Sugar by any other name would taste as sweet…
…or even sweeter, actually. Some studies have shown that the artificial sweeteners taste sweeter than sugar and can kick sugar cravings into high gear. Our bodies also react to some of the artificial ones in the same way as the natural ones. Depending on the kind, and whether it is heated, they may also contain or produce chemicals I simply don’t want in my food. And sadly, replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners has not turned out to be the weight-loss solution we were promised.
The traditional foods kitchen is all about minimally processed healthy natural sweeteners. So that means no artificial sugars, HFCS, or just plain ole corn syrup. I would put agave nectar in the “no” category as well. While it is natural, it is highly processed and is about 85% fructose. While fructose doesn’t spike blood sugar the way glucose does, it does affect the liver where it is metabolized, causes cholesterol imbalances, and is a contributing factor in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Just to be clear, natural does not mean sugar-free, and minimally processed sugar is still sugar. Honey, maple syrup, molasses, and whole cane sugars differ in flavor, processing, and mineral content but they are not nutrition supplements by any stretch of the imagination.
I just feel like some good stuff is better than no good stuff when it comes to food.
So what is minimally processed and natural? Number 1 would be raw, unfiltered honey. Then there is maple syrup. And molasses and sugars made from organic sugar cane juice. Stevia is a question mark, depending on the brand. Some brands contain natural flavors, erythritol, and/or dextrose so do your homework.
OK. Let’s get down to some details.
Dehydrated Sugar Cane Juice
This one is really trendy right now, but the name can cover several very different products. Some so-called natural cane sugars are still highly refined, while ordinary brown sugar is usually refined white sugar with molasses added back for color and flavor.
Rapadura and Sucanat are different. They are made by concentrating whole sugar cane juice without separating out the molasses, so they retain the darker color and stronger flavor of the cane.
In my kitchen I have both Sucanat and organic dehydrated sugar cane juice. I figure the dehydrated juice is better than the pure white sugar. Sucanat is darker and has a richer taste and can sometimes change the texture of baked goods, while the other is virtually indistinguishable from white sugar.
I can also put molasses in here, since it’s a byproduct of sugar manufacturing. I think I have 2 recipes that use molasses, so I always keep a little in the pantry.
Honey
Raw, unfiltered, local honey is one of my favorite natural sweeteners for my morning tea. If you are one who suffers from seasonal allergies, this will help keep those in check. Because the honey is unfiltered it has tiny bits of pollen in it that allows your body to grow accustomed to the local agitators. And when those particular things begin to bloom, your body is like, “Oh, I totally know what that is. I don’t need to freak out over that”. And it doesn’t.
Honey has some medicinal properties as well. It is antibacterial and antifungal. The Romans used it to pack battle wounds to keep them from getting infected. Its great mixed with a little lemon for a sore throat. It will soothe as well as kill some of those pesky germies.
And properly stored honey doesn’t go bad. Because of that, it was used by ancient Egyptians to preserve fruits and berries. If it crystallizes it can be gently warmed to melt the crystals and then used normally. If honey gets water in it, it will ferment. Lightly fermented it is probiotic. Ferment longer and it becomes mead. Which brings us to the Vikings. So now I think we’ve covered most of the ancient world. 🙂
But be aware that honey is not recommended for infants under a year old.
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is made by “tapping” the trunk of a tree to harvest the sap. The sap is then boiled down until the proper consistency is reached. There are different grades of maple syrup based largely on color and flavor. Grade A is generally lighter and milder, while the syrup traditionally sold as Grade B is darker and has a stronger maple flavor. Grade B is my preference when I want a richer syrup that won’t disappear into a recipe.
Interestingly, maples are not the only trees that were or are tapped as natural sweeteners. Oaks and hickories are commonly used for syrups as well. I don’t know for sure, but I would expect that different trees give different flavors. It would be a fun experiment to find out.
Stevia
This is an herb that is native to Brazil and Paraguay. While most stevia found on your grocery store shelf is highly refined and 200 times sweeter than sugar, powdered stevia leaves that you grow yourself or get from an organic source are only about 30 to 40 times sweeter than sugar. If you are purchasing it, look for whole leaf stevia that doesn’t have any added ingredients.
I also prefer whole-leaf stevia because it is far less intensely sweet than the highly refined extracts. I have no desire to make everything taste 200 times sweeter than if I had used regular white sugar. The goal, after all, is to become accustomed to less sweetness ~ not more.
So there is the somewhat limited list of sweeteners that I would recommend for your traditional foods kitchen. I guess the bottom line, really, is that our culture just uses way too much sugar. So even using the natural, organic, minimally processed sweeteners needs to be done in moderation. My personal goal is to continually use less and less sweeteners and retrain my palate until I really don’t miss them at all. Ambitious goal, I know, but baby steps count!
Here are more traditional cooking posts you might enjoy:
