Agave Nectar
I've heard that in certain circles, the jury is still out on Agave Nectar. For me, however, it is a staple in my kitchen.
Today, I'll be referring to the brand "Sohgave!", particularly, their 'light' organic version. This is what is always sitting beside my spelt flour, and it seems much easier to obtain in the last 5 years than it once was.
When I use it:
- Whenever I have a recipe calling for honey, or brown sugar (for instance, over ham in the crock pot)
- Drizzle over sweet treats (I had a mini pecan/chocolate pie tart with agave nectar in it, and it was oooey gooey scrumptious!
- Add it to hot teas (particularly dark teas, or berry teas)
- It claims to have a glycemic index of 17, making it a wiser choice than processed sugar for diabetics...actually, for everybody! (keep in mind, I use their light version)
- it has a milder flavor than brown sugar, and doesn't crystallize like honey. Plus, it isn't quite as unbelievably sticky as honey, so cleanup is slightly easier if you party fouled.
- I use less in measurement than sugar (Which helps offset the cost difference a bit). Specifically, according to their bottle, 2/3 cup Sohgave! in place of 1 cup of sugar
I truly haven't used any other brand, so I can't provide an objective comparison. However, Sohgave! gives me a couple specifics in their packaging that is appealing to me. The spout is super easy to clean, and barely ever needs cleaning, anyway, given it's sanitary and precise design. The tip design also comes in handy for those yummy drizzle moments. On the downside, if you need a lot, (say, 1/2 cup or more?) you might want to bypass the drizzle tip. If you don't, your final food product just might be 20 minutes late, and you may need surgery from squeezing the bottle too long.
The bottle has measurements on the side. My 46 oz bottle has 1/4 and 1/3 cup lines printed on the side. However, the downside to this is that the measurements are only written once at the top, leaving you guessing when those marks start or end. It would be helpful to have more specifics in this department, because putting the yumminess back into the bottle if you took too much, just isn't an easy option. Therefore, if you measure the old fashioned way, and you're needing more than a tablespoon or two, I recommend removing the cap, and just pouring into your measuring cup, rather than guess how much you just used.
The Odd Note:
I'm assuming that, at one time, "Sohgave!" was once "Ohgave!" So, if you, like me, had an older bottle seemingly missing a letter, don't panic. For about 1.3 seconds, I thought I needed to clean my glasses.
Conclusion:
All-in-all, I love using agave in recipes in exchange for less-healthy options. It, along with my ever-present stevia, has allowed my kitchen to remain completely devoid of processed sugar. I certainly don't miss either white or brown sugar, and neither does my waistline. That being said, given my current eating habits and the lifestyle change I implemented at the age of 22, a bottle of nectar will easily last me a couple of years. As with most things, moderation (or in the case of sweets, LESSeration) is a wise rule to live by. I'm not at all single-minded in the area of brands of nectar, and I'm not at all opposed to trying new ones. For instance, here's a recipe for pecan pie tarts using a different brand:
http://www.madhavasweeteners.com/recipes/agave-recipes/sweets/pecan-pie-tarts/
If anyone has anything to add, I welcome it!
Here's the company's website:
http://sohgave.com/
Here's a great to-the-point objective look at the agave dilemma:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-great-agave-nectar-debate.html?page=1
