Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by antonino allegra on April 20, 2012 at 4:00pm

Hi Omar,

a pesticide? really?!? hmmm maybe a good marketing tool: Eat this chocolate, not only is sugar free but also kill all the bacteria inside out! aha ha ahah just kidding, but i'm now curious!

So far we have:

Agave sugar (hi fructose)

Stevia (no calories but needs bulking fibers)

Erythritol and Maltitol (alchool sugar)

Splenda (sucralose/pesticide...)

Coconut sugar

Add on if you have ideas!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Laura Rucker on April 21, 2012 at 12:11am

Whoa!  Now THAT'S scary!  I had no idea!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Laura Rucker on April 21, 2012 at 12:13am

As you said in your 3rd paragraph, real sugar is best... in moderation.  I personally steer clear of "chemicals" for the very reason that Omar mentions. 

Blech!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Omar Forastero on April 21, 2012 at 2:59am

scary indeed. I just don't understand how something like this can get FDA approved.Good luck antonio!i'd love to know what you will settle for eventually.

happy cooking

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kera Grace on April 21, 2012 at 4:18am

Hi Antonino,

Another possibility is Lakanto. I tried a sample recently and it tastes a lot like cane sugar, bulk-wise is equal when replacing refined sugar in a recipe. 

Is Lakanto the miracle low GI sweetener of the century?

(source)

According to its creators, Lakanto is the closest sugar substitute and, unlike stevia, it is great for baked goods and coffee and has no aftertaste. Lakanto has several health benefits, among them:

• Zero calories
• Zero glycaemic index – therefore no influence on blood sugar and insulin release
• Zero additives, colorants, preservatives;
• Tastes like sugar, smells like sugar, looks like sugar;
• 100% natural, vegan ingredients;
• Safe for diabetics, hypoglycemics, kids and overweight people;
• Does not feed harmful yeast (candida) and/or bacteria;
• Will not cause cavities or contribute to tooth decay;
• It does not promote aging and/or suppress the immune system;
• Easy to measure and use because it has a one-to-one ratio with sugar;
• Does not absorb moisture so won’t harden with age.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sebastian on April 21, 2012 at 5:58am

Try to frame it in terms of glycemic index - there should be plenty of charts on the internet that already exist - it's a way to assign , essentially, a number that measure 'how sugar like is xxx'.  The lower the GI, the more diabetic friendly, generally speaking.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Thomas Forbes on April 21, 2012 at 9:20am

I have found honey powder at Korean supermarkets in north New Jersey.  I made a couple of batches of 75% and it turned out very nice.  Can you get evaporated cane juice in powder or crystal form?  I see this used on many vegan and other products sold at health food stores. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by antonino allegra on April 21, 2012 at 2:39pm

Hi Thomas,

i did some research not long time ago on honey powder and it did look like that only 30% is actual honey and the rest is simply sugar (saccarose)  so i gave up on using honey to make solid bars (although honey will be the best "sugar free" product! natural and depend on the flowers and area we could have an infinite number of combinations!).

Could you please check how is your honey powder made?

thanks!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Thomas Forbes on April 21, 2012 at 4:02pm

This has pure honey and maltodextrin listed has it's only ingredients.  The company is Arizona Farm, cactus honey powder.  I wish it was 100% honey.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by antonino allegra on April 22, 2012 at 3:04am

HI Thomas,

apparently what they call cactus "honey" is nothing else that crystallized agave syrup! It look like there is no bees involved into making "honey"=disinformation and using the word "honey" as marketing tool... i have found a couple of website that explain this in details.

i think the use of maltodextrin is for keeping it "dry" ( i have used in the past tapioca maltodextrin to turn olive oil into powder...) 

I notice that from the list i made, except for the "Lakanto" (where to fid it?), it all goes back to Agave/cactus plants.

South Africa (where i live)  is a big producer of agave syrup and powder, and the farming area is just about 2 hours drive from Cape Town.  I'm actually in touch with a producer and i should ask them if i could visit the plantation and  maybe have a talk with their lab-test people to clarify the myth  of agave... 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Thomas Forbes on April 22, 2012 at 9:30am

Thank you, after doing some searching on the web, I have learned something new.  One company claims their cactus honey is made from bee's honey. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kera Grace on April 22, 2012 at 9:19pm

Hi Antonino, 

(re: where to buy Lakanto) I haven't seen it in stores where I live but it can be bought online at places like Amazon or Saraya. It's a bit pricey.

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next ›
• Page