Sweeteners

Personally, I'm trying to rid our household of high fructose corn syrup...that means- no soda pop! There are a couple of brands that use sugar, but really, why not get rid of it all the way around. I'll admit that its been hard...see my posts starting Jan-2009 on the family blog that chronicle our lifestyle changes....http://www.peacefulcottagefamily.blogspot.com/ Eliminating corn syrup means no more store bought baked goods either. There are very few items...bread being the most common that don't have corn syrup. I still buy bread and tortillas. Read the labels!!!!!!
The following information comes from http://www.deliciousorganics.com/Controversies/sweet.htm This website has a lot more information on artificial and natural sweeteners too. I've only copied the parts that pertain to my experience and use. See the website for more information on sweeteners.

Brown Sugar is white sugar (that has been stripped of molasses) that has had a bit molasses added (more for dark brown sugar) for a richer flavor. It is used for baking as it adds a chewy quality, moist texture, and wonderful flavor.

Organic sugar is darker than traditional white sugar and does include some trace minerals because it is not filtered. It has a more robust flavor. Organic sugar was grown without the use of chemicals or pesticides. This is important since sugar is a concentrate; therefore conventional sugar also concentrates the chemicals and pesticides. Organic sugar is produced using renewable energy sources and rotating crops with attention to the environment. Sugar cane is cut, milled, then crushed, purified, and crystallized. Luckily, we have organic options for most forms of sugar including Powdered Sugar, Brown Sugar, and regular Sugar.

While organic sugar is a better option than conventional sugar, even organic sugar is not a health food and has the same issues with increasing our insulin levels as regular sugar. Sugar has been linked to:

obesity
cavities and tooth decay
diabetes
osteoporosis
depression
energy slumps
premature aging
high blood pressure
some cancers and heart disease
Sugar suppresses our immune system and actually feeds cancer while greens create an alkaline environment that cancer doesn't like.

Sugar has a high glycemic index of about 110.

Sugar is 99% sucrose. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate. Simple Carbs are absorbed quickly by the body and can add on unwanted weight without any nutritional value. Most sweeteners are high on the glycemic index. Sugar, Maple Syrup, Molasses, Sorghum, and Honey are all natural sugars that our body converts into glucose. When we eat sugar, our body secretes insulin to convert sugar into glucose, then our body burns off the glucose instead of our fat reserves as it should. Sugar forces our pancreas to work harder to in order to stabilize the sugar in our system.

Sugar comes from sugar cane or, more likely, from sugar beets. Nowadays, however, sugar in processed foods has been replaced with a cheaper sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup.

You will find Corn Syrup listed in the ingredients of most every processed food. Manufacturers use this over other sweeteners because it is a cheap syrup. It is produced from cornstarch. Corn is actually a grain, not a vegetable, and it is very high in sugar and therefore quite high on the glycemic index. One bushel of corn produces enough corn syrup to sweeten 324 cans of soda! It is now the primary sweetener in sodas, snacks (cookies, crackers), candy, frosting, jams, jellies, salad dressing, ice cream, condiments, and even fruit juice. You'll see it in most labels, even on things considered health foods like cereal bars and energy bars.

High Fructose Corn Syrup has only been around since the 70s. HFCS contains 14% fructose. There have been no studies on the long-term effects of consuming fructose, let alone in these massive amounts. Never before in history have so many people consumed so much fructose. We are walking experiments.

Our bodies metabolize sugar and HFCS differently. Sugar triggers leptin which helps us feel full and satisfied. HFCS doesn't do that so our sweet tooth isn't satisfied, we crave more sweets, and we eat more. Sodas are an interesting thing. Many of us remember when they moved from sugar to HFCS and how we didn't like the new taste, until we got use to it, of course. Even though HFCS is much sweeter than sugar, they did not cut back on the sweetener so sodas are actually much sweeter today than they were years ago. So we are consuming far more of these sweetener which causes us to crave even more sweets.

Corn is one of the main crops to be GMO. This is a major concern especially since it is so widely used. This is another reason to only use Organic Powdered Sugar too.

Corn and it's derivatives are a likely source of the obesity and diabetes in America today. Like peanuts, corn can grow a toxic mold or fungus. Called mycotoxin, this toxin may lead to:

cancer
heart disease
diabetes
other illness
HFCS is not a well tested food, it is GMO, it may contain a toxic mold, and it is high on the glycemic index. We will increase our lives and health by eliminating or drastically cutting the corn syrup from our diet.

