Corn syrup question

A local store is closing out Karo corn syrup for next to nothing, including some corn syrup with brown sugar. Is there any use for that?

The only thing we use it for besides Pecan Pie is a yummy chocolate sauce from something called: "Good Housekeeping Desserts A to Z", circa 1979:

Easy Chocolate Sauce:

6 oz Semisweet chocolate
1/2 C Corn syrup
1/4 C Cream
1 T Butter
1/4 tsp Vanilla extract

Over very low heat or in a double boiler melt chocolate in corn syrup, stirring until smooth. Stir in cream, butter, and vanilla. Serve warm over your favorite ice cream. Keeps well in fridge and can be nuked to warm up again.

Just finished a batch this week.

Perhaps I was unclear. Is there any use for corn syrup with brown sugar?

Perhaps I was unclear. Is there any use for corn syrup with brown sugar?

Um.... popcorn balls maybe? Other than that I can't think of anything. I don't actually own any corn syrup though, so what do I know?

The main thing I use corn syrup for is to coat my vehicle car battery terminals to keep them from corroding.

The main thing I use corn syrup for is to coat my vehicle car battery terminals to keep them from corroding.

I concur with that use and only that one

Can't make a decent pecan pie without it, but that's the only thing I use it for.

Larry, I don't know about the brown sugar version, but regular corn syrup is different than a syrup made from regular granulated sugar and water in that it won't crystallize. This is because corn sugar is dextrose, a mono-saccharide (a single sugar molecule), while granulated sugar (sucrose - from cane or sugar beets) is a di-saccharide (two single sugars bonded together). They behave differently when used in making candies and sweet desserts and will give different textures. By adding a small amount of cream of tartar (potassium bi-tartrate - the crystals that sometimes form in a wine bottle) to a a sucrose syrup when boiling, will break apart the bonds and the syrup will not crystallize.

When in doubt, go to the company website. Here are a list of recipes recommending the use of Karo Syrup with Brown Sugar. I've never seen it in the stores, but think I will start to look for it. It is absolutely necessary for pecan pie. The addition of brown sugar couldn't hurt! Good luck.

From wikipedia:

Although the standard recipes call for corn syrup, cookbook author Mark Bittman comments "There are two kinds of pecan pie, one of which contains not only sugar but corn syrup. I don't like this version—not only is it too sweet, if you taste corn syrup by itself you'll never cook with it again." The version he favors uses white and brown sugar, no corn syrup, and "thickens the sugar with eggs—in other words, it's a custard pie, loaded with pecans."

From me:

While the makers of Karo syrup claim the pie's "discovery," in the nienteenth century pecan pie was produced as a custard like Bitt's above. The pie is believed to have been introduced when the French held Louisiana. In both cases, I don't think Karo existed. The company's promotion in the 1930s popularized corn syrup for the pie.

As one who had to avoid corn and corn syrup when youngest was a youngan, it is difficult, if not impossible. That was the seminal experience that got us making things from scratch. Still like that chocolate sauce though!

I know my wife uses corn syrup on its own for something, probably one of Isabella's treats. We only go through a small bottle a year or less.

But corn syrup with brown sugar???? That's one I've never heard of.