subject: Agave Nectar: Sweeter Than Honey [print this page] What is your favorite sweetener? Is it sugar, honey or some artificial concoction? Of course, all of these items are in widespread use today, and they're used to sweeten everything from your morning muffin to your favorite supermarket candy, plus your morning beverage. Another top sweetener is corn syrup, and it is a first choice of anyone engaged in candy-making for a hobby -
especially toffee-makers. A person from Mexico would likely give you a different list of favorite sweeteners, if you happened to ask, and so would your family vegan (every family has one). Agave nectar is generally the preferred choice as a tea sweetener in Mexico, for example. The nectar is sweeter than honey but has a lighter, more runny texture than the bee-produced gem.
The nectar is most often produced from the Agave americana and tequiliana species. The plant must be between 7 and 14 years old, and then its leaves are chopped off in order to expose the core root. A thick tuber contains the juice, and it is from this that it is extracted. However, this liquid is not quite ready for consumption just yet. The sap is filtered to remove any impurities, like dirt or leaf pieces, and then heated in order to hydrolyze the polysaccharides into proper simple sugars. Then the concentrate forms a syrup after processing.
The processing of the Agave salmiana species is slightly different. Its stalk, called the 'quiote', is cut off before it's fully grown, leaving a hole in the center of the plant. This cavity fills up with 'aguamiel', the liquid sap, and is collected each day. Fructose and dextrose sugars are hydrolyzed from the polysaccharides (which are also called fructans).
The nectar of the agave plant has been placed on a scale of 1.5 times sweeter than white sugar, and is often used as a substitute. It dissolves quickly, making it popular as a sweetener for cold drinks like iced tea. The nectar can be used as a replacement for bee-produced honey and it is popular with vegans who naturally avoid the use of any animal products. It's also used in a few different breakfast cereals, where it's added as a binding agent. For raw-food dieters, the raw variety of the sap is a favorite; it's produced at a very specific temperature range in order to protect its natural enzymes, and is sometimes processed using a mold called Aspergillus niger in order to hydrolyze the sugars. A neutral, mild taste describes its flavor.
Three varieties of agave nectar is created by companies with the know how. Light nectar is also mildly flavored, and is often used in dishes that are more delicate. Amber type has a taste similar to caramel, medium in intensity; dark nectar is stronger, and the dishes which use it will have a distinct flavor as a result. You can use these latter two types right from the bottle and pour them over waffles and pancakes without issue. The dark variety is also unfiltered, so it contains more minerals from the original plant. Whatever your preference, this Mexican syrup is sure to make your sweet tooth happy.
