Star of the West Milling Company began over 150 years ago as a small steam-powered
mill in Frankenmuth, an area of tremendous agricultural diversity with access to customers in North America and beyond. Today Star of the West is a premier supplier of flour, dry edible beans, food-grade soybeans and ready-to-eat wheat flakes. Star of the West’s relationships with wheat growers in Michigan allows them to be one of the few millers of soft white winter wheat flour, a key ingredient in many products.
Star of the West currently operates five mills in four states, along with over 30 elevatorsand six bean processing facilities. The daily flour milling capacity now stands at 33,400cwts (3,340,000 lbs), making Star of the West the 11th largest miller in the United
States.
Star of the West also has a commitment to working with farmers to help them sustainably produce high-quality food products. To support this effort, the agronomy division has a team of over 30 Certified Crop Advisors that work directly with the farmers in Michigan.
Today’s recipe uses a buttermilk pancake mix manufactured by Star of the West Milling Co. that includes their famous Nightengale enriched flour, topped with a delectable strawberry syrup easily made in any kitchen from locally grown strawberries. The Star of the West Buttermilk Pancake mix is available in Frankenmuth, right next to the actual mill, exclusively at Kernel Benny’s, and locally grown strawberries can be acquired throughout Saginaw County at numerous U-Pick berry farms (check out our post on U-Pick Farms for more detail about this agritourism industry) and Farmer’s Markets. Strawberries are in season now, so give it a try…you won’t be sorry.
The Recipe: Fresh Strawberry Syrup
(Note: Our test chef was preparing this for a family gathering so made 1.5 times the recipe listed below -just adjust your pan size according to how much you desire for the end product).
Makes: Approx. 1 cup strawberry syrup
Ingredients:
3 cups Strawberries -diced (larger if you like “chunky” syrup, smaller if you prefer
smoother syrup)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh if possible)
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Combine strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a gentle simmer until the berries are soft and syrup is thickened and reduced by 1/3 to 1/2 in volume, approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Syrup will thicken upon standing. If you wish, you may simply whisk in a small
amount of water to reach desired consistency when serving.
Notes:
To learn more about Star of the West Milling Co.’s fascinating history as well as other
pioneers in local agriculture, visit the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History’s new
Photos courtesy of Star of the West.
Recipe Source: www.carlsbadcravings.com