Syrup is an interesting one. When we were first married for several years we were diehard Mrs. Butterworth fans. Then they changed the flavoring. Now it’s Kirkland pure maple all the way.
When you move to a different region you learn about new brands and products and miss some of the ones not available. From Wisconsin and used to good dairy. Was once in a store where the farm lady ahead of me was explaining the differences in milk based on their diet- minerals et al. I despise those California milk ads because they are so wrong.
I have tried many different ice creams here in Florida and still think the upper Midwest has better brands than any from here or other southern nondairy states. I trust Target for dairy because it is based in Minn, another dairy state.
Maple syrup. Now buy NE stuff while bought the local brands in WI. btw- some terrible brands have crossed state lines- Hillshire Farms is one. Johnsonville is fine for brats. The best stuff not available here because the Germans settled up north.
I recently ran out of real maple syrup so I used some fake pancake syrup someone had left here. I will be careful not to let that happen again!
While in college D was surprised by how many people used fake stuff. She felt compelled to introduce them to real maple syrup.
I am not loyal to any particular brand of real maple syrup.
I suppose I’m in the minority that I can’t stand the flavor of real maple syrup… But then again, there isn’t much in sweets that I like.
Youngest tapped trees and made his own syrups this year. If I recall correctly he not only did Maple, but also Black Walnut and maybe Elderberry? I know there were three types. Most impressive was how much folks were willing to pay for it. With that in mind, tis probably good that I had no desire to eat the assets!
With cheese, one thing we always bring home with us when visiting where I grew up in Northern NY is River Rat cheese curd. There is nothing comparable elsewhere. We have some of our friends and neighbors addicted…
Finish Quantum lover here too, and if I can find it at Ollie’s, it’s cheaper than premium store brand.
If I’m going to eat ice cream, it’s going to be name brand, high fat, real ice cream. Ben and Jerry’s is probably my favorite because I like their flavors, but Hagendaaz is fine too. I LOVE fresh dairy made ice cream.
I wish. Could offer all of you Kosher for Passover ketchup. Once you’ve tasted it, you will be spoiled forever
Kosher for Passover Ketchup is pretty much the same as Heinz “ Simply Heinz”. It’s not made to be K for P but I don’t think there’s any kitniyot.
You folks who go through only one small jar of mayonaise in a year amaze me. DH and I (mostly DH --) go through a large jar from Costco every two months or so. I buy four jars at a time, when it’s on sale at Costco, and have gotten some strange looks. Hellmans only, of course.
And as far as ketchup is concerned, ditto. I use ketchup in many recipes – brisket, sweet and sour chicken – and we go through about three of the large Costco-sized bottles every year. Heinz only, of course.
[Quick brisket recipe: One can cranberry sauce, one cup ketchup, one packet Lipton onion soup mix. Whisk together, pour over brisket. Cover tightly with foil. Cook at 325 for three hours or so.]
Wow @VeryHappy. I can’t imagine using that much mayo. We eat it maybe two or three times per year! DH used to eat it more on sandwiches until his doctor told him he could likely lose weight just by giving up mayo and soda ( it worked). Even before it would have taken a long time to use a giant sized jar Do you mostly eat it in sandwiches? What recipes do you use it in?
Yeah, sandwiches. DH and I have a ham, turkey or roast beef sandwich almost every day at lunch. We also use mayo when I make plain chicken breasts, and if I buy the Costco rotisserie chicken, I’ll make chicken salad with the leftovers. I do have a chicken recipe that calls for a coating of mayo and grated parm cheese, which is rather good.
I tease DH that he views mayo as more of a dip than a spread. You can imagine how much he uses for each sandwich. I spread it on the bread and probably use a tablespoon per sandwich. He spreads it as I do, but then also adds a schmear to each bite. He probably uses half a cup per sandwich. Yech.
My H will only use Hellman’s mayo. I use Hellman’s or WW, whichever is on sale, because I want the lo-cal option. Years ago, I transferred a bottle of the light into H’s regular jar and he never noticed the difference but when I told him, he became incensed.
I don’t use ketchup too much anymore, but we are a Heinz family. I used to buy a 6 pack of the big ones at Restaurant Depot and we would go through them in a few months. In those days, we BBQ’d a lot and did a lot of Boy Scout functions.
H got into real maple syrup when our D went to college across the lake from Vermont. For financial reasons, I convinced him to try Costco’s version and he loves it. I don’t use syrup anymore but when I did, I used the diet brand.
H is much more interested in food than I am. He lives to eat and I eat to live.
Can’t use fake Q-tips in our house
If I were solo, I’d never buy a bottle of ketchup ever again. I don’t like it (plain) - in recipes or otherwise. When I make stuffed peppers I go with Heinz 57 sauce. If made with ketchup I don’t like them. I suspect it’s why I also don’t like 99% of meatloafs or many BBQ sauces.
Malt vinegar goes well on french fries - or they’re great plain with salt.
We use mayo but not a lot as we rarely eat sandwiches. My H is a believer that anything can go in a flour tortilla. He has been known to take almond butter on a flour tortilla for lunch.
I buy a mix of store and name brands. Definitely only buy Charmin or occasional pack of Northern toilet paper. For pasta sauce I like Rao or Silver Palate brands. Mustard is Maile which I use for salad dressing. I like Kirkland olive oil that is from Italy. They have it every year until it’s gone. I stock up. I also like California Ranch olive oil. Sensodyne toothpaste.
Only Pureology conditioner for my hair. I buy H the cheap stuff from Costco.
Straus European style yogurt in whole milk plain for H. I like the greek style.
One of my Hs few preferences is Bobs Red Mill popcorn kernels.
Only one particular type of Kerastase shampoo for me. My thin hair does not like any other stuff. My husband uses whatever - he is known to bring half-used hotel shampoos home and finish them here. 
Says it saves $ and the planet.
@1214mom - the best mass market ice cream I’ve ever had is Kroger’s Private Selection brand. As good or better than the premium brands, and a much greater variety of flavors. Unfortunately, I’m diabetic now and can’t have it but boy, do I miss it.
Only European made cheese (except mozzarella, burrata and queso blanco). I would rather not eat cheese at all if I don’t see the one I like.
No Vermont cheddar?
There are many great artisanal cheeses made in the US these days that rival European cheeses in quality. Give them a try if you haven’t in awhile.
Funny seeing this thread…a year or so ago we discovered canned mango (no sugar added) which we use occasionally in recipes or add to salad. I bought two cans last week and didn’t notice our local market offers its own brand now. Was definitely not nearly as good as the Del Monte which, had I been paying better attention, would have chosen.
I used to buy Saran Wrap before discovering the plastic wrap at Costco which, imo, is far superior and has the benefit or a much better cutting mechanism.
Heinz, kleenex, Peets whole bean Major Dickason coffee, best foods mayo, Kettle brand chips, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, Northern TP, Kirkland laundry pods, cascade dish washer pods, skippy pb are among our brand-loyal choices and I’m sure there are more. I once bought non-brand chicken from Safeway and dh and I could tell the difference. Not brand loyal specifically but I now know not to buy that particular store’s brand.