Agave is grown in southern Mexico and is a source for one of natures best kept secrets, agave nectar.

This natural sweetener is gaining popularity as an incredible natural sweetener. It is 3 times sweeter than honey and has a very low glycemic index which makes agave nectar the ideal substitute for sugar, fructose corn syrup sweeteners and molasses. agave nectar can be used in any recipe or as a natural sweetener in your beverages like tea or coffee and is ideal for use in desserts and baking. Unlike sugar or honey agave nectar dissolves instantly in cold drinks.

Agave Nectar and baking
agave nectar can be used to replace sugar in your baking recipes. You can substitute the amount of sugar with 1/4 the amount of agave nectar. Due to its high water content however it is wise to also reduce the amount of moisture you use to compensate. When baking, lower the oven temperature by 25°F.

Agave nectar and you health
In this day and age people are becoming more health conscious and are looking for save alternatives to sugar and the many artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners like the much used Aspartame can have negative effects on your health and are best avoided completely. agave syrup is a healthy alternative natural sweetener. Due to its low glycemic index it has a lower effect on your blood sugar levels. This property makes agave nectar an often recommended alternative to conventional sweeteners for diabetics.

The nectar of the agave plant
agave nectar is produced from various strains and types of the agave plant. Most commonly agave nectar is made from the blue agave plant. This is the same plant used for creating Mexico’s national drink: Tequila. When making agave nectar the plant’s leaves are removed so only the center remains. This center which looks a bit like a pineapple is called the Piña which means pineapple in Spanish. The piña is then cut and filtered to extract its juice. The juice is heated so the starches in the juice can turn to sugar. The juice is then dehydrated to form a syrup.

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