High Fructose Corn Syrup

I just reread what I wrote earlier about the technical aspect of the fructose & AGEs info at the link I provided in my earlier comment. I didn’t mean to imply that your readers couldn’t understand the fructose info – just that it *is* very technical, and not everybody is into understanding the technicalities to such a high degree. Phew! Don’t want to stick my foot in my mouth more than usual .

The main takeaway message from Peter’s post (on Hyperlipid) is that there is good reason to watch the fructose intake, from all sources, not just HFCS (but this doesn’t seem to filter down from the research into the mainstream dietary advise). Fresh fruit is fine for some dietary variety and flavor, but not as a diet mainstay (fruitarianism). Some kids, for instance, eat lots of fruit & juice but hardly any veggies. Vegetables generally are a better source of plant-based nutrients and should be more plentiful than fruit, IMO.

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Hi Kelly,

Just to clarify: is there a difference between the high fructose corn syrup used in processed foods and the corn syrup that I use in a few baking recipes like pecan pie? If they are the same, do you have suggestions on how to replace?

Thanks,
Diana

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I have tried making pecan pie with maple syrup, and it was marvellous – so much better than the corn syrup version, at least to my tastebuds. I only used maybe 3/4 cup of maple syrup and a couple of eggs, so it ended up more like a sweet, buttery maple-pecan tart than the usual gooey confection – but I don’t like too much “filling” anyway, personally.
(And I can’t believe it was only a couple of years ago that I discovered real-butter piecrust! I had always made pies, quiches etc. with margarine, because cookbooks, (and my mother, bless her) assured me that “shortening” made the flakiest piecrust (and of course, it is much cheaper.) One day I made a butter crust, and my eyes were opened – it was infinitely better than the hydrogenated-oil version, needless to say – and I haven’t bought oleoresin-tinted sticks of death since!)

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