RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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A US family friend sent me a book about candy.
Some of the recipies call for corn syrup or light corn syrup. Since these aren't available in the UK, I wonder if anyone has any suggestions for using something else in place of those two?
I'm given to understand that this is the ideal British substitute for corn syrup. Specifically the 'golden syrup.' The difference between corn syrup and light corn syrup is minimal, so it should work fine for either.
I don't know the recepie, but could you make a really thick simple syrup and accomplish something similar?
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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I thought Golden syrup was corn syrup but with a different name.
Nope, it's just a combination of sugars (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) blended in such a way as to prevent crystallization. There's no corn product in it at all.
We Americans use corn syrup like crazy because we grow corn in almost every state in the country (and the government subsidizes the hell out of it).
High-fructose corn syrup, HFCS... THAT is some scary stuff...
High-fructose corn syrup, HFCS... THAT is some scary stuff...
HFCS is just corn syrup that has had some of the glucose converted into fructose because fructose tastes sweeter. There is very little evidence to sugest that it is worse for you than regular sucrose in any way.
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High-fructose corn syrup, HFCS... THAT is some scary stuff...HFCS is just corn syrup that has had some of the glucose converted into fructose because fructose tastes sweeter. There is very little evidence to sugest that it is worse for you than regular sucrose in any way.
I think that its ubiquity is what makes it frightening.
And though there may not be evidence that it is worse than sucrose, I've seen so many people who thought it was just *normal* to put down 6-8 liters of HFCS soda a day... I can't help but feel that in 20 years we'll look back on these habits as completely insane.
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Well, I have a friend that is allergic to sulfites. Sulfites are usually an ingredient of an ingredient. I do know that sulfites are sometimes used in the production of high fructose corn syrup - thus she can have a severe allergic reaction to it. But it's not' always used - she happened to know from past experience that the HFCS in Heinz ketchup, for example, didn't give her a reaction.
I, on the other hand, don't care too much, really, unless I know she's coming over. :)
High-fructose corn syrup, HFCS... THAT is some scary stuff...HFCS is just corn syrup that has had some of the glucose converted into fructose because fructose tastes sweeter. There is very little evidence to sugest that it is worse for you than regular sucrose in any way.I think that its ubiquity is what makes it frightening.
And though there may not be evidence that it is worse than sucrose, I've seen so many people who thought it was just *normal* to put down 6-8 liters of HFCS soda a day... I can't help but feel that in 20 years we'll look back on these habits as completely insane.
Like back when smoking was considered healthy.
High-fructose corn syrup, HFCS... THAT is some scary stuff...HFCS is just corn syrup that has had some of the glucose converted into fructose because fructose tastes sweeter. There is very little evidence to sugest that it is worse for you than regular sucrose in any way.I think that its ubiquity is what makes it frightening.
And though there may not be evidence that it is worse than sucrose, I've seen so many people who thought it was just *normal* to put down 6-8 liters of HFCS soda a day... I can't help but feel that in 20 years we'll look back on these habits as completely insane.
And if it was regular sucrose based those people would be putting away just as much soda. I've known a few people like that. Many of them don't even like the taste of the soda. Usually it is Mountain Dew.
I drink soda for the caffeine more than the sugar/fake sugar. That said, I do like the taste of the stuff I drink, including MD. I typically go through about four or five cans a day - two in the morning, one for lunch, and one or two in the afternoon - so I'm not near THAT bad.
And if it was regular sucrose based those people would be putting away just as much soda. I've known a few people like that. Many of them don't even like the taste of the soda. Usually it is Mountain Dew.High-fructose corn syrup, HFCS... THAT is some scary stuff...HFCS is just corn syrup that has had some of the glucose converted into fructose because fructose tastes sweeter. There is very little evidence to sugest that it is worse for you than regular sucrose in any way.I think that its ubiquity is what makes it frightening.
And though there may not be evidence that it is worse than sucrose, I've seen so many people who thought it was just *normal* to put down 6-8 liters of HFCS soda a day... I can't help but feel that in 20 years we'll look back on these habits as completely insane.
