Be careful what you buy!

[Workingman]

I fancied making some Scotch pancakes slathered in Maple syrup.

So there I am in the supermarket looking at the bottles. Own brand 100% pure - 350g at £6.00. Canadian 100% pure - 330g at £6.25. Skinny Maple Syrup - 425g for £4.99. So Skinny goes in the basket.

I got home and made the pancakes then opened the "Maple Syrup" and it was runny like cheap washing up liquid, and tasteless, well not maple syrup tasting, so I looked at the ingredients.

Water, Thickeners (Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose, Xanthan gum), Salt, Colour (Caramel E150d), Flavouring, Acid (Lactic Acid), Sweetener (Sucralose), Preservatives (Potassium sorbate, Sodium benzoate)

Where's the Maple and the syrup? It is just a chemical concoction and most of it is water!.

Back to the front label and there in the big white panel it screams "MAPLE SYRUP" but underneath on the orangy brown part in very, very small letters in a sort of mustard colour it says "Flavour syrup with sweeteners". So, it is NOT actually Maple Syrup.

Never again!

[JanB]

I have a proper maple syrup, brought by friends from Canada

No idea what I'm going to do with it.

[Workingman]

Jan, it can be used either sweet or savoury.

It adds a hint of earthy sweetness to things like stews, soups, casseroles, even stir-fry's, spicy chicken wings or fried chicken breast, even a nice steak.

However, I like the sweet side such as over the pancakes, ice-cream, added to white sauce instead of a custard, to butter cream. to icing for cakes, milk shakes... oh I could go on.

[meriad]

Soy sauce is another one of those Frank; in fact so many foods these days are; and it's really scary just how synthetic so many food items are these days

[Kaz]

You've got to be soooo careful! Ria you're right, some food labels read like a chemistry lesson

[Workingman]

Ria and Kaz, these are the reason I cook from scratch using fresh / frozen ingredients. I never buy ready meals and only get maybe two or three takeaways per year.

Some things are unavoidable, such as tinned salmon, mackerel, and beans or packets of porridge oats, ketchup. All the rest stays on the shelves.

Cookathons and the freezer are my friends.

[Gal2]

I bought that Skinny one purely because it said no sugar, no fat and no gluten but I hate using it as it squirts on to my porridge in a torrent and I don’t want as much on as that, just a trickle!!

I also have a Lyles version but it’s very sweet, but at least I can control how much I’m putting on!!

[TheOstrich]

Soy sauce is another one of those Frank; in fact so many foods these days are; and it's really scary just how synthetic so many food items are these days

Thinking about soy sauce, that reminds me, there's Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce - and something called Hendersons Sauce which is in an almost identical bottle but is totally different in taste?

[Workingman]

Ossie, it's Henderson's Relish and it is a Northern thing. It is a bit more peppery than Lea and Perrins and is not quite as sweet. It has more tamarind and less vinegar to give that sour note. It also does not contain anchovies nor soy sauce so it is vegan friendly. Similar, but not quite the same, as you say.