Posted August 8, 2010
Agave nectar is going mainstream.
You may know agave as the plant from which tequila is made in Mexico, but it also yields a sweetener that is beginning to move from health-food stores into supermarkets.
“Lately we’ve had trouble keeping it on the shelves,” says Cameron Nelson, a floor associate at Fort Worth’s Sunflower Shoppe.
Oprah-watchers have heard Dr. Mehmet Oz proclaim it the best substitute for sugar. Diabetics have turned to it; vegans like it as a plant-based substitute for honey; environmentalists deem it a greener choice than high-fructose corn syrup. Most agave nectar is organic, and it’s used to sweeten many natural products.
Not everyone agrees on the health benefits of agave nectar. Its proponents tout its low glycemic index, which means it doesn’t raise blood glucose levels as much as other sweeteners. They also point out that it is slightly lower in calories than most other sweeteners, promotes digestion and is sweeter than table sugar, so you can use less of it.
But others warn that agave nectar contains more fructose — which can muck up your metabolism if you eat too much of it — than high-fructose corn syrup.
Health debate aside, agave nectar has undeniable advantages, especially in sweetening drinks. Dissolving easily in liquids, even cold ones, it’s more convenient than simple syrup, for which you have to boil sugar and water. Fort Worth’s Spiral Diner makes a delicious limeade with it.
When substituting agave nectar for sugar, use about 3/4 cup for every cup of sugar called for, and reduce the other liquids in the recipe by about 1/3 .
The thin syrup comes in light, amber and dark grades; the light, which you’re most likely to find, has a neutral flavor, best for sweetening drinks, and the darker grades, more intense flavor.
Orange pecan granola
In her new book “Baking With Agave Nectar” (Celestial Arts, $15.95), Ania Catalano, who is hypoglycemic, says agave ended her search for a sweetener that wouldn’t spike her blood-sugar levels.
You can find the oat bran, flax and almond meal (or almond flour) in health-food stores; or make your own almond meal by pulsing small amounts of raw almonds in a food processor or blender, but take care not to overprocess.
Yields 10 cups
6 cups regular rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
1 cup oat bran
1 cup ground flax meal
1 cup almond meal
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 3/4 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 cup light agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla
extract
1 tablespoon orange
extract
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup currants or raisins
1 1/2 cups pecans or other nuts, coarsely chopped
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees; lightly grease a cookie sheet.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except pecans and currants; mix well. Add pecans; mix again.
3. Spread mixture evenly on prepared cookie sheet. Bake until slightly golden, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from oven, stir in currants and let cool. Stored in an airtight container, it should keep for about two months.
Nutritional analysis per 1/4 -cup serving: 127 calories, 7 grams fat, 15 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, no cholesterol, 37 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber, 50 percent of calories from fat.
— “Baking With Agave Nectar”
Agave-sweetened Pomegranate Margarita
1 1/2 oz. silver tequila
2 oz. fresh line juice
1 oz. Agave nectar syrup
2 oz. Pomegranate puree
1. Measure and pour into blender: tequila, lime juice, Agave nectar, Pomegranate pure.
2. Add 1 scoop crushed ice into blender and blend until smooth.
3. Pour contents in sugar-rimmed glass.
— David Pedack
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