I rarely drink soda and even then it usually has something else in it such as ice cream or rum. Though I do like Ginger ale i make sure it's made with sugar. It just makes me feel better.
I drink soda for the caffeine more than the sugar/fake sugar. That said, I do like the taste of the stuff I drink, including MD. I typically go through about four or five cans a day - two in the morning, one for lunch, and one or two in the afternoon - so I'm not near THAT bad.
That's what my espresso machine is for.
I drink soda for the caffeine more than the sugar/fake sugar. That said, I do like the taste of the stuff I drink, including MD. I typically go through about four or five cans a day - two in the morning, one for lunch, and one or two in the afternoon - so I'm not near THAT bad.That's what my espresso machine is for.
Don't like coffee.
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Don't like coffee.I drink soda for the caffeine more than the sugar/fake sugar. That said, I do like the taste of the stuff I drink, including MD. I typically go through about four or five cans a day - two in the morning, one for lunch, and one or two in the afternoon - so I'm not near THAT bad.That's what my espresso machine is for.
BLASPHEMER!!! HE'S A WITCH!!! BURN HIM!!!
;-)
On another note...
I actually drink my espresso (which is technically coffee, but it's in another league) with just honey. It's not what you'd expect. You may like it, but perhaps not.
BLASPHEMER!!! HE'S A WITCH!!! BURN HIM!!!Don't like coffee.I drink soda for the caffeine more than the sugar/fake sugar. That said, I do like the taste of the stuff I drink, including MD. I typically go through about four or five cans a day - two in the morning, one for lunch, and one or two in the afternoon - so I'm not near THAT bad.That's what my espresso machine is for.
YES BURN!!! wait...
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Don't like coffee.I drink soda for the caffeine more than the sugar/fake sugar. That said, I do like the taste of the stuff I drink, including MD. I typically go through about four or five cans a day - two in the morning, one for lunch, and one or two in the afternoon - so I'm not near THAT bad.That's what my espresso machine is for.BLASPHEMER!!! HE'S A WITCH!!! BURN HIM!!!
;-)
On another note...
I actually drink my espresso (which is technically coffee, but it's in another league) with just honey. It's not what you'd expect. You may like it, but perhaps not.
With honey? Interesting.
I love espresso. After my brief residence in Italy, it took me the better part of 6 months to redevelop a taste for that stagnant dishwater we call "coffee" in America.
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Best American fudge recipe IMO, biased heavily by the fact that this is the recipe my grandmother always used, does not use corn syrup at all. Now it uses Marshmallow fluff, and I don't know if you have that in the UK, but here it is:
Never-Fail Fudge
2 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 stick butter or margarine
1 5 oz. can evaporated milk (2/3 c.)
1 Jar (7 1/2oz) Marshmallow Fluff
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1 12-oz. package semi-sweet chocolate pieces
1 /2 c. chopped walnuts
Grease a 9-inch square baking pan; set aside. In large saucepan combine the first 5 ingredients. Stir over low heat until blended. Increase heat to Medium and bring to a full-rolling boil being careful not to mistake escaping air bubbles for boiling. Boil slowly, stirring constantly for 5 minutes (use Soft-Ball test). Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and chocolate until chocolate is melted. Add nuts. Turn into greased pan and cool. Makes 2 1/2 pounds.
Hint: As with all fudge recipes, cooking time will vary depending on factors such as humidity and altitude. For best results, use the softball test to make sure the fudge has been cooked enough. The softball test can be found in any cookbook and on our website under frequently asked question (FAQ's).
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This is very easy to make, and risks less weird consistency or burning on than syrup based recipes. I leave out the walnuts myself (I never understood people's desire to cut beautiful smooth chocolate taste with bitter chunky walnuts, but that may well be just me).
