How to Use Natural Herbal Sweeteners

Some of the most nutritious, low-calorie sweeteners can be found in Mother Nature’s gardens. Stevia, agave syrup, sorbitol and malititol are herbal alternatives to the processed sugar and artificial sweeteners that are available on the market today.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Substitute Herbal Sweeteners for sugar.
   *Use 3/4 cup of agave nectar for each cup of sugar. Agave nectar tends to retain water, so use 1/3 less liquid than the recipe calls for and lower the oven temperature by 25°F
   *Use 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of stevia extract powder or 1 teaspoon of liquid stevia.
   *Use 1 cup of xylitol for each cup of sugar.
2. Substitute agave nectar for corn syrup and honey. Corn syrup, which is only 65 percent as sweet as sugar, is typically used in recipes because it is an inert sugar and thus does not crystallize. Agave is a great substitute for corn syrup because it is also an inert sugar, has half its glycemic load and is much sweeter than sugar. Agave nectar is not as thick as honey and pours easily, making it better suited as a table-top sweetener. What’s more, if you store agave nectar at room temperature, it does not crystallize or harden like honey and has a longer shelf life.
3. Add herbal sweeteners to your regular sweeteners to increase their sweetening power. This will enable you to use smaller quantities (and thus fewer calories) in your recipes.
4. Use herbal sweeteners as all-purpose flavor-enhancers. Add them to dairy products such as whipped cream and plain yogurt. Enhance your fruit dishes and even vegetables and salads with these healthy sweeteners. Sweeten your shakes, coffee, teas, pudding and cereals with them.
5. Increase the shelf life of your bread and other baked goods by using agave nectar as an ingredient. Because agave nectar is great at retaining moisture, it enhances product freshness by enhancing the water retention properties of your baked goods.

Tips & Warnings

• Stevia has not been approved by the FDA as a food additive; it can only be legally sold as an herbal supplement rather than a sweetener.
• The sweet, sticky sap of the blue agave is almost ninety per cent fructose, and about 1.5 times as sweet as refined cane sugar.
• Stevia is available both in liquid form and as a white extract powder in health food and vitamin stores.
• Xylitol, sorbitol and malititol are sugar alcohols derived from fruit and vegetables.