Lyle's Golden Syrup

[porcupine]

Anyone know where in this area I can buy Lyle's Golden Syrup?

[cjsadler]

Anyone know where in this area I can buy Lyle's Golden Syrup?

Some Safeways have it. Rodman's too (I haven't looked for it there recently, though).

[rkduggins]

Giant also now has a larger European foods selection than they once did, and I think I saw it there, though haven't been looking in the past 6 months or so.

[goodeats]

Giant also now has a larger European foods selection than they once did, and I think I saw it there, though haven't been looking in the past 6 months or so.

It's at Giant with the "squeezable" kind. HT has it too in the baking aisle, as does WF, I believe.

[goldenticket]

Seems like I may have seen it at World Market, not too long ago.

[jparrott]

I have seen it in all three NoVA Wegmans.

[zoramargolis]

I always get it at Rodman's Friendship Heights store. They may well have it at the Rockville store, too, but that store is smaller, so I would call and check.

[Anna Phor]

I've bought it at World Market in Friendship Heights.

[goldenticket]

Anyone know where in this area I can buy Lyle's Golden Syrup?

Not a timely response to the original post, but La Cuisine in Old Town carries Lyle's Golden Syrup (and the Treacle, too, if I'm not mistaken).

[thistle]

The commissary at Ft. Belvoir seems to have dropped it, along w/ my favorite cookie, McVitie's HobNobs-I may have to send in a comment card to see if I can get them brought back...

[weezy]

I've seen it at the two Giant stores in Annandale recently. Each has a small section of Brit foods and it's either there, or it's with the honey and Karo.

[susanmab]

The commissary at Ft. Belvoir seems to have dropped it, along w/ my favorite cookie, McVitie's HobNobs-I may have to send in a comment card to see if I can get them brought back...

I love my HobNobs! I get them at the Harris Teeter Potomac Yard. (Jelly Babies too, for the Who fans amongst us).

[deangold]

Last week, I tried my hand at caramel-making for the first time. I used this recipe from blogger Laura Silverman. I used Valrhona chocolate; instead of corn syrup, I used Lyle's Golden Syrup, and Maldon salt.

Do you have a local source for Lyles?  I wanted some for Thanksgiving and could not find it at several Giant's, Safeway's and WFM.

[Pat]

Do you have a local source for Lyles?  I wanted some for Thanksgiving and could not find it at several Giant's, Safeway's and WFM.

I don't know where Zora got hers, but I've found it at World Market in the past.

[porcupine]

Rodman's carries Lyles Golden Syrup.

[zoramargolis]

Rodman's carries Lyles Golden Syrup.

That's where I get it. They have Lyle's treacle as well.

[saf]

Do you have a local source for Lyles?  I wanted some for Thanksgiving and could not find it at several Giant's, Safeway's and WFM.

Rodman's? Harris Teeter?

[lperry]

I'm curious about Lyle's.  I grew up with everyone using Karo (pronounced KAY roe), so I always use it.  It's made with a series of enzymatic reactions.  Golden syrup used to be a byproduct of sugar making, but today it's made the same way corn syrup is, or with acid hydrolosis.  Is it a "what I had growing up" issue?  Or an anti-corn issue?  A completely different issue?

[deangold]

This is from the Lyle's website

 

How We Do It
Lyle's Golden Syrup hasn't changed in 127 years and is still made the same way it was all those years ago. The secret to Lyle's is the perfect blend of 
sugar molecules, which are continually refined throughout the process. This ensures that the highest quality standards are met for consumers to enjoy the sweet glistening syrup that they know and love.
For those of you who are scientifically minded"¦ the sucrose molecule splits in half to give glucose and fructose sugars. This inverted syrup is blended 
back with the original syrup to give a partially inverted syrup. The secret of Lyle's Golden Syrup is the final blend of sucrose, glucose and fructose, 
which allows the syrup to be so thick and velvety without crystallizing.     

All I know is I love what it does in baking.  Have never tried Karo personally but we did make a pie with Karo once when we couldnt find Lyles and it was runnier.

[lperry]

This is from the Lyle's website

 

How We Do It
Lyle's Golden Syrup hasn't changed in 127 years and is still made the same way it was all those years ago. The secret to Lyle's is the perfect blend of 
sugar molecules, which are continually refined throughout the process. This ensures that the highest quality standards are met for consumers to enjoy the sweet glistening syrup that they know and love.
For those of you who are scientifically minded"¦ the sucrose molecule splits in half to give glucose and fructose sugars. This inverted syrup is blended 
back with the original syrup to give a partially inverted syrup. The secret of Lyle's Golden Syrup is the final blend of sucrose, glucose and fructose, 
which allows the syrup to be so thick and velvety without crystallizing.     