Well, if you're making fudge it shouldn't be as finicky as some other types of candy, so the golden syrup should work fine. It might work fine for making hard candy as well, but I've never tried it. Mostly because candy making is so tedious. Even fudge I found a shortcut for so I don't have to get out the candy thermometer. Not sure what fudge is like in the UK, but if you're describing it as granular that sounds like the chocolate got wet while being melted. *shrug* I'd have to see a recipe to even know what the differences are. Anyways, good luck with your candy-making endeavor. :)
With honey? Interesting.
I love espresso. After my brief residence in Italy, it took me the better part of 6 months to redevelop a taste for that stagnant dishwater we call "coffee" in America.
I have a Nespresso machine at home and I am in love with it. I can't hardly drink regualr coffee anymore either. I just don't like it as much as I used to.
Also, Starbucks is alright, but their stuff tastes burnt to me. Its so they can use lower quality beans and still have that signature falvor (aka burnt). Also it makes consistency easier.
So the honey+espresso may or may not be good with chain coffee huts.
Thanks for the replies! Wow!
Graywulfe- Brief history lesson. At some point, British and presumably European farmers started growing sugar beet as an alternative to sugar, maybe due to a historic price hike or maybe because of WW2, and it's still grown. I don't know what happened in the US, but maybe their corporations thought that corn syrup was the cheapest or easier alternative to actual sugar for them?
I think that Mexican cola still uses real sugar though (like in the UK), which is perhaps why it's popular with some US people who don't want corn syrup?
Anyway, because of sugar beet, corn syrup isn’t over here. Hope that helps!
Per the history channel (Modern Marvels);
The sugar beat is as good of a source for sugar as sugar cane and it's easier to grow.
HCFS is cheaper to use in mass produced foods. Also it's a liguid so it's simpler to deal with as opposed to grandulated sugar.
You are correct about the Mexican soda.
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That recipe looks delicious DQ. I may have to try it sometime. It's a little more complicated than what I do, so probably not during the holidays. I already have to make mountains of the stuff at Christmas so speed is important. :)
This is the one I use.
Super Simple Fudge
1 package bitter chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk.
small pinch of salt
flavoring syrup of some kind. Vanilla for plain fudge. Other popular choices are mint, almond, hazelnut, and orange. The original recipe called for a teaspoon. Use more than that, but no more than a tablespoon. Really I just pour in what looks like the right amount.
Melt the chocolate. Double boiler works, but really so does the microwave. DO NOT EVER LET IT GET WET. NO WATER NEAR THE CHOCOLATE. If melting in the microwave heat for 30 seconds, stir, repeat until it's melted. Be careful. Scorched chocolate tastes bad. Stir in the sw. cond. milk, salt, and flavoring syrup. Stir well. Line a 8x8 pan with wax paper. Pour the fudge in and put it in the fridge to set. When it's all set (give it a few hours, trust me) then pull it out of the pan, put it on a cutting board, peel off the wax paper and cut it into lots of small pieces. Makes a whole lotta fudge, you will want to share.
lynora,
Your recipie is the first I have seen without sugar. Looks interesting.
You will get the more granular texture to fudge if you use more sugar. Corn syrpup can be used in place of the sugar and leave it with a smoother consistency. You can also avoid it if you cool your fudge quickly, as the grains don't get the time to grow, but for homemade fudge I'm not sure how much people want to play with cooling tables.
lynora,
Your recipie is the first I have seen without sugar. Looks interesting.You will get the more granular texture to fudge if you use more sugar. Corn syrpup can be used in place of the sugar and leave it with a smoother consistency. You can also avoid it if you cool your fudge quickly, as the grains don't get the time to grow, but for homemade fudge I'm not sure how much people want to play with cooling tables.
If you've got a granite slab or a granite countertop then you can use that to cool your fudge. The granite isn't going to care.
Granite slab is what the high end candy-making books recommend for home use.
Also, if you want caffine, why on earth are you drinking espresso? The longer the bean is roasted, the less caffeine (and coffee flavor) the resulting brew has, and the espresso process extracts less caffeine then normal brewing.* Goes to enjoy another cup of vacuum brewed full city roast 100% Kona.
