sweetner woes

[nukuspot]

Hi all, what do you use for a sweetener in baking? I am severely reactive to cane sugar. It gives me a migraine within 15 minutes after ingesting most of the time. I've had similar problems with maple syrup and honey, though I can use maple syrup in moderation since I've had my daughter (hormonal migraine prevention from nursing?) And I've been scared to re-try honey because one of the worst migraines ever came from honey a few years ago.

I used to use lots of agave. Agave everything! However I just read on Mercola's site that agave is super refined and the body processes it the same way as corn syrup! Yuck! So now I'm off agave.

The only things I have left to use for baking now are dates or Bob's RM date sugar. But they are so expensive and not super versatile.

I need help! What do you all use. I've *heard* of coconut sugar but have no idea what it is....I've no experience with stevia, and I don't know if it's really a healthy thing, even though it is from a herb.

[cristeen]

You can give palm sugar a try, but if all the refined sugars cause that reaction, chances are good it will too. Have you tried cooking with fruits and juices as sweeteners? Apple juice or pear juice are two common ones. Have you tried rapadura or sucanat? Have you tried using raw honey instead of regular (although not much use in baking - it can be good in cold applications)? How about molasses? Beet sugar?

Honestly, I'd probably work on finding alternatives to the sweets you're wanting rather than trying to replace them with unconventional sweeteners. It's just easier on you, not to mention cheaper and healthier. Like maybe some all fruit sorbets or some fruit sweetened custards. Either one can be made a dozen different flavors once you have the basic recipe down.

[FairyRae]

I was just reading about how to make date syrup--may be more versatile than just using dates? You could also use it or other fruits in combination w/ stevia (if you tolerate it) for sweetners in cooking/baking. (I've found many recipes from the healthy indulgences blog really yummy, and helpful for learning how to best utilize stevia when making baked goods. I'm thinking to try combining date syrup w/ stevia in place of the honey or erythritol in some of her recipes soon...)

We've also been talking about some of these things in the Grain and Sugar Free Baking Challenge! thread. Maybe you'll get some ideas there?

I totally agree w/ Cristeen to follow your body and avoid them if you can. I think that would certainly be the healthiest way to go! And many of us are working on finding ways to make our old favorites w/ little or no sugars--even the natural ones like honey, maple syrup, etc...

[amcal]

I've been using coconut palm sugar with success. Whole Foods carries it:
http://www.bigtreefarms.com/sweettreecoconutsugar/

[Storm Bride]

I've heard good things about the herb luo han guo. I've only ever had it in Celestial Seasonings English Toffee Dessert tea, and don't know what it's like just as a sweetener, but it might be worth trying if you can find it.

[katelove]

It really depends what you're baking but apple or prune puree can work as a sweetener and produces a lovely moist product.

[Rasa]

I was just reading somewhere online today about how different honey can be if it is refined/heated/filtered vs. completely raw (with bits of honey comb/pollen still in it) and also the varying levels of pesticides in honey. Some people may react strongly to the pesticide levels, so if you can seek out an 'organic' source (which is iffy no matter how it's labeled since you can't possibly follow the bees and see where they go) and/or try one of the really raw kinds, you may have better luck with that? I know it's not fun trying out something that previously gave you a migraine, so good luck if you do try!

[lach]

Can you eat beet sugar? I think in some countries it's the "normal" refined sugar, the way that cane sugar is in the US.

[nukuspot]

Thanks for all your suggestions! I ordered some coconut palm sugar. I don't have a WholeFoods here so I couldn't find that brand and they don't offer it retail to the public on their site, but I found another one online. It says it is organic, do you think it is still good quality?
http://essentiallivingfoods.com/low-...nut-sugar.html

I bookmarked the sugar free baking thread, I plan to look at it in depth when I have more time.

RE: The idea of Honey refining and my migraines. That is super interesting! I just went out and got 2 different types of raw honey from the co-op. I will try them and hope for the best. There is no reason why I can't bake with raw honey, right? What about local honey? A friend of mine is a beekeeper and I know doesn't use chemicals or pesticides, but his finished honey is not raw. Should I stick to the raw store brands?

RE: Date syrup. I'm totally going to try to make it. The site doesn't say how long it will keep, though. Do you think it has to be used right away or can it be stored for later use?

I definitely can not use anything from the cane family, so no rapadura or sucanat. But I can eat beets with no problem so perhaps I could have beet sugar. I've never tried it because I've never seen it offered here.

And I would love to try stevia, but for some reason the packaging puts me off. It's so...white...and powdery...and I have never seen an organic stevia. All the ones at my local co-op look like a bag of white powdery chemical with a strange white label. So please, tell me about stevia. I know little about it, I've just always avoided it for some unknown reason.

[FairyRae]

If you're freaked out by the idea of processed white stevia, you could always get the herb, powderd: http://www.rawguru.com/store/raw-foo...evia_leaf.html (I haven't bought this--it's just an example--there are other sources online.)

From the link, a little more about stevia:

Called the “Honey Leaf” by native people, stevia is a white flowered herb indigenous to Paraguay. A little bit of Green Stevia Leaf Powder goes a long way. Stevia leaves are incredibly sweet, tasting as much as 30 times sweeter than sugar, yet they contain no sucrose. Stevia leaves contain glycosides, which taste very sweet to the tongue, but contain no sugar, no calories, and no carbohydrates. Therefore, despite its sweetness, stevia does not have a GI (Glycemic Index) nor does it affect the body’s insulin levels. Stevia has also been shown to aid the pancreas and improve digestion and it is ideal for people with diabetes and those that are intolerant to sugar, seeking weight control or trying to avoid tooth decay.

I have no idea how long the date syrup will last. But dates seem to last forever to me, so maybe for a bit of time? Maybe just make a small batch to start... (Hopefully someone else will have more info on this!)

[emmaegbert]

I use a liquid stevia some. Its organic. I've seen several brands, you have to look in like the herbal medicine area. It comes in 2 or 4 oz dropper bottle. That lasts months and months at our house. Its good for some things, doesn't work for others- it can end up having a weird taste, and of course it doesn't provide the bulk or structure of a sugar. I believe you can make it yourself if you get the herb (saw the instructions once online). I also did once try some stevia leaves fresh out of the ground. its very sweet like that too!