Sugar is a safer option than corn sweetener. Sugar is a safer option than artificial sweeteners. Organic sugar is a better option than conventionally processed sugar. However sweeteners increase our desire for more sweets. Many sweeteners increase our insulin levels and artificial sweeteners carry risk of cancer and other disease. Because of this, we should try our best to decrease our consumption of all sweets.

For baking and candy making, however, Corn Syrup, or Glucose, plays an important role. It adds sweetness and a specific texture. Substitute a generous 3/4 cup plus of honey plus 2-3 tablespoons of water to reach 1 cup for 1 cup of corn syrup in the recipe. You can also substitute corn syrup with an equal amount of Golden Syrup, Maple Syrup, or Honey. Or substitute an equal amount of this sugar syrup: make your own syrup by boiling 1/4 - 1/2 cup of water with 1 cup of sugar until it reaches the same thick consistency, about one minute, and store this in the refrigerator.

Most importantly, corn syrup stops crystals from forming when melting sugar. However, the same effect can be obtained when we add an acid (lemon juice, for example) to the melting sugar.

Sugar plays an important role in baked goods. It does more than simply sweeten the cookie or cake. Sugar actually makes it moist. Sugar acts to make it tender. Sugar helps the baked item to brown properly. Sugar helps create the structure (like making the cookie spread) of the baked good . Sugar is often beaten with butter because it cuts holes into the butter to create that light and flaky texture. Sugar acts as a natural preservative in baked goods. Sugar feeds the yeast to make bread.

Because sugar is more than just a sweetener in baked goods, it's impossible to keep the integrity of the baked item and replace the sugar completely in a recipe. But we can make things less sweet and still allow sugar to do it's magic. Try cutting back by 1/3 to 1/2 of the sugar called for in the recipe. Or we can replace some of the sugar with another natural sweetener. When we do this, we have to keep in mind if we are adding liquid (for example, replacing it with honey) and adjust the rest of the recipe accordingly.


Brown Sugar is sugar with more of the molasses still intact. You can make your own Brown Sugar by adding 2 tablespoons of molasses to 1 cup of regular sugar. Molasses adds trace minerals and a little calcium.

Molasses is rich and thick and has a strong unique flavor but is not as sweet as sugar. It is rich in minerals (chromium, potassium and iron) and has a good balance of calcium and magnesium. It is more acidic than sugar too. Substitute molasses in British recipes that call for Treacle. Like Maple Syrup, Molasses is sold in grades. The grades have to do with whether it is from the first, second, third or fourth boiling of the sugar cane. The last boiling is blackstrap molasses which is quite strong and slightly bitter. Higher grades like first molasses are better for baking. Some molasses are labeled as "sulphured" because the sugar cane is picked too young and is ripened with sulphur. This molasses is also cheaper, doesn't taste as good, and is not really natural. Avoid "sulphured" molasses.

Baked goods that include molasses will be dark and have the rich flavor of molasses so adding it for flavor is great but replace no more than half of the sugar in a recipe with molasses because otherwise the flavor may be too strong. Use 1 and 1/3 cup of molasses for 1 cup of sugar. Since it's more acidic, add a teaspoon of baking soda too. Since it adds liquid, reduce other liquid in the recipe by 1/3 cup. Since it's thicker and browns faster, turn the oven temperature down 25 degrees. The best way to measure molasses for recipes is to first grease the measuring cup with a little oil or cooking spray so that it all falls out easily.

Add a tablespoon of molasses to hot water as a drink to help you warm up!

Maple Syrup has a wonderful flavor and can be used to sweeten more than just pancakes. Use it to sweeten dinners or soups (especially pumpkin soup or other squash soups), smoothies, baked goods, as well as breakfast French toast or pancakes. Maple Syrup is available in organic brands that are even fair trade. The difference between organic and conventional maple syrup is that organic assures of quality and that our environment is protected. The organic label limits the number of taps per tree. Unlike conventional maple syrup, organic syrup cannot use formaldehyde in the tapping of the trees. Conventional maple syrup used formaldehyde in the tree taps (even though they are not supposed to now, some still do it for convenience) and that gets into the maple syrup. The organic label protects the woodland area and tree management and does not allow chemicals or pesticides in the area. Fair Trade assures that the farmers are paid a fair price. Always choose organic maple syrup.

Maple Syrup is sold by Grades that have to do with when the sap came from the tree. The early tapping produces a finer, clearer, and lighter in flavor Grade A while the end of the season will produce the thicker, richer, deeper in color and flavor Grade B. Grade B tends to be less expensive too. I love the flavor of Grade B, especially for cooking. It's a personal preference.

