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Agave Nectar: The Anti-Spike
posted by Mighty Staff
From the archives. Have you tried agave nectar? You should. It's like honey...sort of. Like honey in the sense that it is sticky, oozy, sweet and natural. You can use it as a replacement for honey, but the taste and mouthfeel is ever-so-slightly different. You know how many honeys are slow and sluggish and very rich? Well agave nectar seems to have a cleaner, "fresher" taste, it also seems to be more water soluble than other liquid sweeteners which makes it easy to incorporate into your recipes or hot drinks. Diabetics give it a thumbs up because it is low on the glycemic index- so it is more slowly absorbed into the bloodstream. Vegans like it because unlike honey it isn't an animal product.
A few ways to use agave nectar:
- Almond Agave Butter (recipe)
- Apple Agave Tart (recipe)
- Oat-Date Bars (recipe)
- Coconut Cream Tapioca (recipe)
Do you have a favorite brand of agave nectar? Let us know in the comments - we would like to do a taste-off in the future.
Post Your Comment
I love Volcanic Nectar's agave and their website. It makes other agave's taste like they are watered down. Volcanic Nectar's agave is like a fine wine in comparison.
Your link to coconut cream tapioca fails. Here is the new link. It appears they've created categories. It's now in the dessert category. Note the dessert subdirectory that is missing on your web site:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/dessert/coconuttapioca.html
I use Madhava's Light Agave. I was getting headache's from the sugar I used in my tea in the mornings so I switched to the agave. I have had much success in using it instead of sugar or honey. Very good in making salad dressings as it incorporates very easily and is clean and light. It is the only brand I can find in Key West. I have not ordered any from the internet.
Michel Nischan, author of Homegrown: Pure and Simple does a video review on lime.com called Pure and Simple Sweeteners that addresses this very topic. Check it out here:
http://www.lime.com/tv/michel/videos
Think you guys and he are giving us all great information on natural and whole cooking.
interestingly, a lot of the agave nectars on the market are made by the same manufacturer, but you wouldn't know it to look at labels. also, there's at least one company who sources blue agave for its nectar, rather than the species of agave plant that is most commonly used these days. personally, i enjoy the madhava raw agave, even though the color isn't as lovely as the amber or darker nectars. i have yet to try agave sourced from the blue agave plants.

I like Madhava's Amber Agave Nectar. I love how this product comes in a bottle that is easy to squeeze on toast or into measuring glasses! I have purchased it from Whole Foods Market.