Homemade syrup

 After having to spend one of the few dollars I had to spend for groceries last week on pancake syrup, I decided to figure out if it would save money to make my own. We tried three different recipes.

#1- Simple sugar syrup- this one was easy and the cheapest option. Simply boil 2 cups of white sugar with one cup of water until sugar is dissolved. Save any extra syrup in a jar.  $0.62 for 16oz   $.93 for 24 oz

#2- Brown sugar syrup- 1 cup white sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup water. Same idea, boil til sugars are dissolved. $0.94 for 16 oz  $1.41 for 24 oz

#3- Maple flavoring- Hands down winner, 2 cups of white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of maple flavoring $0.77 for 16 oz  $1.16 for 24 oz

24 oz. syrup $1.33 Walmart

So, options 1 and 3 are less expensive than Walmart syrup, but not by much. We did like the taste of the homemade with maple flavoring, and I liked that all the ingredients would be around for a while, so I don't have to worry about having enough each time we have pancakes or french toast. So I think this will be our new go to, but it's nice to know that we can have even the white sugar syrup in a pinch if we need to.

  I also found some alternative toppings for pancakes that sound pretty good:

1. This is probably the easiest, fastest way to get a delicious maple syrup substitute: mix some jam, jelly or preserves with a splash of water in a small pan over medium heat. Whisk until smooth, adding more water as needed until you get a nice, syrupy consistency.
2.  Simmer your favorite fruit juice with a bit of sugar and after a few minutes of reducing, you'll have a thick, flavorful syrup.
3.  Almost any fruit or berry, fresh or frozen, can be turned into a compote: just toss it in a pan (chopped up if it's big) with some sugar and a splash of water and boil until soft and syrupy. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, peaches, rhubarb, cherries, apples, and pears all work here.
4. You could even use ice cream toppings, haha!
   

24 oz. syrup $1.33 Walmart

4 lb bag of sugar at Walmart is $2.48   2 cups a lb

2 oz bottle of maple flavoring $3.48

12 teaspoons in 2 oz bottle

2 lb bag of brown sugar $2.52