Corn Syrup substitute

[wallie]

I am trying out a US recipe where one of the ingredients is Corn Syrup and would like to know what I could substitute for that here in the UK.

wallie

[wheels]

I've come across the same thing and used dextrose, but probably glucose syrup (from the chemists or cake decorating suppliers) may be better?

Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_syrup

Phil

[wallie]

Thanks Phil
I will use Dextrose because I already have some.

wallie

[wheels]

Which recipe are you doing Wallie?

Phil

[wallie]

Chicago Hot Dogs
From the book by Bruce Aidells

[wheels]

Wallie

Um, it seems to be not used very often in a hot dog - I was expecting you to say it was something air dried.

I haven't got that book, can you post the recipe if it's any good, please?

Phil

[wallie]

Actually the Chicago hot dog recipe in the book 'Charcuterie' by Michael Ruhlman
is practically the same recipe, only he uses Dextrose and Corn Syrup.
I never realised this till I just happened to look.
I will let you know how it goes.
wallie

[beardedwonder5]

My wife doesn't like hotdogs. Me a Yank 45 years in the UK, I used to love the good ones. As I remember the Hormel dogs (Hormel, then ?now a big meat packer) weren't spiced to my liking. Can't remember the name of the packer whose spices suited me.

In the ballpark (trad place to eat a hot dog), they were generally slathered with all kinds of condiments. Part of the experiece. But at home they were better. Generally summer eating. BBQ

So I'd be fascinated to hear reports from hot dog/wiener makers. Maybe, with the right recipe, I could change my wife's opinion, (formed from one or two experieces after the cinema in Oxford.)

[sausagejoe]

Corn Syrup and Corn Syrup Solids:
Only about 40-50% as sweet as cane sugar. This additive will help to hold water and color in meat, helps bind the meat when curing sausage at low temperatures, helps aid the fermentation process when semi-dry or dry curing. Add no more than 2% of the green weight of the meat.
If I don't have corn syrup solids I would use regular liquid corn syrup

[wheels]

...and if you don't have either?

Corn syrup/solids are not generally on sale in the UK.

Glucose syrup can be made from any sources of starch, however according to Wikipedia, most glucose syrup is made from corn starch, and is therefore corn syrup. Hence my suggestion to use it as an alternative. I guess it's a case of checking the label to see.

Phil

[JamesCraig]

..and if you don't have either?

Corn syrup/solids are not generally on sale in the UK.

Glucose syrup can be made from any sources of starch, however according to Wikipedia, most glucose syrup is made from corn starch, and is therefore corn syrup. Hence my suggestion to use it as an alternative. I guess it's a case of checking the label to see.

If the UK is like Australia most of your glucose/dextrose/'corn syrup' will be made from wheat.

Corn is used in the US because it is cheap and readily available, wheat is used in Australia (and I assume the UK) for the same reasons.

Whether its made from wheat or corn, its still exactly the same stuff.

A ready source of dextrose should be home brew shops - they sell tonnes of the stuff. Be sure to ask for dextrose though to avoid confusion. Here in Australia there is another product that we sometimes call corn syrup, which is maltodextrin. This is very different to dextrose.

[wheels]

James

Thanks for the info on corn syrup.

Re the dextrose, you can often find it in the chemists labelled as glucose.

Phil

[johnc2]

I'm sure there must be more healthy alternatives in UK. Corn Syrup especially the High Fructose variant has got a lot of bad press and in the concentrated, powedered form of Maltodextrin has a GI of someting of the order of 130...bad news if you're diabetic. There was a post on here a while back saying this is even an ingredient in Splenda which is endorsed by diabetics associations!!!

How about good old Golden Syrup or Barley Malt?

[JamesCraig]

I'm sure there must be more healthy alternatives in UK. Corn Syrup especially the High Fructose variant has got a lot of bad press and in the concentrated, powedered form of Maltodextrin has a GI of someting of the order of 130...bad news if you're diabetic. There was a post on here a while back saying this is even an ingredient in Splenda which is endorsed by diabetics associations!!!

How about good old Golden Syrup or Barley Malt?

Dextrose/glucose/corn syrup doesnt have any fructose, being pure glucose - Ive never heard of a form of 'corn syrup' that does, although what this thread shows is that what people call corn syrup varies considerably.

Maltodextrin is something else entirely, and should be ignored.

Seeing as it appears to be an American recipe, the reference to corn syrup is almost certainly glucose.

One thing about glucose is that it has relatively little taste, sweet or otherwise. Golden syrup and malt are both more strongly flavoured and may impart an unusual taste.

If anything, the best alternative to glucose/dextrose/corn syrup would be white sugar. Either way, I imagine that the corn syrup in the recipe is a minor adjunct, and not worth worrying about too much health-wise unless you are hyper-diabetic. If you must worry about your health with these, worry about the pork in them, not the glucose.

[johnc2]

A bottle of supermarket brand Corn Syrup I have in the house (used for cocktails) lists Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, and Vanilla as the ingredients.
However, this is a commercial product used as a sweetener. Corn Syrup Solids listed at Allied Kenco for use in meat processing does not have these "additives" present.

Sorry for the confusion, I thought all Corn Syrup had HFCS with it, but that is apparently the supermarket grade where Fructose is commonly added to Corn Syrup (glucose) as HFCS to reproduce the 50/50 glucose/fructose content of sucrose (sugar) and hence its sweetness

So, should you happen to find anything imported from USA as Corn Syrup, look carefully at the ingredients as you probably dont want vanilla flavored sausage