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I just couldn’t do it…

by · November 19th, 2007
Cooking, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Holidays, Personal Story

cornsyrup.jpgSo there I was this morning, in the baking aisle of Whole Foods, buying a few items for Thanksgiving, along with the shopping I was doing for a client. I have made a chocolate-pecan pie with Bourbon several times for Thanksgiving now, and well, I never make it any other time of year, so I was craving it again.

(A disclaimer from the natural foods chef: On holidays, everything I’ve learned about natural foods cooking recedes to the back of my brain, and I allow white sugar and white flour and whatever else to find their way back into my food. It’s only a few times a year, after all.)

I got my organic pecans. I got my fair trade chocolate chips.

But there’s a but, and it’s a big one. The main ingredient in pecan pie, besides pecans, is, of course, corn syrup. A whole cup of the gooey stuff. And given that I haven’t made the pie in at least two or three years — and that during those two or three years, just about everything about the way I eat and what I know about food has drastically changed — well, I had forgotten that one little fact. I didn’t really consider the ramifications as I jotted it down on my shopping list last night. I did intend to buy it, using the ”only once a year” thing as my excuse.

But there are some lines we just can’t cross. Stepping foot inside a McDonald’s at this point, for example, is one of them.

On any given day, I can honestly say that my intake of High Fructose Corn Syrup is probably next to none. If I eat every meal at home (which many days I do) I can say it with utmost certainty. At home, I eat a whole foods diet. I make my granola and salad dressings from scratch.

So how could I knowingly buy this product, which lists its first ingredient as corn syrup, and its second as high fructose corn syrup?

The answer was, I couldn’t. Michael Pollan’s face appeared in one of those little bubbles above my head (OK, so I exaggerate for effect). When I found myself standing face to face with a bottle of Karo’s, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it, and left it on the shelf, for some other unsuspecting consumer.

I bought brown rice syrup instead, and will probably use a combination of that and maple syrup in my pecan pie. And no matter how it turns out, I will sleep much, much easier.

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10 Responses to “I just couldn’t do it…”

  1. Huw Says:
    November 19th, 2007 at 9:47 pm

    Traditionally (ie, before corn syrup) the pie was made with molasses. I tried this last year (with a local, organic cane molasses) and it was very good. It’s got *more* flavour, although, of course, it’s not that crystal clear corn syrup sweetness.

  2. Leah Koenig Says:
    November 19th, 2007 at 11:23 pm

    I wonder if the CEO of Karo has a little picture of Michael Pollan’s face on a dart board in the office…

  3. aliza Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 10:54 am

    I doubt the CEO of Karo’s has even heard of Pollan- despite the fact that his name has become ubiquitous in Northeast “liberal” educated circles, the message has really only a very small effect on the larger national markets. Even organic has a very small market share.
    But it’s funny thought.

    Personally, I may have bought the Karo’s- it’s more about a moderation for me, than for making strict black and white, good and evil categories. Which is why I eat McDonald’s fries once or twice a year (I know, it’s a shondeh!) and eat meat once or twice a year.

  4. aliza Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 10:54 am

    I would add West coast to that (not just Northeast)

  5. Selkie Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 12:38 pm

    I’ve had good luck subbing in beet syrup, or light cane syrup (available at Ikea or from Tate and Lyle UK). I don’t know offhand if either has a hechsher, but you learn the most interesting things when your partner has a corn allergy!

  6. Rabbi Shmuel Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 7:30 pm

    keep away from MacDonald’s and pour on the maple syrup – we must be kindred spirits!

  7. Elisheva Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 8:13 pm

    I use 100% maple syrup with delicious results :)

    I have used 2/3 maple and 1/3 brown rice – I didn’t feel it affected the taste much.

    after thanksgiving, please tell us what you use to the make the pie and exactly HOW yummy it was…

    ps Tate and Lyle Golden Syrup is kosher parev according to the London Beit Din (equiv of OU). (but no hechsher! they don’t use them)

  8. Linda Says:
    November 25th, 2007 at 12:21 am

    I used a combinations of brown rice syrup, maple syrup, and a bit of molasses – it was a grand experiment and the results were pretty outstanding! I also spread a layer of melted chocolate on the crust before pouring in the filling. It was a nice alternative to mixing the chocolate in. I will try to recreate the pie and write down the quantities – so that I actually have a recipe to share.

  9. Alix Says:
    November 25th, 2007 at 3:32 pm

    I had already bought the brown rice syrup, so I took Elisheva’s advice and used 1/3 cup brown rice syrup and 2/3 cup maple. It was delicious, but — and I can’t believe this is coming from me — a bit too rich! Maybe I had forgotten just how rich it is???

  10. Elisheva Says:
    November 27th, 2007 at 8:18 am

    it would be fun to make a few different pies (corn syrup, maple, rice syrup and other blends) and have a taste test. maybe maple syrup pecan pie is richer, but I’ll bet it’s not so sickly sweet as corn syrup. or maybe the corn syrup tastes “only” sweet, so we’re more inclined to reach for seconds because we didn’t notice the taste?

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