I dont JUST want caffine. I like the experience and the taste. If I wanted JUST caffiene i'd buy the pure form (a white crystaline powder) and snort it. lol.
If I just wanted caffeine I'd drink Red Bull or something, pure caffeine is too dangerous for me. Similarly, espresso is too burnt for me. It doesn't even taste like coffee in anything more then a generic, abstract way.I dont JUST want caffine. I like the experience and the taste. If I wanted JUST caffiene i'd buy the pure form (a white crystaline powder) and snort it. lol.
Also, if you want caffine, why on earth are you drinking espresso? The longer the bean is roasted, the less caffeine (and coffee flavor) the resulting brew has, and the espresso process extracts less caffeine then normal brewing.* Goes to enjoy another cup of vacuum brewed full city roast 100% Kona.
Blasphemy!!!! To compare "red bull or something" to the milk of the gods!!!
Where did I leave my pitch fork and torches? Someone call the angry mob. We have work to do.
If I just wanted caffeine I'd drink Red Bull or something, pure caffeine is too dangerous for me. Similarly, espresso is too burnt for me. It doesn't even taste like coffee in anything more then a generic, abstract way.I dont JUST want caffine. I like the experience and the taste. If I wanted JUST caffiene i'd buy the pure form (a white crystaline powder) and snort it. lol.
Also, if you want caffine, why on earth are you drinking espresso? The longer the bean is roasted, the less caffeine (and coffee flavor) the resulting brew has, and the espresso process extracts less caffeine then normal brewing.* Goes to enjoy another cup of vacuum brewed full city roast 100% Kona.
Blasphemy!!!! To compare "red bull or something" to the milk of the gods!!!
Where did I leave my pitch fork and torches? Someone call the angry mob. We have work to do.
Can I assist you?
Considering that less then half a teaspoon of caffeine will kill you, it's way too dangerous.
My sister-in-law once OD'd on caffeine -- ended up spending a day in the hospital, IIRC. So, yeah, be careful with that stuff. Definitely do NOT wash down a couple of caffeine pills with Red Bull.
High-fructose corn syrup, HFCS... THAT is some scary stuff...HFCS is just corn syrup that has had some of the glucose converted into fructose because fructose tastes sweeter. There is very little evidence to sugest that it is worse for you than regular sucrose in any way.I think that its ubiquity is what makes it frightening.
And though there may not be evidence that it is worse than sucrose, I've seen so many people who thought it was just *normal* to put down 6-8 liters of HFCS soda a day... I can't help but feel that in 20 years we'll look back on these habits as completely insane.
You don't really have to wait, it is completely insane.
A liter of Mt Dew has about 480 calories. So 6 liters is 2880 calories and you haven't had anything to eat yet.
If all you do is sit down for your job all day, then go home and sit down some more, you probably aren't burning over 2000 calories a day. A pound of human fat has about 3500 calories, so just from the soda, you're gaining about 1 lb of fat every 4 days.
Now that isn't completely true, as you go up in weight, more calories go into maintaining your body weight as well, but still, the calorie intake is way too high. When you add in food, those people are probably 5,000 or more calories per day (intake).
As a frame of reference, professional athletes tend to burn around 4,000 to 4,500 calories a day while training/performing.
A hiker who covers 18 miles in a day over rough terrain can get up to 6,000 calories a day.
I do some canoeing in remote wilderness areas. I usually plan out meals to around 3000-3500 a day. I still lose 2-5 lbs in a week.
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Thanks for the replies! Wow!
Replying to the questions-
Krensky- I’m looking to make American-style fudge. UK fudge is more granular, and I’m not really a fan. US fudge is more creamy, for lack of a better word. When I was in California in the ‘90s, the family friend took Dad and I to this shop in Old Pasadena called Heminger’s Fudge. Their stuff was amazing!! The friend sent the book so that I could learn to make something like it.
Graywulfe- Brief history lesson. At some point, British and presumably European farmers started growing sugar beet as an alternative to sugar, maybe due to a historic price hike or maybe because of WW2, and it's still grown. I don't know what happened in the US, but maybe their corporations thought that corn syrup was the cheapest or easier alternative to actual sugar for them?
