Agave
AGAVE NECTAR - 100% Pure
Certified Organic
Organic Agave Syrup is an
exciting new sweetener naturally extracted
from the pineapple-shaped core of the Americana Agave (a cactus-like
plant native to Mexico, best know for its use in making tequila).
A 70% fruit sugar content allows Agave nectar to absorb slowly into the
body, decreasing the highs and lows associated with sugar intake.
Also, because fruit sugars are 25% sweeter than typical refined white
sugar, you use less and save on calories. Organic Agave Syrup
dissolves easily and the taste is natural, making it the perfect
sweetener to naturally enhance any food or beverage!
Organic Agave Syrup is 100% pure, certified organic, and kosher. Dark
Agave Syrup is Raw. See the atricle below for a complete description of
our Certified Organic Raw Agave Syrup.
Agave syrup (or nectar) has a low glycemic level and is a delicious,
safe, and healthy alternative to table sugar. Unlike the crystalline
form of fructose, which is refined primarily from corn, agave syrup is
fructose in its natural form. This nectar does not contain processing
chemicals. Even better, because fructose is sweeter than table sugar,
less is needed in your recipes. It can be most useful for people
who are diabetic, have insulin resistance (Syndrome X), or are simply
watching their carbohydrate intake.
Agave syrup dissolves easily in other liquids, making it easy to
use. Agave syrup is approximately 1.5 times sweeter than sugar or
honey. In recipes, replace sugar or honey using 25% less agave syrup.
There are thousands of recipes and foods that would be well
complimented by agave syrup including beverages, sauces, salad
dressings, smoothies, deserts, etc.
Certified Organic Raw Agave Syrup
We supply a unique, specially processed agave syrup that we think is
the "rawest" in the market today. What is raw? Raw foods are usually
uncooked and preferably organic. Raw foods may be fresh, raw,
sun-dried, dehydrated, fermented, soaked and sprouted. Raw foods diets
can include vegetables, fruits, sprouts, grains, seeds, nuts, flowers,
herbs, oils, sweeteners, spices, meat and fats.
The plants used for our agave syrup are grown in Southern Mexico,
primarily in and around Oaxaca, a region known for its agave. Agave
Americana (augustifolia) and Agave Mapisaga (var. mapisaga) are two of
the agave plant species used in our product. The plants are grown in
their natural habitat and allowed to flourish on their own. No
herbicides or pesticides are ever used and only a natural fertilizer
made from plant remains is used and spread at the base of the agave
plant. The plants are occasionally watered at night during high
temperatures to keep them from losing important fluids and nutrients.
Agave plants have tiny pores that close during the day because of the
heat. Closing the pores allows the plant to retain water. Hay is also
used to cover the plants during extreme temperatures to shelter the
plant from harmful elements. When the pores reopen in the evening, the
plant takes in much needed carbon
dioxide.
Harvesting of the agave juice or nectar is done twice daily, once in
the early morning when the sun is just rising and again in the early
evening when the sun is setting. The nectar is best collected while
retaining nutrients and while the plants pores remain as closed as
possible. Planting of younger plants is also done during these early
morning or later afternoon periods. Agave plants are grown and
separated by age. The younger plants can be separated and replanted
(cloning), allowing the parent to continue and flourish. This also
helps keep older plants from taking nutrients from the younger plants.
At the age of 4 years or younger, the agave plant is castrated to keep
the plant from flowering. Sugar levels are highest when the agave plant
begins to flower because nutrients are being stored and increased for
the plant to seed. However, seeds are never produced because of the
castration to the plant. When the agave plant is allowed to seed, the
flower can reach up to 2 meters in height. An agave plant reaches
maturity at approximately 8 years of age. Most of the agave syrup in
the market today is collected from plants 8 to 10 years of age. Our
agave syrup is collected from plants 10 to 12 years of age. The older
plants seem to be best for nectar output, quantity and handling. The
average agave plant used for collecting our syrup reaches one meter in
height and one meter in diameter. A single agave plant can yield up to
2,500 liters of syrup in a one-year or so period.
