Do you put sugar in your made from scratch cornbread?

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   xstaticposted 11 years ago

   Do you put sugar in your made from scratch cornbread?
   
   I know there are many good cooks on HP, and quite a few Southern ones too. My wife and I hve this sort of small controversy. Her family was from the Atlanta area, and her grandmother, who at one time ran a boarding house, did not use sugar in cornbread, hence my wife does not. My mother, whose family was also from GA, did put sugar in cornbread. She was raised in Texas, so maybe that is the difference? Silly question? Maybe, but cornbread w/o a little sugar just doesn't seem right.
   Opinions?

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2. 93

   peeplesposted 11 years ago

   I'm in SC, and I use sugar. It just doesn't taste right without it to me. I was taught to put sugar in it by a geechee (gullah) foster mom. She was born and raised off the coast of SC.

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      xstaticposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That is authentic!

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   mollymeadowsposted 11 years ago

   Be careful, X. I think you may have just started a war! ;-)
   
   I know others here disagree, but I like a touch of sugar in both my cornbread and my greens. But you can't go by me. I also like sour cream, a can of creamed corn, and chopped-up bacon in my corn bread as well.
   
   My grandmother didn't use a grain of sugar in her cornbread, though. I think the "without sugar" version is the oldest and most authentic.

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      peeplesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      MMmm bacon. I put bacon in mine too.

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   granniesharonposted 11 years ago

   I do like cornbread with sugar in it, as well as the other version with buttermilk.
   My mom doesn't like her cornbread to taste like cake.

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      xstaticposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That is what my wife says. I sort of like the Marie Callender mix, but she says it is way to sweet & prefers her own.

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   duffsmomposted 11 years ago

   I have to admit, I have never made cornbread from scratch. I use a mix, but I do add a couple of table spoons of sugar to the mix.  It seems to bitter to me otherwise.

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      xstaticposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Good answer! I like it that way too.

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   Beth Beardallposted 11 years ago

   I love cornbread.  My Grandmother always used the Martha Washington brand, which was light and delicious and of course has sugar.  I make mine from scratch and don't use sugar.  The last time I made it, though, I did add a touch of molasses - well, I liked it.  I think generally speaking that Southerners use sugar and Northerners don't. At least that's what I've read when looking up recipes online. 
   Whether or not you use sugar, however, you have to have lots of butter handy to melt over top and then to spread onto it while eating.  That's what makes it for me more than sugar.  Happy eating:)

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      xstaticposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Oh yeah!!

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   Austinstarposted 11 years ago

   My mom's Texas cornbread called for 4 T. of sugar. I thought that was too much, so I cut it in half. Now I just put one T. of sugar. It doesn't taste as good without the sugar, but a little goes a long way.
   And yes! We must eat it right out of the oven with lots of butter. Oh my, now I want some cornbread and beans.

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      xstaticposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That does seem like a heap of sugar, unless she was making a lot  of cornbread for a a pssel of cowboys!

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      SirDentposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I like butter on cornbread.

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   SirDentposted 11 years ago

   I never ever put sugar in cornbread.  I douse black pepper in my cornbread, which I do make from scratch.  I imagine it depends on what one wants in their cornbread.  Kudos to your wife for making it the old fashioned way. 
   
   By the way, corn itself has sugar in it already and the corn meal will likewise have some sugar in it.

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   Insightful Tigerposted 11 years ago

   I have put sugar in my cornbread in the past. I have tried corn, cheese, and sugar. I have not yet made it from scratch though. Just this past year, I was given a new recipe. This one calls for cottage cheese and yellow squash. Sound weird? Try it! Then tell me if it is not the best you ever had.  http://insightfultiger.hubpages.com/hub … ecipe-Ever
   I just made it yesterday for a church picnic and it was gone fast!

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      Insightful Tigerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You can always add sugar to it, I think it would taste even better!

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    Abluesforninaposted 11 years ago

    It depends on who I'm making it for but yes, most of the time I like a little sweetness to my scratch corn bread. It's just so good. It's not exactly cake, it's a different sweet taste altogether and butter sets it off.

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       xstaticposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I like it!

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