Creative Commons attribution link in footer I was at a picnic a month ago when someone approached me with an interesting question: "Can I use brown rice syrup instead of maple syrup on pancakes," he asked?
He asked me because many in the group are aware that I need to eat gluten free, and also that health questions often intrigue me.
"Well, I'm sure you could," I said slowly. There's a jar of brown rice syrup way in the back of my refrigerator; I bought it because I thought it would be a great alternative to sugar for my boyfriend.
When I perused the back label carefully, however, I saw that the sugars were quite high -- over 30, as I recall. Maple syrup, from my memory, is a bit higher, in general - a number around 35 comes to mind. I only use the pure form of maple syrup, which I buy from Trader Joe's at around $6.99 per bottle. TJ's has two or three different varieties of pure maple syrup, as I recall.
Why do I use the pure variety? Well, simply because in the average "regular" maple syrup, I've found that one often finds corn syrup, mono and di-glyercides, and other things I don't really want to ingest. And, with pure maple syrup, there is no worry about whether it is gluten free! It is!
So, back to the issue at hand: I suggested a simple blueberry syrup, one that my acquaintance could make himself. Frankly, if it were me, I would just probably throw some frozen blueberries in the microwave, defrost them, and use those.
But, I imagine that you could make your own version of a simple blueberry syrup with a small amount of sugar in a pan, heated up, and some blueberries.
Are there any other suggestions? Thanks!
He asked me because many in the group are aware that I need to eat gluten free, and also that health questions often intrigue me.
"Well, I'm sure you could," I said slowly. There's a jar of brown rice syrup way in the back of my refrigerator; I bought it because I thought it would be a great alternative to sugar for my boyfriend.
When I perused the back label carefully, however, I saw that the sugars were quite high -- over 30, as I recall. Maple syrup, from my memory, is a bit higher, in general - a number around 35 comes to mind. I only use the pure form of maple syrup, which I buy from Trader Joe's at around $6.99 per bottle. TJ's has two or three different varieties of pure maple syrup, as I recall.
Why do I use the pure variety? Well, simply because in the average "regular" maple syrup, I've found that one often finds corn syrup, mono and di-glyercides, and other things I don't really want to ingest. And, with pure maple syrup, there is no worry about whether it is gluten free! It is!
So, back to the issue at hand: I suggested a simple blueberry syrup, one that my acquaintance could make himself. Frankly, if it were me, I would just probably throw some frozen blueberries in the microwave, defrost them, and use those.
But, I imagine that you could make your own version of a simple blueberry syrup with a small amount of sugar in a pan, heated up, and some blueberries.
Are there any other suggestions? Thanks!
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