One must be extremely careful when coming into contact with the agave
plant. Agave plants typically have long spine like leaves with needles
along the edges. The plant can be harmful to the touch. The plant can
produce a toxic liquid from the leaves that when in contact with human
skin can cause burning and other irritations. This part of the plant
should not be confused with the agave pineapple-shaped fruit, which is
located in the center of the plant. When harvesting our agave nectar, a
small hole or gash is put into the fruit using a small tool called a
coa-de jima or acocote. The agave nectar is then siphoned from the
fruit. When the juice or nectar is depleted from the fruit, the fruit
will begin to gather more juice. The juice can have a milky like
substance from the agave plant that is later filtered out during the
final processing of the syrup. The fruit is typically siphoned twice a
day over a one+ year period until the fruit will yield no more juice.
When the exhausted agave fruit will produce no more juice, the fruit is
removed and wrapped in a mesh cloth, smashed and pressed for any juice
that the fruit may still contain. It is then made into a pulp and used
as fertilizer for other agave plants. The agave plant itself can be
cloned again. Seeds are allowed to form on some plants for planting
purposes.
The collected agave nectar or juice is then run through a number of
mesh screens to remove and collect any plants fibers and to obtain
clarity. Once our agave nectar is thoroughly filtered, it is poured
into large stainless steel vats and slowly heated at low temperatures
not to exceed 120 degrees F. The heating is done on traditional adobe
style brick stoves located in large bamboo wood-style huts. The fire is
fed with wood from an opening found outside the hut. This method
prevents cross contamination. . If the agave syrup is allowed to be
heated longer, a darker and stronger tasting syrup can be achieved.
However, the taste can be too strong and alter the flavors of
foods.
Our agave syrup is periodically stirred and temperature monitored. This
process allows excess water to evaporate and natural enzymes found in
the agave syrup to slowly and naturally convert the syrups
carbohydrates into fructose (sugars). This process can take well over
48 hours to complete. Our light agave syrup is then siphoned from the
vat and pumped into 200 to 250 gallon tanks for transportation to the
packing facility. In times of higher water content, the agave nectar
may occasionally be run through a liquid vacuum evaporator. The heat
that our agave syrup is exposed to is incidental as a result of this
closely monitored vacuum process, which raises the temperature to an
average range of 116 to 118 degrees F. Other producers use higher
temperatures and add enzymes (enzyme hydrolyses) to process agave
syrup, which we do not. Our agave syrup is bulk packaged at an Organic
Certified facility, which also packages many other products that use
Organic Approved enzymes, which could incidentally come into contact
with our product. If at all traceable, the levels would be less than
0.5% of the over all product. We follow the traditional Ancient Aztec /
Mayans processing of the agave syrup as closely as possible. This
allows us to keep the integrity of the finished product while also
conforming to the National Organic Program (NOP).
Our raw agave syrups fructose levels have a range of 67.2-69.7%.
(Higher fructose levels can be obtained through further processing or
heating). Once our agave syrup has been tested for its fructose and
sucrose levels, it is then tested for microbial count. Once the levels
are approved, our syrup is then packed into high-density plastic drums
for shipping to our Certified Organic filling and packaging
facility.
Our raw agave syrup is much like honey in many ways. In order to
retain the raw aspect of our agave syrup, the plants are carefully
controlled from the planting, fertilizing and collecting of the plants.
Collected syrup is closely monitored for cross contamination and
monitored for temperature. Because of the long, slow, low temperature
heating and high fructose levels of the agave syrup, it has a very low
microbial level like honey. Most agave syrup has a three-year shelf
life. Because of the special and unique processing our raw agave
syrup, we recommend a 2-year shelf life and to store it in a dry place
at room temperature or
refrigerate.
Our raw agave syrup is processed, packaged and bottled only by
approved facilities that are Certified Organic by Quality Assurance
International, Inc. of San Diego, CA USA and it is also kosher. Because
of the growing need for new farms, storage and packing plants, more
facilities are currently working toward certification.
- In recipes, use about 25% less of this nectar than you would use
of table sugar. þ cup of agave syrup should equal 1 cup of table sugar.
For most recipes this rule works well.
- When substituting this sweetener in recipes, reduce your liquid
slightly, sometimes as much as 1/3 less. Reduce your oven temperature
by 25 degrees.
- As a food exchange, a one-teaspoon serving of agave nectar equals
a free food. Two servings or two teaspoons equals ý
carbohydrate exchange.
- Our raw agave syrup has never been cooked or exposed to
temperatures over 120 degrees F. Other manufacturers cook the syrup up
to 149 degrees F or higher.
- Our raw agave syrup contains no
added corn syrup, is 100% Vegan and Cruelty Free!
No part of this article may be reproduced without the prior written
permission of Sun Star Organics, Inc., copyright 2004