# Sugar Substitute



## sss3 (Jul 15, 2007)

What do you use in baking instead of sugar? I use Stevia for everything else.


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## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

I use honey in most of my baking. You have to tweak the wet ingredients a bit though.


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## happy green gal (Oct 28, 2008)

I don't bake all that much anymore but I don't use refined sugars for anything.

When I need to add sweetness to something I usually add fruit, fruit juice or fresh dates... mmmmm dates.


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## farmer_nurse (Oct 25, 2008)

Is sugar bad? I really don't know. It seems that every time I turn around the answer changes. I cut the sugar in recipes by close to half. I also use fruit and fruit juice at times (learned that from store bought 'frookies'). I haven't tried honey but that's what we used back home.


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## Jeff54321 (Jan 26, 2005)

There is a book titled "Sugar Blues" that can answer all your questions about sugar.


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## mosepijo (Oct 21, 2008)

I use Xylitol.. Bought at the Health Food store. http://www.angelfire.com/az/sthurston/xylitol_natural_sweetener.html

Use it exactly like sugar. So far it is the best substitute for taste that I have found. And you cook with it the same also.


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## Charleen (May 12, 2002)

Xylitol in my tea but for baking I've been buying organic white sugar from Domino. Not cheap at all, and I still question some things about it, but.....

I also have locally raised honey but there are some things that honey just doesn't lend itself well to.


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## akhomesteader (Jan 5, 2006)

Sometimes I use xylitol, but only the kind from birch. It's become so terribly expensive that I haven't bought any in quite some time. The kind made from corn is more commonly sold and is much cheaper, but it's usually either made in China or made from corn from China. I don't trust anything coming out of China. Same problem with Stevia. I use stevia sometimes, but I only buy it if I can be sure of the country of origin. I've read that much of the stevia available in most U.S. stores is from China, and that it is often cut with aspartame.

I also use honey and fruit sometimes, but one of my sons can't handle honey any better than refined sugar. The main thing I use in place of refined sugar is Organic Evaporated Cane Juice. Much cheaper than xylitol, and my boys can handle it. I've found that the kind sold in Costco, which is cheaper than most, is very inconsistent, and I am beginning to doubt the quality. When I purchase from a local co-op, it's much more expensive, but I don't get headaches when I eat things made from it because my blood sugar remains stable. I'm not diabetic, but refined sugar, and even honey cause a terrible "sugar high", then too much insulin kicks in and my blood sugar gets really low, then headaches. Good Organic Evaporated Cane Juice doesn't do that to me, but the kind from Costco sometimes does.

Trehalose has lots of health benefits, especially in neurological disorders. I've used it a little with one of my children, and it's wonderful, but it's very expensive. It's only about 40% as sweet as sugar, so you need to use more in baked goods for the same amount of sweetness. Usually I just mix it with cinnamon and sprinkle it on their pancakes since they can't handle sugar or honey. 

Jenny


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## Anann (Nov 17, 2008)

I use xylitol (and I agree, generally only the one derived from birch), agave nectar (if you need something with a similar consistency to honey), local honey, stevia (I grow it, and grind it), fruit substitutes (like applesauce or banana) or organic cane sugar.

Sugar is not ideal in large portions, but at least it's real food, particularly when it's unrefined. It also doesn't cause the same glycemic response when it is unrefined. There is still some, just not as severe. I would take sugar over Aspartame, Saccharin, Splenda or Acesulfame-Potassium (Ace-K) any day.

Namaste,

Anann


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## Kathleen in WI (Nov 27, 2003)

I like to use stevia. Seems there used to be someone here on HT that sold stevia plants. I'd love to try to grow it.


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## RVcook (Mar 29, 2008)

I like Erythritol mixed with SlimSweet (LoHan Kao) and stevia. The Erythritol gives it bulk but because it is only about 40% as sweet as sugar, I use the stevia to increase the sweetness level. The SlimSweet intensifies the "depth" of the sweetness. Sweeteners other than REAL sugar will perform better if they are mixed.

This combination works pretty much like regular sugar except for the "cooling effect" of the Erythritol that can be controlled by a teeny amount of Xanthan gum (which can be purchased at the healthfood store or large grocer.)

To make your own small sample blend, try: 1/4 C. Erythritol, 1/2 tsp. SlimSweet, 1/4 tsp. stevia, 1/8 tsp. Xanthan. You may have to adjust the sweetness level to suit your tastes.

If you need brown "sugar", just add 1 TB molasses to it for light brown and 2 TB molasses for dark brown.

HTH

RVcook


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## countrysunshine (Jul 3, 2008)

The largest producer of Xylitol in the world is Danisco. They have a plant in Thomson, Illinois that produces Xylitol. Their largest xylitol facility is in Austria.

I post this as information only for those of you interested in xylitol and wanting to avoid Chinese material.


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## stranger (Feb 24, 2008)

sugar is not good for anyones body and any substitute is worse yet, use honey or change the recipe


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## timelord921 (Apr 5, 2008)

Trisha in WA said:


> I use honey in most of my baking. You have to tweak the wet ingredients a bit though.


Honey is great because it never spoils. It takes a while, but if youre out of sugar, honey works best for tea or coffee and such. It does work for baking, but youre absolutely right about tweaking the recipe, Trisha.


