Agave Syrup (aka Nectar)
Agave Nectar is a 100% natural sweetener that is derived from the Agave plant. Its sweet flavor comes from fructose, a natural sugar found in both fruits and plants. It is not refined and therefore is not considered a simple sugar.
Other than the fact that Agave is a natural, whole food (something that white sugar is not) one of it’s biggest perks is that it has a low Glycemic Index which means it does not spike up blood sugar and insulin levels the way other simple sugars do. It also has trace amounts of minerals including calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron and even a little fiber.
Agave has a nice mild taste and is very sweet (it’s actually 25 to 30 percent sweeter than sugar). It comes in light and amber and just recently I saw Agave flavors at the store like amaretto and vanilla (haven’t tried those yet, but would love to hear from any of you who have).
You can easily substitute Agave for honey or sugar although you do have to play around with the measurements a bit. When it comes to baking, I’ve played around with Agave a little but don’t have any concrete facts for ya yet. I love adding it in coffee or even in some plain yogurt to sweeten it up a bit.
The Bottom Line: If you’re gonna use sweeteners, you may as well stick to the ones that work with you and not against you. Agave Syrup (Nectar) is definitely an ingredient to add to your pantry!!
*If I still haven't convinced you to try Agave Syrup, then maybe this will change your mind: It's is the sweetner of choice for our beloved Dr. Oz ;).
**UPDATE - The Madhava site has some helpful tips and recipes when it comes to Agave! Check them out:
Nutritional Analysis
1 tablespoonCalories: 60; Total Fat: 0g; Saturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 0mg; Carbohydrate: 16; Dietary Fiber: 1; Sugars: 15g; Protein: 0g
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Comments
Maya :
Dani-
Do you think this would be availible in a regular supermarkert, or only in health food stores?
posted on August 14, 2008 3:36 PM
Dani :
Maya - I bought this one at Whole Foods and i know Trader Joe's seels it as well. It is gaining in popularity so I bet some higher end grocery stores have it although I don't know if it's made it mainstream yet. You can also buy it online if you can't seem to find it!
posted on August 14, 2008 7:34 PM
Amy :
Dani - thanks for sharing! I love agave nectar and use it almost exclusively now. I still haven't perfected it's use in baking, but there are some great guidelines on the Madhava site at http://www.madhavasagave.com/UsingAgave.aspx (see sugar to agave conversion on the right side of the page)
posted on August 14, 2008 9:23 PM
Anticiplate :
I need to try this! I keep hearing about it. I think your pancakes with the agave syrup would be perfect for sunday morning!
posted on August 15, 2008 7:35 AM
Dani :
Amy - Thanks for the link... I think I'll add it to the post!! Super helpful:).
Anticiplate - What's better than sunday morning pancakes;)?!
posted on August 15, 2008 7:57 AM
Kalyn :
Good post on this. I've been a fan of agave for quite a while now.
posted on August 15, 2008 8:04 PM
Culinarywannabe :
I have been curious about what exactly is so special about agave for a while, after seeing it used in many health conscious recipes. Good to hear that it really is so much better for you than plain sugar!
posted on August 16, 2008 9:21 AM
Stefanie :
Hi Dani, I've used honey in my coffee and tea for 3 years now and haven't looked back (to white sugar). I've seen agave nectar in the store and considered trying it out. Now that I know some more about it I probably will. Thanks!
posted on August 21, 2008 8:01 PM
Gliding Calm :
whoa! I didn't know it had a low GI...neat!
posted on August 31, 2008 5:06 AM