Sweet Holidays

--By Karen Kloser

Another holiday season is upon us and so is the temptation of all the sweets made with refined sugar. Besides the high calories and lack of nutrients, refined sugar contributes to a range of side effects from mood swings and insomnia to headaches and weight gain. Hampden Park Co-op has several healthier sugar alternatives available (including Stevia, which is not covered in this article) to fulfill our sweet tooth urges.

Sucanat™

Sucanat™ is the abbreviated word for “sugar cane natural.” The sugar cane is processed much like refined sugar, but after heating, the juice is left to evaporate into grainy crystals. These crystals have the distinctive, strong flavor of molasses. One source says Sucanat™ is a good substitute for brown sugar and “anything that calls for sugar.” Another says, “it can be difficult to bake with, because it behaves very differently from more processed forms of sugar.” It’s less sweet and its grainy texture comes through in baked goods. Also, its molasses-like taste competes with intense flavors like citrus and chocolate. In general, it does not replace refined sugar cup-for-cup in a recipe.

Agave Nectar

Agave nectar comes from the base of a large cactus-like plant that resembles a giant aloe vera. It is 25% sweeter than refined sugar and has a low glycemic index (GI) of 39 compared to sugar with a GI of 110. Because the body metabolizes agave nectar more slowly, it is less likely to cause fluctuating blood sugar levels. It is full of such nutrients as carbohydrates, fructan, vitamins, and amino acids. Typically, the juice is boiled to obtain the traditional agave syrup. In most recipes, agave can be substituted for honey in equal parts. For 1 cup of sugar, use ¾ cup of agave and reduce the liquid content by ¼ cup. Reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees when baking with agave.

Brown Rice Syrup

This natural sweetener is made from fermented brown rice using special enzymes to break down the starch in the grain. The liquid is strained off and the brown rice is cooked until it is syrup. The result is a delicate sweet liquid with a buttery smooth flavor. Brown rice syrup is healthful and an ideal sweetener for baking and desserts, but reduce other liquids in the recipe by one-fourth.

Barley Malt Syrup

Barley malt syrup is made from barley that is soaked and sprouted to make malt. It is combined with more barley and cooked until it becomes a sugar mash. The mash is strained and the liquid cooked into syrup. According to the Sweet Savvy Web site, barley malt syrup is considered to be one of the healthiest sweeteners in the natural food industry, since it is produced from a whole food source and is made up of the simple sugars. It metabolizes slowly in the body but does have calories and carbohydrates. Diabetics and low-carb dieters should use it with caution. Otherwise, it is fine for anyone who wants a whole-food
natural sweetener.

Honey

The range of honey flavors and colors available (some 300 types in the United States) depends on the floral blossom the honey bee visits. Generally the lighter the color, the milder the taste. Honey is produced from many types of plants, including avocado, blueberry, sage, almond, and fireweed. Honey in the comb comes as it was produced and is completely edible. Made primarily of carbohydrates and water, honey also contains small amounts of vitamins and minerals. It’s mainly used for cooking, baking, and as a beverage sweetener. When cooking, it’s best to use recipes created for honey. If substituting honey for sugar in recipes, start with half honey and half sugar. As honey is sweeter than sugar, you can use less of it. When baking with honey, reduce any amount of liquid called for by ¼ cup, and add ½ teaspoon baking soda per 1 cup of honey used. Reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.

Whole Cane Sugar

Whole cane sugar is unrefined, naturally evaporated sugar cane juice that retains the natural vitamins and minerals in sugar. You can substitute cup-for-cup whole cane sugar for refined sugar in all of your recipes.

Recipes

Try out one of these "sweet holiday" recipes (click here or the links at the top of the article) adapted from Debra Lynn Dadd. She’s been called “The Queen of Green” by the New York Times and is the author of Home Safe Home:

• Eggnog
• The Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
• Pecan Pie.

Sources

Better Nutrition, December 2002, by Lisa Turner
What is Sucanat?
The Organic Report
Brown Rice Syrups
Debra Lynn Dadd
National Honey Board

[Karen Kloser is an HPC member and unabashedly addicted to sugar.]