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## anewsong (Nov 30, 2008)

Stevia can be used in baking. I am still working out the specifics(a little trial and error on my part), but from what I understand you can use things such as applesauce to take up the bulk that you loose by using stevia and then add the amount of stevia that equals what you are replacing. For what I have it is 1 tsp stevia for 1 cup of sugar.I recommend unsweetened applesauce for this. Better yet, homemade applesauce.

I know that some people use applesauce to replace the oil in a baking recipe. I have studied out what I deem healthy, good to have in your diet oils, so I use them. This makes the applesauce available for the sugar substitute.


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## goatsareus (Jun 23, 2007)

farmer_nurse said:


> Is sugar bad? I really don't know. It seems that every time I turn around the answer changes. I cut the sugar in recipes by close to half. I also use fruit and fruit juice at times (learned that from store bought 'frookies'). I haven't tried honey but that's what we used back home.



Sugar is not bad for the human body, *in moderation*. Once the body breaks down any sugar to the molecular level, glucose, the body can not tell/does not know/makes no difference, if that glucose was made from white sugar, honey, fructose or what ever. Once I understsood that, from a nutrition class in college, I went back to using plain old cheap cane sugar in my bread baking and other baking. I found honey very difficult to bake with and if the body can't tell the source of its glucose, sugar is my poison of choice.


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## ThreeRivers (Nov 26, 2008)

I cant handle the taste of splenda or sweet n' low 

Im a big Equal Fan


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## Guest (Dec 2, 2008)

stranger said:


> sugar is not good for anyones body and any substitute is worse yet, use honey or change the recipe


Stevia and agave are not synthetic substitutes.


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## bluhollow-lady (Oct 26, 2008)

ThreeRivers said:


> I cant handle the taste of splenda or sweet n' low
> 
> Im a big Equal Fan


Hi threerivers, 
Have you read up on Aspartame? That is what Equal is made of. Please read about Aspartame. It is a real danger to some people. I am one of them that had a very bad experience with it. 
Take care, Patsy


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## Backwoods Momma (Feb 26, 2008)

I read a book a few years ago called "What you always wanted to know about sugar but were afraid to ask". The doctor that wrote it was telling how sugar is addictive. The reason for it is that sugar and cocaine only lack one ingredient from being the same. That ingredient is nitrogen and nitrogen is produced in the human body. That is why it is so hard to get off of it. But, all the other things that are not natural are so dangerous.

Equal actually can put holes in your brain, splenda causes swelling in the organ, and of course has been shown to cause cancer. Honey and stevia are really very good alternatives.


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## 10Gauge (Jun 5, 2008)

My sugar substitutions vary depending on what I want to use a sweetener for. I use stevia, local raw honey, brown rice syrup, blackstrap molasses, date sugar (works great), Rapadura or Sucanat, pure maple syrup, agave nectar, or ground dried fruit. There is also a product called Z-Sweet that is suppose to be great for diabetics. I have not used this stuff before though I know people who have with great results.

A great book on sugar substitutions is Get the Sugar Out by Anne Louise Gittleman.


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## Lizza (Nov 30, 2005)

I go through a lot of local raw honey. I also use blackstrap molasses, maple syrup, agave nectar, and raw organic cane juice (sugar). 

ThreeRivers...........Aspartame


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

I ordered some white sugar beat seeds this year. Next year I'm going to experiment with making sugar from them. If it works, I'll be using sugar. For now I use stevia for most things, but I use a lot of honey too.


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## Guest (Dec 8, 2008)

Spinner said:


> I ordered some white sugar beat seeds this year. Next year I'm going to experiment with making sugar from them. If it works, I'll be using sugar.


You can make sugar syrup out of them, but I'm not sure if there's a practical way to make anything approaching granulated sugar outside of a sugar refinery.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

ladycat said:


> You can make sugar syrup out of them, but I'm not sure if there's a practical way to make anything approaching granulated sugar outside of a sugar refinery.


Yep, somebody posted a link to a site that gave instructions. They used red sugar beats and the instructions said to boil the beets until they lost their color. I guess I'll have to grow some red beets and time how long they boil, then I'll know how long to boil the white ones. I don't remember the details right now, but it did make sugar crystals that dry and can be used the same as refined sugar. I guess in a way it is refined sugar, only refined from beets by a natural process instead of refined in a factory with chemicals added. :shrug: 

I saved the instructions, but can't find them right now. The original link is over in the garden forum, or maybe the cooking forum??? I'll try to find it and bring the link over so you can read all about it.

ETA:

OOPS! That was on another board, not HT. 

*Make sugar from beets*

Wash the beets to remove any dirt or residue. 
Shred them. 
Put in a large pot and add enough water to keep them from sticking. 
Cook till they are soft and they start loosing their color. 
Strain them, saving the juice. 
Put the juice back on the stove and simmer it till it gets thick as honey. 
Stir constantly. 
Remove from heat and let it cool. 
As it cools it'll start to crystallize. 
Cover with a towel and let it sit overnight. 
You'll have a clump of sugar in the morning. 

In the old days they would pour the syrup into cone shaped molds and sell the sugar as a "cone of sugar". The cone would then be scraped to get loose sugar for use. 

Use as you would store-bought sugar. Store as you would any sugar. 

If you use red sugar beets your sugar will have a slight pink tinge. I ordered white sugar beets to make white sugar. 

I haven't done this yet, but I'm looking forward to it next season when the beets are ready. 

You can see the recipe in it's entirety here.


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