I think that Mexican cola still uses real sugar though (like in the UK), which is perhaps why it's popular with some US people who don't want corn syrup?
Anyway, because of sugar beet, corn syrup isn’t over here. Hope that helps!
First off thank you for the education. Second I had to comment, you statement of "real sugar" amuses me. Sugar is sugar, chemically speaking. Anyways back to your regularly scheduled off-topic discussion. :)
Second I had to comment, you statement of "real sugar" amuses me. Sugar is sugar, chemically speaking.
Not exactly -- "sugars" are a whole family of similar compounds (generally C12H22O11 in various structures, or C6H12O6 for fructose). Beet and cane sugar are predominantly sucrose; corn syrup has more maltose (or fructose, if processed into "high-fructose corn syrup").
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Second I had to comment, you statement of "real sugar" amuses me. Sugar is sugar, chemically speaking.Not exactly -- "sugars" are a whole family of similar compounds (generally C12H22O11 in various structures, or C6H12O6 for fructose). Beet and cane sugar are predominantly sucrose; corn syrup has more maltose (or fructose, if processed into "high-fructose corn syrup").
You are correct, more properly stated it might have been, "Sugars are sugars..." Corn Syrup is still real sugar. That is what I was getting at.
Corn Syrup is still real sugar. That is what I was getting at.
But I think his definition of "real sugar" is sucrose (specifically from cane sugar), which means that maltose, fructose, galactose, et al. are not.
lynora,
Your recipie is the first I have seen without sugar. Looks interesting.You will get the more granular texture to fudge if you use more sugar. Corn syrpup can be used in place of the sugar and leave it with a smoother consistency. You can also avoid it if you cool your fudge quickly, as the grains don't get the time to grow, but for homemade fudge I'm not sure how much people want to play with cooling tables.
It's what I call the lazy cook's approach to fudge. :)
I used to put in a lot of effort to cooking and then I learned more and more how not to have to. Good food shouldn't have to take loads of time and effort, IMO. Some of it can, but it shouldn't all have to.
Thanks for explaining the granularity issue. I didn't realize it was a problem with recrystallization. Makes sense now. :)
I love fudge - its good stuff, I am not sure how Australian fudge compares to US or Brittish fudge. It's smooth and I could kill for some right now macadamia or pistachio would be good.
I grew up in a small sea side town in a tropical part of Austalia, our main industries were sugar cane and bananas, (also other tropical fruit and macadamias).
We were always taught the "Evil" Europeans forced the UK to stop buying our sugar when they joined the EEC and abandoned all it's commercial contracts with the commonwealth.
I drink soda for the caffeine more than the sugar/fake sugar. That said, I do like the taste of the stuff I drink, including MD. I typically go through about four or five cans a day - two in the morning, one for lunch, and one or two in the afternoon - so I'm not near THAT bad.
I can't imagine drinking that much.
I switched to diet about a year ago. I still drink regular soda if I eat out or am gaming or something, but day to day I drink just diet cola. Probably 1 in the morning (or early afternoon, hehe) to wake up. Sometimes another during work, though I largely drink water.I remember when I used to drink 3-4 MD a day. And I get flak for actually liking the flavor of MD (or as my old boss called it "nectar of the tards") but still. Never again.
We were always taught the "Evil" Europeans forced the UK to stop buying our sugar when they joined the EEC and abandoned all it's commercial contracts with the commonwealth.
I suppose it's possible but I've always thought it was wanting to be less dependent on imports after the second world war.
Thing is, the chemical and hormonal responses to artificial sweeteners are not exactly clear. Phenylalanine, maltitol, aspartam... All are "not just sugars". They do other things, and we are not sure what. There are indications that the brain can keep an addiction to sugar going on artificial sweeteners. It is also thought that for some reason, AS still makes you gain weight, perhaps because you get increased sugar craving. If so, the cure for obesity is part of what makes you fat.
I prefer to use sugar in smaller amounts.