Were it not for Linda Sepeda, I’d be a little leery of something called turkey syrup.
But apparently if you grew up in certain parts of Pennsylvania, you’re feeling a bit homesick along about now and rolling your eyes at my ignorance.
Recent discussions about golden syrup prompted Sepeda to write and mention Mrs. Schlorer’s Turkey Golden Table Syrup as an alternative for readers in search of the syrup.
“This was in the kitchen of every family where I grew up,” Sepeda says. “It is the same as golden syrup and is used to drizzle over fastnachts on Shrove Tuesday or to make shoofly pie.”
I confess I had to look up fastnachts, a fried doughnut. And Shrove Tuesday is the day before the traditional Lenten fasting period, so it makes sense to have a last fling with syrupy fried doughnuts. But I’d always thought shoofly pie was made with molasses, so I asked Sepeda to share more.
“I grew up in Berks County, in southeastern Pennsylvania. It’s next to Lancaster County, where my son now lives with his family,” Sepeda says. “The horses and buggies still are seen on the roads there. This syrup is what we used on our pancakes and waffles.
“Until I visited England for the first time in 1984 and tasted treacle (Lyle’s Golden Syrup), I didn’t know that these were actually the same thing. I’m including a recipe for shoo fly pie, which is referred to just as ‘shoo fly,’ as in ‘Who wants a piece of shoo fly?'”
When Sepeda was just starting to cook at the age of 12, her mother bought her a 1964 copy of a cookbook called “The Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book of Fine Old Recipes.” The cover is long gone, but the recipes still offer a taste of her childhood. The turkey syrup, water and baking soda are topped with a sweet crumb in the shoofly pie. Apparently, the turkey syrup lacks the strong, slightly bitter flavor of molasses, making for a sweeter taste profile.
Sepeda also shared a simple traditional candy recipe. “Mohjy is a candy similar to a hard taffy,” she says. “It is made in a pan, then cracked for sharing. Apples are also dipped in it. We had mohjy apples rather than candy apples or caramel apples.”
Of course, Lyle’s Golden Syrup or other golden syrups will work in these recipes. But if you want the real deal, visit www.goldenbarrel.com, where Mrs. Schlorer’s Turkey Golden Table Syrup is $2.59 for a 16-ounce jar or $23.99 for a case, plus shipping. If you are impatient, you can find the syrup for $8.59 per 16-ounce jar on Amazon, with Prime shipping available.
Sepeda’s stories about turkey syrup are a reminder that while we live in a land of chain restaurants, we still retain some beloved tidbits of regional culture. I’d love to hear your stories about regional products you still long for — or stuff into suitcases to bring back to the Bay Area when you visit the homeland. Please share recipes as well.
Request line
Carol hopes Plates readers can help her with twists on traditional chicken salads. She’d like a chicken, bacon and avocado salad recipe in particular. She also wonders if readers have had luck using Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise in the dressing.
Send recipes and requests to Kim Boatman at HomePlates@bayareanewsgroup.com. Find recent Home Plates recipes online at www.mercurynews.com/home-plates.
