A Traditional Farm Life - Mapleine Pancake Syrup

A Traditional Farm Life

By Shasta Hamilton

Greetings from Enterprise, dear friends!   Today I was “taken for a ride.”  It was Mama’s maiden voyage riding in the people hauler with our boys taking turns at the lines.

Michael had the four youngest children with him on a shopping trip, so it was just the two oldest boys and I at home.  Yesterday two of our three oldest children put the first coat of primer on the people hauler, it was now dry, and we were ready to take a spin.  I elected to sit on an old towel, however, “just in case.”

I considered taking an umbrella along, as it was just starting to sprinkle when the boys got Tom and Jerry hitched, but thought better of it.  Somehow the thought of  “that crazy lady” in the back of an open horse-drawn wagon, holding an umbrella, cruising through residential areas of Enterprise, discouraged me.

Thankfully, the ride turned out being encouraging instead.  It is not very often these days I have the privilege of spending time alone with my oldest boys, so an hour’s cruise around our fair city was a pleasure.  Each one took a turn in the driver’s seat while the other sat in back with dear old Mom, and it was very interesting, indeed, to observe their differences in technique while handling the horses.

When our boys have not been handling horses these days, their free moments have been occupied by other aspects of the great outdoors.  Last weekend found Michael and the boys primitive camping in a pasture along the Saline River.  As I understand it, “authentic” cow patties added to the “pioneer” ambiance of the event. 

The girls and I couldn’t resist our own campout here at home--Holiday Inn style—complete with an indoor camp supper.  Our eight-year-old daughter fried potatoes in one skillet while I handled the Spam in another.  As usual, she put bacon grease in first to melt, but this time something just didn’t look right.  It melted instantly and had a strange syrup-like texture.  I tried not to panic, but it was obvious something was very wrong here. What could have possibly happened to our bacon grease?

The potatoes browned much more quickly than usual, and stuck and burned to the bottom of the pan.  It was like when sugar caramelizes . . .Hmmm.

Turns out it was sugar carmelizing on the bottom of the skillet.  A sniff of the jar confirmed my suspicions; the faint maple scent was the final clue I needed.  Somehow a jar of our homemade maple syrup for pancakes had turned into a beige-colored, sugar–crystallized, bacon-grease-impostor.  Next to it in the door of our fridge, in an identical glass jar, was the real thing!

We immediately added bacon grease to the pan, and finished browning the potatoes.  Surprisingly, the combination of sweet maple syrup and smoky bacon grease was actually quite tasty!

While I don’t think we could—or perhaps should--duplicate that dish again, it might be fun for you to try making your own pancake syrup at home next time pancakes or waffles are on the menu. 

At our house, and now at The Buggy Stop, we prefer Mapleine Imitation Maple Flavor for this application.  My husband grew up with homemade Mapleine syrup on his pancakes, and so we relive those childhood memories every time we have pancakes or waffles.  Interestingly, the box it comes in still looks the same as it did in Michael’s childhood. 

It is hard to find, however.  In the last 10 years or so we’ve only been able to find it at small grocery stores supplied by Affiliated Foods.  Most recently we ordered some through the kind folks at the Chapman Food Mart.

The secret to success is to get the sugar fully dissolved without boiling it too long and making candy.  At the other end of the spectrum--as we are all too aware of--is not completely melting the sugar.  In this case, a few weeks of aging in the fridge turns out a pretty good imitation of bacon grease.

Mapleine Pancake Syrup

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon Mapleine Imitation

Maple Flavor

1.  In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil.

2.  Add sugar and cook and stir until sugar is completely dissolved; remove from heat. 

3.  Add Mapleine and stir.  Serve over Buttermilk Pancakes or Waffles.

Yield:  2-1/4 cups syrup.

Copyright © 2015 by Shasta Hamilton

Shasta is a fifth generation rural Kansan now residing in Enterprise, Kansas.  She and her husband own and operate The Buggy Stop Home-Style Kitchen with their six home-schooled children.  You can reach The Buggy Stop by calling (785) 200-6385 or visit them on the web at www.thebuggystoprestaurant.com.