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Reader comments
How sweet it is: Cooking with agave

sugarbuster | 10:47 p.m. May 12, 2009

Ihanks for the info on this - I've heard of it but didn't really know much about it. Sounds like you don't save a ton of calories but it's better for you than sugar.

Anonymous | 11:01 p.m. May 12, 2009

For South Beach and Atkins diets,etc. low GI foods are important. Sugar is a high GI and agave is low. yet they keep saying you still gain weight with artificial sweeteners... so is agave any different just because its natural?

Pronouced? | 11:08 p.m. May 12, 2009

How is this word pronounced, so when I go to the store and ask for it I don't sound like an idiot. Is is like 'I gave' or 'A guv ee' or what?

Comments continue below

cinbu | 5:31 a.m. May 13, 2009

Agave is pronounced a ga vay... short vowel a, short vowel a, long vowel A.... rhymes with go away.

Evets | 7:15 a.m. May 13, 2009

This sounds more like an ad for Xagave. Remember this still has substantial calories and costs many times that of honey or sugar. As a matter of fact I can buy some of the best varietal honey and still save compared to the price of Agave.

Maple Agave | 7:42 a.m. May 13, 2009

My family has used agave for years and use it along with honey, date sugar and xylitol.

I'm excited to know about the maple variety being produced.

Tom | 8:15 a.m. May 13, 2009

I enjoy cooking with natural herbs & spices and I use Agave in place of sugar in many of my recipes. With summer coming up, here's a great recipe for Lavender Lemonade...try it. You can get the lavender essential oil at the Lavender Farms in Mona. A real treat is to attend Lavender Days coming up, sometime the end of June or first of July. Check out their website. Here's the recipe: 7 lemons, 2 limes, 14 cups water, 1 1/2 cups of Blue Agave of regular Agave and i-2 drops of lavender essential oil. Mix well, chill and serve. Might have to adjust the water or Agave depending on the size and tartness of the fruit. Enjoy!

Gail | 9:44 a.m. May 13, 2009

I like the agave by Volcanic Nectar - not all agave is the same

Mike | 11:42 a.m. May 13, 2009

We have used Agave for over a year and it rocks!!! I can't imagine putting gooey surup on anything anymore. I love it and so do my kids.

Try Stevia too | 12:14 p.m. May 13, 2009

I am currently trying to incorporate new sweetners into my life. I started experimenting with Stevia this week which is a natural non-caloric, low glycemic index food "supplement" that is really an awesome sweetner used for centuries in South America. It is 300 times more sweet than table sugar, but has it's draw backs in baking. I recommend reading up on it's use and history before using it. Agave, while higher in calories looks like a good baking alternative since it's glycemic index is low as long as you don't add it to over processed carbohydrates like white flour that spike your blood sugar. Since I am hypoglycemic I'm grateful to learn of every new possibility to help my sweet tooth out and keep my insulin output under control because I hate crashing after I eat something as benign as a blueberry muffin.

washcomom | 4:47 p.m. May 13, 2009

I've used Agave - dark and light - for years in place of honey or sugar. It is a wonderfully "light" sweetener, and is the "bang" for the buck.

Stevia is a great sweetener as well - also plant based - and is good for the little touches of sweetness for oatmeal and other things that need just a hint of sweetness, without the dip in blood sugar levels. It can also add a little bit of a colon cleansing aspect as well, if you get my drift. Be careful with large doses.

Anonymous | 9:13 p.m. May 13, 2009

I appreciated the balanced reporting rather than cheerleading for something that's obviously not the complete magic bullet that we all keep hoping for.

SugarBaby | 12:36 p.m. June 10, 2009

My concern is not calories, but the amount of glucose and fructose in things, I'm a pretty decent weight.....144 at 5'8". I have learn to check for sugar, brown sugar, and high fructose corn syrup on all products, I don't drink soda, store bought juices, and I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. But I do like my sweets, and I do drink mate, coffee and tea so I need a sugar substitute, I don't like the aftertaste of NutriSweet, Splenda, Stevia, Equal, Sweet and Low, etc etc, and Agave is the only thing that taste close to sugar.....

Debbie | 7:06 a.m. Sept. 18, 2009

I've used stevia for a long time and just found Xagave in our local Macey's store by chance after seeing a post about it on Dr. Hyman's site.

The beauty of Xagave is that it's healthy, like honey (and tastes even better though I can't believe I'm saying it) but it doesn't give that blood sugar punch that honey does. I like the idea you can bake with it because stevia is kind of a disaster for baking & it doesn't give the sweetness & flavor that honey or sugar do.

I'm going to start baking with it today. This will be GREAT for the kids. They like sweets and this will give them the desserts they want and keep their glycemic kick low.

Xagave isn't trying to be a miracle food, in my opinion, but rather a better healthy alternative, esp. for those who are into whole foods & healthy eating.

Debbie

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4 photos

Betterbody Food & Nutrition

Agave, left, has been used in Mexico for thousands of years. At right, triple-berry topping is made using agave as a sweetener.

Gallery (4 photos)

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How sweet it is: Cooking with agave

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Reader comments How sweet it is: Cooking with agave

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How sweet it is: Cooking with agave