Maple Syrup is sweeter than sugar so when replacing sugar in a recipe we use less maple syrup (use 3/4 cup for every 1 cup of sugar) and cut back (3 tablespoons) on the other liquids in the recipe. Add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per cup of Maple Syrup.

Maple Sugar is maple syrup in powdered form. It has a lovely flavor and sweetness and can be combined with cinnamon and sprinkled onto bread for cinnamon toast or when making cinnamon buns. It can be used to replace sugar in baked goods and you'll need less of it, maybe 1/2 as much, as it is sweeter. Add a pinch of baking soda per cup of Maple Sugar.

Honey has a whopping 65 calories a tablespoon but you need less of it to sweeten the pot. Studies indicate that people who eat honey have a higher polyphenols in their blood, so perhaps honey has antioxidant qualities as well! Honey is a good alternative sweetener and adds additional flavor to tea, baked goods, and smoothies. It's also makes a great glaze or sauce for chicken, fish, and meat.

Honey adds a unique wonderful flavor to baked goods. Choose a honey that you enjoy; flavors vary based upon the flowers in the surrounding area of the bee hive. When replacing honey for sugar in baked goods, we have to remember that honey brings unique qualities. Because honey is sweeter than sugar, replace 1 cup of sugar with a generous 3/4 cup of honey. Because honey is liquid and adds liquid to a recipe, use 2-4 tablespoons less of other liquid in the recipe. Because honey is more acidic than sugar, and add a pinch of baking soda (unless of course the recipe already calls for sour cream or buttermilk) to neutralize the added acid. Since honey will make the baked good brown faster, reduce the cooking temperature by 25 degrees. Honey will make the baked good darker and denser than sugar (think of a traditional honey cake) with a wonderful flavor and a delicious moist texture.

Choose organic honey since others can have pesticides and chemicals. Conventional honey is gathered by bees from plants sprayed with pesticides and chemicals and those chemicals end up in the honey we eat. Further, conventional bee keepers use sulfa compounds and antibiotics on the bees regularly. At the end of the season when they are ready to extract the honey, conventional bee keepers will kill the bees with calcium cyanide and carbolic acid. Organic bee keepers don't do that; they work with nature. Getting organic honey is an expensive process. The bees gather nectar from organic plants. Since bees can fly around a certain area, the entire radius must be free of pesticides. The plants depend upon the bees for pollination. This furthers the entire organic process! Supporting organic honey supports our earth.

Fruit Juice and fruit juice concentrates are fruit sugar or fructose but should not be confused with High Fructose Corn Sweetener which is very different. As a general rule, fructose is a good choice for an alternate sweetener since it metabolizes slowly in the body and doesn't cause the surges like regular sugar. Like sucrose, fructose can raise insulin levels and can have the same ill effects on health; however, fructose is low on the glycemic index. Whole fruit, with fiber, pectin and nutrients intact, is a perfectly balanced snack (especially if you are healthy; if you have high blood pressure or other health concerns or are beginning a low carbohydrate diet, seek a doctor's advice, of course). However, too much fructose can raise triglycerides. And common sense dictates that if you are allergic to the fruit, you are allergic to the fruit concentrate of that juice.

Fruit juice should not be a standard drink for adults or children because it is high in sugar, but using fruit juice or fruit juice concentrate to sweeten your dish, is a good alternative to sugar.

Since Fructose is sweeter than sugar and adds more liquid to a recipe, we adjust the recipe to use 1/3 less fructose than sugar. The baked good will be moist and darker.

Fruit Juice Concentrates make great substitutes for sugar and add some flavor too. Replace 1 cup of sugar with 3/4 cup of concentrate and reduce other liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons.

Apple Juice Concentrate can be used in cooking or sweetening drinks, it dissolves easily. Orange Juice can be added to meals or baked goods which also adds flavor and sweetness instead of water. I always add orange juice to the base for French toast. Applesauce can be used to replace fat and add some sweetness to baked goods.

Bananas, especially those with brown spots, can be used as a sweetener in smoothies, pancakes and even in baked goods! Try using one cup of pureed bananas for one cup of sugar. Mashed Bananas add sweetness to baked goods, as well as moisture and can replace some fat. They add moistness and a gooey chewy texture so cooking time might need to be lengthened. Very ripe bananas are sweetest and best for baking. Frozen in chunks without the skin, they are great to have on hand to sweeten and froth up a cold smoothie. Frozen Blueberries are great for that too!

Dates pureed with hot water can be used in the same way.