Organic Agave Syrup

Agave Syrup is a 100% organic fructose sweetener extracted from the Agave plant. Traditionally, the indigenous people of Mexico gathered the sweet juice, aguamiel, from various species of Agave. They used it as a sweetener and to prepare special celebratory beverages. Examination of this plant reveals a high level of polyfructose or inulin. A gentle enzymatic process has been developed which transforms the polyfructose into a simple fructose and dextrose syrup, a pure natural sweetener called Agave nectar or Agave syrup. Our supply of Organic Agave Syrup comes from a cooperative of small-scale family farmers in Mexico.

Agave Syrup has the following characteristics:

1) Agave Syrup is high in fructose. It is sweeter than refined sugar (approximately 1.4 times sweeter). Fructose does not stimulate digestive insulin secretion as do other sugars. It is less disturbing to the glycemic index. In common parlance, it does not create a "sugar rush."

2) Agave Syrup is produced in two different grades varying in flavor and color: light and amber.

The light grade of Agave Syrup is flavor neutral, enhancing the natural flavors of coffee, tea, fruit beverages, baked goods, fresh fruits, fruit smoothies & protein drinks, salad dressings, jams and jellies, ice cream, yoghurts, and various prepared foods, without altering their flavor. This is in marked contrast with bee honey, malt barley syrup, and certain other natural sugar substitutes that do alter the flavor of the products they sweeten.

The amber grade offers the delicate flavor of Agave with increasing intensity. The amber grade is much like honey and delicious in tea, suitable to sweeten a wide variety of foods, dry and hot cereals, pancakes, waffles, baked goods, and sauces. Heavier sauces such as BBQ, spaghetti, stews and meat glazes may be enhanced by the amber grade of Agave Syrup which delivers the rich and complex flavors distinctive to Agave.

3) Agave Syrup will not crystallize. It is high in purity and stable in composition. It is easy to store as it has a long shelf life, approximately two years. Minimum one year.

4) Because of its light viscosity, Agave Syrup is easy to handle in an industrial setting and pours easily as a table-top sweetener. It will never harden in the bottle. Agave Syrup is highly soluble and dissolves readily in cold beverages such as lemonade or iced tea. Its light viscosity and solubility also make it ideal to sweeten cold cereals.

5) Agave Syrup is a moisture retainer. In bread and baked goods, it enhances product freshness due to its hygroscopic properties, which act as humidifying agents, thereby increasing the shelf life of such products.

Glycemic Index: This concept can be important from a metabolic standpoint, especially to diabetics, along with athletes and grossly overweight individuals. The index is an indicator as to how much blood sugar increases in 2-3 hours after specific food consumption. Most if not all carbohydrates are normally metabolized into the simple carbohydrate glucose, which in the glycemic index concept is arbitrarily assigned a value of 100. As a result, the higher a glycemic index food number is, the faster it raises your blood sugar level. Foods or ingredients with glycemic index numbers close to or above 100 present some significant health issues to diabetics, and in general, sweeteners of all kinds should be avoided by diabetics. Nonetheless, for those diabetics who choose to consume certain amounts of carbohydrates, Agave Syrup, it should be noted, has a lower glycemic index than honey. Agave Syrup was found to have a glycemic index of approximately 34 - 38. In contrast, honey has a reported glycemic index of 58, due to its higher ratio of glucose to fructose.

16 oz. Amber - glass jar Retail: $7.00 Now: $5.99

16 oz. Light - glass jar Retail: $7.00 Now: $5.99