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.