Move Over, Mrs. Butterworth

While drizzling syrup on my pancakes this morning, I recalled that my mother used to make her own pancake syrup out of corn syrup, maple extract, and butter.  I never asked her why she did that, but because she was nothing if not frugal, I always assumed it was because it was cheaper than buying commercial brands.  I know she would have considered real maple syrup much too expensive.  In fact, she never bought real butter either; she would have used margarine.

Anyway, thinking about that again, I did some price comparisons using Wal-Mart's web site, and it seems that Aunt Jemima, Mrs. Butterworth, and Log Cabin pancake syrups are all about the same price per ounce as Karo corn syrup, so that wouldn't save anything -- plus, maple extract is expensive.  So now I'm not sure that economy played a part.

I suppose it is possible she actually preferred her own syrup to the store-bought kinds.  To see how home-made maple-flavored syrup stacks up against Aunt Jemima, I guess I'll have to make some.

Or not.