Previously, I told you about luo han guo. Today, I’ve got another sweetener that won’t spike your blood sugar.
Derived from the prickly blue agave cactus (the same plant that gives us tequilla), agave nectar is gaining popularity. Despite its sweet taste, it has just 11 calories and four grams of carbohydrate (which is mainly insulin) per teaspoon. It is also a low-glycemic food – sranking just 19 on the glycemic index.
Because this golden syrup is composed primarily of fructose (92 percent), it is nearly 25 percent sweeter than table sugar (sucrose). That means you can use a lot less to achieve the same level of sweetness.
So go ahead and sweeten up with this safe, delicious, all-natural product. It can be used anywhere you would use sugar. If you use agave nectar for baking, the following adjustments are recommended:
- For every cup of sugar, use 3/4 cup of agave nectar.
- Reduce the liquids in the recipe by one-third.
- Reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.
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