? Already cooked cranberry/blueberry sauce? I could probably figure it out on my own, but would love to know your method...
simon at 10:11PM on 12/03/08
saute some apples in butter and spices and top pancakes with that.... i also like lemon pancakes.... butter, powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice..... it's really good.
pooch at 11:02PM on 12/03/08
I just noticed that my husband put the maple syrup in the fridge with about a centimeter of syrup in the bottom of the bottle. *sigh* Not enough to use, but too much for him to toss. We made french toast for breakfast on Thanksgiving day and realized that was all the syrup left. Hubby whipped up a little sauce with some frozen berries, a splash of something from the liquor cabinet, butter and sugar. Not bad.
I actually have apple cider, so I'm going to give your sauce a shot.
wookie at 12:16AM on 12/04/08
I finished up the last of the maple syrup I bought in Vermont 2 years ago. I bought some pancake syrup. YUK. I got spoiled. I've been wanting to get some apple cider for drinking and cooking (love to cook pork in it), and I will definitely try the sauce.
PerkyMac at 1:03AM on 12/04/08
I haven't bought maple syrup from anywhere but Costco or Sam's since forever. I don't use much on pancakes or waffles but I do cook with it and it lasts almost forever in the fridge.
I also have some cider in the fridge and will give your sauce a try!
therealchiffonade at 6:24AM on 12/04/08
I looooove the real thing, but it's way out of my budget as well, at the moment. My kids are content with imitation stuff, like Log Cabin.
I have found that making a nice homemade applesauce satisfies me...thinned out a bit with cider. Or I've also done the lemon juice and powdered sugar route...very different and delicious.
My mother used to pick concord grapes near our house and make a syrup out of those, with sugar. That was pure heaven.
juliebugsmama at 9:31AM on 12/04/08
@simon, when I do the real maple syrup+ fruit thing, I use raw fruit (blueberries, strawberries, haven't done anythign else yet). I also add in a little of either agave nectar, honey, or brown rice syrup to stretch the maple syrup a little more and add depth to the flavors. Simmer it while you make your pancake/waffle batter and let it reduce till you need it.
joyyy at 10:24AM on 12/04/08
Sounds amazing, and I'm not even all that into breakfast. Will def try it.
simon at 1:42PM on 12/04/08
The fake crap or honey with LOADS or butter....Real butter!!
pjracz10 at 4:16PM on 12/04/08
Cane syrup!
nightowl at 10:09PM on 12/04/08
@5star, nutmeg is a potent hallucinogen. As little as a teaspoon can get you high as a kite-any experiences you'd like to share?
michichan at 11:31PM on 12/04/08
Butter and powdered sugar is what we use when we run out or don't feel we can splurge on the real stuff. I have a vauge memory of my grandma putting Karo syrup on her pancakes -- ewww. I remember thinking it was gross even as a kid when I thought there was no such thing as too sweet.
lakeloverhh at 11:07AM on 12/05/08
There just isn't any substitute, but I'm planning on pricing maple butter when I I'm in NYC, soon. Maple syrup costs a fortune, here, too, but that's partly because it's all imported; there are maple trees in Denmark, but I've never seen them being tapped.
mongoose at 11:27AM on 12/05/08
Maple syrup has no replacement. You can make toppings to use on pancakes. Simplest version: bag of frozen fruit in pan, 1/4 cup sugar, and heat.
Otherwise, you should make pancakes and waffles that don't need syrup. If they arent already sweet, a teaspoon of sugar will usually fix a whole batch of pancakes. My favorite thing to do with crispy crepes and fluffy crusty pancakes is tear them apart with my hands. I make them finger food.
blizcheetah at 1:08AM on 12/06/08
You can buy Grade A maple syrup right from the source by mail from this mom & pop farm in Vermont. Fantastic stuff at reasonable prices. Their apple cider products are great, too.
www.woodscidermill.com/PRODUCTS/MapleSyrup.html
salpico at 9:24AM on 12/06/08
I buy it right from the farm, not far from my parents', $15 for a quart of Grade B. Available here, but the s/h costs are probably killer.
cara_mia at 8:04PM on 12/06/08
there's also lyle's golden syrup or steen's cane syrup. steen's has a fairly strong molasses flavor, though.
my current pancake of choice is a dutch baby, which needs nothing more than a squirt of lemon juice and a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top.
when i was living with my friend's mother in prague, she made me some thin pancakes which she spread with apricot jam and then rolled up. those were fantastic.
cybercita at 8:38PM on 12/06/08
@blizcheetah~pancakes are absolutely finger food in this house.
Take a pancake, dip it in sugar and enjoy!
Syrup makes them soggy. If we're being formal, you know, with forks, then we'll put butter and THEN sugar.
@cybercita~Once, when my daughter was young, (OH, and I do NOT get up in the morning as a rule), I decided to make jelly rolls, like cyber's talking about, for breakfast. I used jam that I got from the farmer's market and they looked beautiful; all dusted with powdered sugar and on a beautiful platter. My hub and daughter ate and looked at me smiling and said YUM. I sat down and tasted these rubbery, inedible creations of mine and laughed. Told them I loved them and to stop eating.
Sometimes, the people you love are wonderful.
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 3:32AM on 12/07/08
I too use only real maple, and splurge on it. It's a bit lower in price here, because we have so many producers in WNY. Last spring I was worried about a shortage because of the weather, so I bought a gallon total - 2 quart bottles and 1 1/2 gallon....I have half of it left. It was an investment, almost $50, but it lasted me a year. I buy Grade B, it's stronger in flavor & seems to go further because of that. I use maple syrup for more than pancakes & waffles....making baked goods, custards & using it in bbq & other sauces. I couldn't imagine a substitute!
I buy my maple syrup here:
http://www.bigtreemaple.com/plastic%20jug.html
They do mail order. Another option for those of you not in maple country is mail order from any number of our NY producers....you can find a list here:
http://www.nysmaple.com/index.html
mepolo at 8:41AM on 12/08/08
I think I'm losing my perspective on the cost of maple syrup, because here, a 250mL (about half a pint) bottle runs about $8.50; the stuff for sale at Whole Foods for $18 looked like a steal (and my arms still ache from the added weight to my luggage)!
mongoose at 2:01PM on 12/17/08