All I know is I love what it does in baking.  Have never tried Karo personally but we did make a pie with Karo once when we couldnt find Lyles and it was runnier.

They forgot to explain what they use to split that sucrose molecule. I haven't had the runny issue - maybe our recipes use more eggs?  Or are cooked longer?

[zoramargolis]

I started using Lyle's after reading about it in John Thorne's _Outlaw Cook_. His chapter on pecan pie discussed his research and experiments with making many different pecan pie recipes and his conclusion that far and away, the tastiest one was made with Lyle's Golden Syrup instead of Karo corn syrup. Afterward, I went looking for it.

[deangold]

That's how I didscovee it too... Pecan pie making years ago.  It is also amazing in baked beans and in a glaze for ham or pork.

[lperry]

Every winter I get a bottle of kettle-cooked cane syrup from my uncle who does a cane grinding and cooking at Thanksgiving, so a little goes into the pie for that cane flavor.  Then maybe some bourbon.  And bittersweet chocolate on the bottom never hurt anyone...  Then all of a sudden you have a Derby pie.

[porcupine]

Balducci's also carries it.

Yesterday I made a batch of caramels using Lyle's instead of Karo.  The flavor is a little molasses-y and a little bitter.  I think today I'll make a batch with Karo and do a side-by-side comparison.

It occurs to me that Lyle's might be better in butterscotch, though.  Hmm, I feel a candy-making bender coming.

[Joe H]

With all due respect to Lyle's, Karo and others, this is the single most intensely flavorful cane syrup of all:  http://www.steensyrup.com/  The flavor is more full bodied and mouth coating-intense, deep.  I know these are words I've used to describe some wine but Steen's Pure Cane syrup is a class apart from the others.  I first heard of it in an Emeril's recipe for candied yams http://www.emerils.com/recipe/2870/Candied-Yams where he specified it.

You cannot buy this in the D. C. area.  Nowhere.  Not Whole Foods, not Balducci's, not Wegman's nor Harris Teeter-I looked and called everywhere and could not find it.

After discovering Emeril's recipe (from his Real and Rustic cookbook, his second) I used Lyle's, Karo, even tried combinations with molasses.  (I should note here that I've made candied yams for more than 30 years from probably 15 or more different recipes and Emeril's was the best.  And that was using Lyle's syrup.

But...a year ago I was in New Orleans and bought a couple of small "vials" of Steen's and brought it back.  This year I made the same candied yams using Steen's syrup.  OMG!  That which was the best Thanksgiving side dish became a dish we made the next weekend.

For dessert.

I am going to make the above recipe again for Christmas.  For dessert.  Steen's Pure Cane Syrup is incredible.  This is a source for it:

http://www.cajungrocer.com/steen-s-pure-cane-syrup-1.html  I can only imagine what pecan pie will taste like using it.  Of course Steen's does have their own recipe for pecan pie, "Southern Gentleman Pecan Pie:"  http://www.steensyrup.com/recipes260.html

This is the history of Steen's:  http://www.steensyrup.com/history.html

This is a recipe that someone should make and invite my wife and I to dinner (!!!)  http://www.steensyrup.com/recipes.html

And, with respect to "Making Sense" who posts on Chowhound and corrected me six years ago when I suggested Lyle's, this is her response including the SlowFood link for Steen's.  I must note here, in public:  she was right.  Steen's cannot be replaced.

M

 MakingSense Dec 22, 2007 08:57 PM

There is no substitute for Steen's. 
Slow Food lists Steen's in its Ark of Taste because it is the only traditional pure cane syrup still produced. http://www.slowfoodusa.org/ark-item/traditional-cane-syrup
This is probably one of those cases where WF lets its rules get in the way of the efforts to preserve America's traditional local and regional foods. I am guessing that their objection might be that it isn't possible to raise sugar cane organically in Louisiana or something. It isn't. Fact of life.

To come close to Steen's, sort of, maybe, if you absolutely have to, try Lyle's Golden Syrup, also a cane syrup but made much lighter for British tastes. Add a little molasses. It should perform much the same way for glazing a ham.

[deangold]

Having had Steens and Lyles, I think they are very close substitutes but a little different.  One is lighter in color and less butterscotchy than the other but I forget which is which.  

[Joe H]

Having had Steens and Lyles, I think they are very close substitutes but a little different.  One is lighter in color and less butterscotchy than the other but I forget which is which.  

