What's on YOUR Pancakes?

You don't even think about it. You've run out of syrup for the "weekend pancake-fest" your family holds every Saturday morning, and you pick up good 'ol Aunt Jemima, or better yet, Mrs. Butterworth, and throw it in the cart.

Let's take a minute and review: what is it exactly you THINK you're putting on your pancakes? Maple syrup that comes from a tree? Try again.

Here is the ingredient statement to Aunt Jemima's Original Syrup:

CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WATER, CELLULOSE GUM, CARAMEL COLOR, SALT, SODIUM BENZOATE AND SORBIC ACID (PRESERVATIVES), ARTIFICIAL AND NATURAL FLAVORS, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE.

Did I miss it--was there ANY maple syrup in there? Anything close to it? Let's see: cheap sweetener (corn syrup), CHEAPER sweetener (high fructose corn syrup), and then a lot of unsubstantial "stuff". Basically, pouring Aunt Jemima on your pancakes is like melting down a fluorescent pink Peep and soaking up your breakfast with that monstrosity.

Do yourself a favor--buy pure maple syrup. One ingredient in the ingredient statement: pure maple syrup. Yes it is going to cost a little more, but why shouldn't it; anything other then pure maple syrup is just a chemists approach to imitate the real thing. Although much of the nutritional info is similar to pure maple syrup (both have the same calorie count, similar carbs., 0 fat), Aunt Jemima's syrup has 24 times more sodium! Talk about a poor resemblance of the real thing, to nature's unadulterated sweetener.

I buy Costco's maple syrup--buying it in bulk saves a couple dimes, and I use it in quite a few recipe that use real maple syrup as a sweetener. You'll be surprised with the REAL flavor of maple on those pancakes when you make the switch. Pure maple syrup is rich and vibrant in flavor; one of nature's sweet pleasures.