Sweeteners in Bulk

by Lisa Vines

Traditionally, sugar manufacturers used bone char — calcinated animal bones — to filter raw cane sugar to remove the tan color. Modern technology has, in many instances, made this practice obsolete, but obtaining information from the large sugar manufacturers is difficult. I received no responses to my questions to a major sugar manufacturer (Domino), but even the question about how white sugar is refined raises the question of how refined is refined table sugar? People interested in the excess refinement of our foods might also investigate other sweeteners. Sugar cane could be a source of vitamins and minerals, but the refining process strips away those nutrients. Fortunately, various powdered and liquid sweeteners are available in bulk, where Coop shoppers can buy in amounts they choose and avoid excess packaging.

Solid Sweeteners

The Bulk aisle offers various forms of solid cane sugar as well as other forms of solid sweeteners. Please check Nate Horwitz’s “Sugar at the Coop” in the April 2003 Coop Scoop for a thorough discussion of the solid cane sugars Rapadura, Sucanat and the bulk sugar that was available four years ago — as well as advice on using these sugars in recipes.

Rapadura is whole, unrefined, evaporated cane juice, according to the label on the bin in the bulk aisle. It resembles Sucanat but is slightly darker. Like Sucanat, it has a molasses flavor. Organic Sucanat (“sugar cane natural”) contains 13% molasses, according to the manufacturer’s website (www.wholesomesweeteners.com). To make this product, the manufacturer dehydrates organically grown cane juice. A spokesperson from Wholesome Sweeteners wrote in an email: “It is a source of iron, calcium, potassium, B vitamins and chromium. Nothing is added and nothing is removed.” The result is tiny little brown pebbles with the molasses flavor evident. When sprinkled on fruit, the little pebbles slowly dissolve.

Another product from Wholesome Sweeteners is the organic sugar from Paraguay. Of all the sweeteners available in bulk, this sugar most closely resembles traditional refined table sugar, but is slightly tan in color and tends to clump. Why does it clump? It doesn’t have the additives traditional table sugars do. According to Wholesome Sweeteners, this sugar is produced from evaporated cane juice, not dehydrated. (Their Sucanat is produced from dehydrated cane juice.) Spinning the juice in a turbine removes most of the molasses, so this sugar contains only 0.2–2.0% molasses — hence its somewhat neutral flavor. Again, quoting Wholesome Sweeteners: “Our product is vegetarian — Vegan in fact! Fair Trade Raw Cane Sugar is great for vegetarians and vegans. No animal by-products (including bone char) are used in the manufacturing in Wholesome’s sugars.”

On the top shelf in the Bulk aisle is xylitol, a sugar alcohol derived from a corn source, according to the package directions. Bulk department employee Tom Gillespie uses it to make a toothpaste, which, according to information from www.xylitol.org, makes a lot of sense: “Studies using xylitol as a sugar substitute or small dietary addition have a reduction in tooth decay.”

Whereas sorbitol, fructose and glucose molecules have six carbon atoms, xylitol molecules have only five, thereby making them unusable for mouth bacteria (see recipe below). Other solid sweeteners in the Bulk aisle include crystalline sugar fructose, barley malt powder, date sugar and maple sugar. These are also on the top shelf.

Liquid Sweeteners

Organic agave is derived from the juice of the agave plant. It has the viscosity of honey (Be patient when filling your container!) but the sweetness is not as heavy as honey.

Agave nectar is a low-glycemic sweetener consisting of about 90% fructose. The Spaniards took this same juice, fermented it and made tequila; now we’re learning to use it as a sweetener that is sweeter than traditional table sugar. In recipes, use about a quarter less agave syrup than table sugar, and remember to reduce the liquid by as much as one-third. One source suggests reducing oven temperatures by 25 degrees when baking with agave syrup instead of traditional table sugar.

Honey from the Rulison Honey Farm in Amsterdam is a local honey. The raw, unfiltered forest honey from Zambia is organic and fair trade. So, although it certainly doesn’t meet the requirements for the 100- mile diet, this honey is raw (good for people interested in consuming only raw foods), organic and Fair Trade. (See this month’s Focus on Herbs for more about honey. – EDITOR)

The molasses available in Bulk comes in two versions: unsulphured Barbados and unsulphured Blackstrap. Blackstrap molasses contains, per tablespoon, 20% of the daily required minimum for iron and 15% of the daily required minimum for calcium. Barley malt is yet another option for those seeking a liquid sweetener. Finally, maple syrup is available in various grades; it is in the refrigerator case of the Bulk section.

Megan’s Homemade Toothpaste

2 TBS baking soda
1 TBS sea salt
2 tsp xylitol
1½ TBS vegetable glycerin
15–20 drops Tea Tree oil
30 drops essential oil (peppermint recommended)

– Thanks to Tom Gillespie!

References

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