Karo Syrup Experimenting

[TeeZee]

The idea of vanilla in sausage is intriguing.

Interesting fact about "vanilla". There are hundreds of varieties of the flowering plant that produces a bean pod with vanilla flavor. In the US, only 2 or 3 varieties are allowed to call themselves true vanilla. The other varieties can only be called vanilla flavor or imitation vanilla.
Learned that just recently from a college friend that is a Horticulture Professor and currently working on a vanilla project.

99.98% of beet sugar and cane sugar are identical ie sucrose.
The other 0.02% is carry over flavor from the source. I cannot stand beets, but beet sugar doesn't bother me. I cannot taste any difference between cane & beet sugars, but I rarely use either.


The fresh sage suggestion came from SmokinEdge
I was amazed the game changer on my last batch of breakfast sausage and my wife called it the best ever.

Well, I managed to sub fresh sage this time--definitely worth the little extra step--but forgot to add the vanilla. (It was, after all, five-thirty in the morning and I don't fully wake up until at least eleven.)

All the talk about red pepper flakes has me wondering if I should bump that up too.

 

[TeeZee]

I've never made my own sausage, but when I want a hint of sweetness in sauces I start with maple syrup. Usually I avoid using so much the maple flavor becomes obvious, and then I'll add Karo if I just want more sweetness. But it seems for just "sweetness per ounce" the maple syrup packs a bigger punch than Karo. Note I don't use the real stuff typically, but Mrs Butterworth's imitation.
Anyone try maple syrup (real or imitation) in their sausage?...sounds good to me.

Great question, bill1. I really struggle with maple syrup in sausage. No matter how little I add, it always seems too sweet. Anybody got tips?

 

[TeeZee]

Learned that just recently from a college friend that is a Horticulture Professor and currently working on a vanilla project.

Fascinating. Big conglomerates (likely cartels), trying to pull the wool over our eyes--who gave them the right to interfere with the markets of farmers who happen to grow another variety of vanilla? This is not common knowledge at all.

 

[paulgeorge]

I have been experimenting with Karo in sausage just a little. The idea came to me after experimenting with pure vanilla extract, yes vanilla in sausage, it’s not what you think it would be and belongs in baked goods I know, but so does nutmeg and mace as well as allspice but they all can and do work some sausage varieties.

Any-who, in some commercial sausages there is a flavor in the back that really makes the over all sausage flavor work. I can’t put my finger on it exactly but I believe the subtle flavor of vanilla is at play, it may not be vanilla exactly but something similar and it plays way in the back. A creamy sweetness but still savory is the best I can describe this subtle flavor I’m chasing.

The vanilla absolutely worked in breakfast sausage. But not exactly what I was looking for. So when I happened to look at a bottle of Karo, I haven’t specifically tasted the syrup in probably 25 years or so, it said right on the label “with real vanilla” and the syrup is obviously sweet so a light went off. I first tried it in my kielbasa recipe but I screwed that up by adding stone ground mustard as well, which was good btw Simple Syrup, Rose Geranium, So I thawed out some of my Cumberland sausage and added Karo at 1.5% same as the salt. Fried up a small test patty and really couldn’t taste sweet or vanilla. Long story short I had to get up to 6% before the family agreed they liked the flavor change. Seems a lot of corn syrup in the mix but there is no additional sugar and I don’t believe it’s sweet power or flavor is as strong as cane sugar.

Just sharing my preliminary findings. I think this is worth further exploration.

You're likely tasting a subtle sweet-savory note common in some commercial sausages. Vanilla can contribute to that, even in small amounts, much like nutmeg, mace, or allspice. Karo syrup, which contains vanilla and a mild sweetness, makes sense as an addition. At 1.5%, it was too subtle. At 6%, it added enough flavor for your family to notice and enjoy without being overly sweet — that tracks, since corn syrup is less sweet than cane sugar. Your use in breakfast sausage makes sense, and the misfire with mustard in the kielbasa confirms it's best tested clean. In short: yes, Karo can work in sausage. You're exploring a valid flavor layer. Keep refining.