Florida Crystals vs. Sugar In The Raw

Question

For baking, most people will say Maple Crystals are the best sugar alternative. Maple Crystals are great, but the truth is that it's way too expensive. So, Florida Crystals (Evaporated Sugar Cane) and Sugar In The Raw (Turbinado Sugar) are the next on the list. I remember someone telling me that Florida Crystals are a little more healthy than Sugar In The Raw.

Anyone know? And why?

Answer 1

i dont know but this is the best substatute-

Agave Nectar

(bottom spoon in photo)

Derived from a spiky, desert-dwelling succulent plant, agave nectar (also known as agave syrup) has the same botanical parentage as tequila. Of the two, the sweetener will get you into far less trouble. With 60 calories per tablespoon, it's not low-calorie, but it's about 33 percent sweeter than sugar -- so you can use less.

Pros

Particularly easy to find in supermarkets (look in the health-food section), agave nectar has a light, slightly fruity taste. Though research is still scant, agave appears to have a minimal effect on blood sugar and insulin levels, according to Wong.

Cons

Agave syrup is high in fructose; besides the triglycerides issue, some research suggests that fructose doesn't shut off appetite hormones, so you may end up overeating.

Use

Try agave nectar in coffee, tea, and baked goods. But in the last case, expect some trial and error: "When you use liquid sweeteners in baking, you need to reduce the liquid content in the recipe," says Reardon. Unfortunately, there's no foolproof equation, but experiment with a 1/4 cup reduction for every cup of liquid sweetener. You may also want to subtract 25 degrees from the recipe's suggested baking temperature to compensate for the added liquid content