Thursday, June 7, 2012

SUCANAT 101: what in the world is this???

Sucanat?  How do you even say it right?  (soo-cuh-naht)  Clean eating means NO REFINED SUGAR.  So to replace any RS's in recipes, you need to start getting familiar with NATURAL SWEETNERS.  I'm talkin, HONEY, AGAVE NECTAR, MAPLE SYRUP, SUCANAT, COCONUT SUGAR, and many others.

WHAT IS IT?

Sucanat IS sugar cane.  But here is the difference.  Refined Sugar (RS) has been stripped of every nutrient that is good for the body, had multiple chemicals added to it, and is therefore COMPLETELY BAD for your body.

In the case of Sucanat™, the sugar cane juice is simply heated and then allowed to cool, forming granular crystals of what is basically dried sugar cane juice. The Sucanat™ retains the molasses, creating a very distinctive and quite strong flavor, along with other impurities which may be present in the cane. Unlike more refined sugar, Sucanat™ is grainy, rather than blocky and crystalline. It also contains less sucrose, because it is has not been purified.


WHERE CAN I BUY IT?

Thankfully, sucanat has been mainstreamed into most grocery stores. However, it can get pricey.  Shop around for the best prices online.  I've ordered bulk off of amazon.com.  Best place I have found?  AN AMISH STORE IN NORTH MISSOURI!  So next time you are on a road trip and pass that amish store...STOP!!!

HOW DO I USE IT?

 Sucanat replaces white or brown sugar in any recipe CUP FOR CUP.  This is what makes it a desirable product to have in your pantry.

HOW DOES IT TASTE?

SWEET!  However, it contains all of the natural molasses so in certain recipes that rich flavor can come out.  It has a grainier texture than refined sugar, so sometimes I process it in my processor if I want it to be a finer texture.  It also smells a little funny, but don't worry, it tastes wonderful!

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