I am sorry to disagree but I believe there is no substitute for Steen's.    I just took a spoon and dipped it into Steen's then took another spoon and poured a bit of Lyle's into it.  There is a significant difference between the two: color, depth of richness, Steen's is sweeter.  From "Relish:"  "Today, Steen's mill is the only producing cane syrup mill in the United States"”a worrisome notoriety that has placed this humble delicacy on Slow Foods U.S. Ark of Taste, a catalog of more than 200 foods in danger of extinction."

Read more: http://relish.com/articles/simple-syrup/#ixzz2nso2qSHd

http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/steen-s-cane-syrup is from Bon Appetit.  It will speak for itself.

[lperry]

M

 MakingSense Dec 22, 2007 08:57 PM

There is no substitute for Steen's. 

Slow Food lists Steen's in its Ark of Taste because it is the only traditional pure cane syrup still produced. http://www.slowfoodusa.org/ark-item/traditional-cane-syrup

This is probably one of those cases where WF lets its rules get in the way of the efforts to preserve America's traditional local and regional foods. I am guessing that their objection might be that it isn't possible to raise sugar cane organically in Louisiana or something. It isn't. Fact of life.

To come close to Steen's, sort of, maybe, if you absolutely have to, try Lyle's Golden Syrup, also a cane syrup but made much lighter for British tastes. Add a little molasses. It should perform much the same way for glazing a ham.

With all due respect to Steen's, there is traditional cane syrup being produced in exceptionally small batches by those who want to keep the traditions alive, including my uncle.  Every Friday after Thanksgiving, they harvest the cane, grind it, and boil the juice into syrup in a giant, iron kettle.  I'll see if I can find photos.  There are also some operations in the Caribbean that produce the traditional syrups.  The dark ones are too metallic (iron) for my taste, but I grew up watching my Mom, aunts, uncles, and grandparents pour it onto biscuits like it was the nectar of the gods.  They grow two types of cane now, the purple and the green, and I get syrup from the green because it is lighter in color and taste.  I use very little in pies - just enough for that "cane" flavor without the overwhelming taste.

You can get it, you just have to venture off the beaten path.

[Joe H]

I've typed several different responses and an apology, but I think we are talking about two different syrups that we each prefer.  I would welcome the opportunity and source to try a dark, rich thick syrup similar to Steen's. Perhaps Steen's is the only American manufacturer but perhaps there is a Jamaiican or other source that I can try.

[lperry]

I would be very surprised if you can get it here.   You need to be in an area where cane is grown, Florida, perhaps Hawaii, or a Caribbean island, and talk to the locals.  This isn't something that gets marketed over the internet, it's something that is locally produced and locally consumed.  It's not going to cost you a lot of money, but you have to be there to get it.  The best I can explain is that I don't get any unless I go home for the holidays - that's just how it works.  People will also need to know that you are looking for the black syrup and not something else like Petite Canne.

The point I was trying to make is that Steen's is not the only one being made in the US.  Maybe it's the only one being made commercially, but there are still people who make it every year on family farms, just like it has been made for generations.  My uncle sells out every Thanksgiving, and he has benches set up in the boiling shed where elderly folks can sit, watch, and remember.  Most everybody knows what day he cooks the syrup, so they come by and pick up a bottle or two.  I've found pictures, but they are from 1998 so they are from film, and I have to wait for Mr. lperry to scan them properly.  That will be tomorrow at the earliest, but I will be able to show you what sorts of things are going on with "real" cane syrup where I grew up in Florida and elsewhere.  Maybe that will help people understand why I'm so lukewarm about Lyle's.  To me, it's no different than Karo: a bland syrup to use as invert sugar or to make a Derby pie.  Calling it cane syrup is inconsequential.  Also, that whole dead lion with the bees coming out of it thing kind of creeps me out...

[Joe H]

lperry, when we were in New Orleans I rented a car and we drove out to Lafayette with several stops along the way.  We passed by several sugar cane fields and it was because I saw them that I was reminded of Emeril's candied yam recipe and his specification of Steen's.  I remember walking into a grocery store in Breaux Bridge and looking at Steen's in a can on their shelf.  Lyle's Golden Syrup was next to it and, at the time, I was struck by the difference in color.  Literally, "golden syrup" for one and a dark, molasses like appearance for the other, Steen's which I much prefer.

Anyway, it took me a year to make the candied yams.  Now, I wish I hadn't waited.

[lperry]

JoeH, I just saw that you thought you may need to apologize - I was not offended in any way, so no need, really.

If you enjoy real cane syrup you are 1. probably not a supertaster like me, and 2. I would suggest that the next time you are somewhere in the south, look for sorghum syrup, although you may confuse people unless you ask for "SAHG-rum."  A few roadside stands in Georgia have it, and I saw it a few years back at the DeKalb Farmer's Market, an experience in itself.  If I find it, I buy it for my Dad who grew up in Atlanta.

[porcupine]

^ I bought sorghum syrup from a roadside stand near Sperryville last October.

Interesting about Steen's, but in some applications (like caramels), a flavorless syrup works better.

[mleese]

There's one stand in the Amish Market in Hunt Valley, Maryland that carries sorghum syrup.

Cane syrup is also popular in the south of Spain as "miel de cana".  It's traditionally served with fried eggplant.  However, despite the fact that they have a website (http://www.mieldelatorre.com/), the only place I know to buy it is in Nerja, Spain.

[deangold]

Path Valley also has Sorghum Syrup in season, but i find it thin and nothing special... weak maple syrup without the maple is how I describe it.  Maybe i'm just not into Sorghum.  Path Valley's Maple Syrup is stunningly good by the way.  

[lperry]

Here are some pictures from the cane grinding and cooking on the Friday after Thanksgiving, 1998.

Here is the trailer full of sugarcane that was cut that morning.  For such a small harvest, there is no burning of the field.  Note the clever way they are held in on the trip back from the field.

The cane is then hand-fed into this old, cast-iron press.  You can see one stick being fed in on the side there and the squashed cane coming out the left - I cropped out the person holding it.  The press used to be turned by a mule who was attached to a wooden pole, one end of which was hooked to an upright axle on the top of the press.  He would spend his day walking in a circle, turning the gears.  This one has been rigged to run off the tractor - that's what that big chain is for.  The plastic cups are for checking the quality of the juice, and the burlap is for straining out various things that need straining, both flora and fauna.

Now the juice is brought underneath the shed where it is cooked in this huge, iron kettle.  (Maybe 4 1/2 feet across?)  The lip of the kettle holds it over the fire.  That upright ring is separate and is keeping the bubbling from spilling out over the edge of the hearth.  Those are rags on the outside.  There is a lot of scum generated, and, as it runs over the edge of the ring, it is caught by the rags.  Those get rinsed and recycled throughout the process.  I think they used to stop boiling at a certain color, but now they use a refractometer.

And the finished product.

[ol_ironstomach]

I've typed several different responses and an apology, but I think we are talking about two different syrups that we each prefer.  I would welcome the opportunity and source to try a dark, rich thick syrup similar to Steen's. Perhaps Steen's is the only American manufacturer but perhaps there is a Jamaiican or other source that I can try.

Would Depaz cane syrup work?  It's a dark bar syrup made in Martinique from blue sugarcane, and widely used in rhum agricole cocktails; you should be able to find it readily from Joe Riley or any of the better liquor stores.

[Nervous Eater]

I am sorry to disagree but I believe there is no substitute for Steen's. I just took a spoon and dipped it into Steen's then took another spoon and poured a bit of Lyle's into it. There is a significant difference between the two: color, depth of richness, Steen's is sweeter. From "Relish:" "Today, Steen's mill is the only producing cane syrup mill in the United States"”a worrisome notoriety that has placed this humble delicacy on Slow Foods U.S. Ark of Taste[/size], a catalog of more than 200 foods in danger of extinction."

Read more: http://relish.com/articles/simple-syrup/#ixzz2nso2qSHd

http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/steen-s-cane-syrup is from Bon Appetit. It will speak for itself.

Joe - get thyself to bayou bakery in Arlington. My local source for steens cane syrup. They often have small cans for sale in between the registers. Call first to be sure, though.

[Joe H]

Joe - get thyself to bayou bakery in Arlington. My local source for steens cane syrup. They often have small cans for sale in between the registers. Call first to be sure, though.

Huge quote!  Huge.

I literally will be there tomorrow.  Before noon.

Sincerely appreciate being able to find it here.  Thank you!!!

[zoramargolis]

I have had a jar of Forge Mountain sorghum in my pantry for a while. It's a North Carolina product that I bought at A Southern Season in Chapel Hill. I haven't had a reason to use any of it until tonight. I was underway with making a Guiness stout ginger cake (I actually used Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout instead of Guiness) when I found out that I had only half a cup of Grandma's Molasses, and the recipe called for one cup. The sorghum was just the ticket on a rainy night when I really didn't want to go out to the grocery store. It actually is pretty much the same in flavor as Grandma's Molasses--the regular kind, not blackstrap. I've made the cake many times--I made it once with blackstrap, and found that there was a bitter underflavor that I didn't care for. But sorghum works perfectly!