Organic, Pure, Low Glycemic, Diabetic, Healthy Agave Nectar - what is it?
The focus here is on agave nectar, or agave syrup in its original form - the sweet juice of the blue or wild agave plants. An increasing number of health-conscious people consider agave nectar to be the overall best natural sweetener on the market today.
Learn about the plant itself, the harvest and the juice extraction, the different types of agave nectar and how it compares to honey. Find out what "low glycemic" means, and which company seems to sell the best agave nectar.
Watch the videos about Agasweet flavored agave nectar and see for yourself why more and more customers praise this perfect, natural agave sweetener.
Learn about the plant itself, the harvest and the juice extraction, the different types of agave nectar and how it compares to honey. Find out what "low glycemic" means, and which company seems to sell the best agave nectar.
Watch the videos about Agasweet flavored agave nectar and see for yourself why more and more customers praise this perfect, natural agave sweetener.
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Overview of contents:
- Enjoy my Original Music while browsing...
- The Agave Plant
- Mature agave with tall stem and flowers
- Agave Nectar Harvest
- Agave plants and harvest on video
- More about the juice extraction...
- Agave Fields
- Different types of agave nectar
- How does agave nectar compare to honey?
- What is a "low glycemic index rating"?
- Nutritional Info for Agave Nectar
- What is important to you about a sweetener?
- Agave Nectar Companies
- Agasweet flavored agave nectar
- Chef Keem and his wife, Chef Karen, demoing Agasweet
- Delicious sweetener and condiment
- Agave nectar videos
- Madhava agave nectar on Amazon
- Madhava agave nectar on eBay
- Agave Nectar Deals on eBay
- Agasweet flavored agave nectar on eBay
- Excellent collection of recipes using agave nectar
- Dear visitors -
- A little more about me...
The Agave Plant
Where does agave syrup come from?
It is a common misconception that the agave plant is a cactus. The truth: the agave is a succulent, closely related to the lily and amaryllis families. Family name: Agavaceae (Agaves), with over 100 species, mostly grown in Mexico, but also in the southern and western United States and tropical South America. During flowering a tall stem or "mast" grows from the center of the leaf rosette and bears a large number of shortly tubular flowers. After development of fruit the original plant dies, but suckers are frequently produced from the base of the stem which become new plants.Tequila is made from the sap of the heart of the blue agave. Both blue and wild agaves are used for syrup production. In the early 2000s, tequila production had been hindered by "rot" problems in blue agaves, and the resulting shortage had led to further cultivation efforts for the wild agave varieties, primarily the agave salmiana. The picture shows the agave tequilana.
Before we move on to the nectar harvest and production, here is a list of FAQs on tequila production from the master himself, Jose Cuervo. (I knew you'd ask.)
Mature agave with tall stem and flowers
Agave Nectar Harvest
How do they get the juice out of the plant?
Interestingly, the production of agave nectar is very similar to how a bee creates honey. The bee adds enzymes to the complex sugars of nectar, which changes it into the simple sugars making honey. It is also through enzymatic action that the complex sugar found in agave juice is changed into a simple sugar sweetener- Agave Nectar.The raw agave juice is regularly harvested from living plants by Indian peoples native to central Mexico. To do so, they must slice off the top of the plant and hollow out its core. Then the plant is capped with a stone. The pineapple shaped agave plant secretes its nectar into the center of the plant, rather than into flowers like most plants do. It collects in the hollow center for several days, after which the milky white "juice" is removed by ladle, one plant at a time. In a way it is similar to tapping a tree for maple syrup collection.
Agave plants and harvest on video
Two clips show how the pineapple-shaped core is separated from the leaves. A third clip features a time-laps presentation of blooming agaves at night, with a beautiful piano score added.
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More about the juice extraction...
...does it kill the plant?
The best time to start collecting the juice is when the agave has reached maturity at around 12 years of age. After flowering, the plant dies, leaving behind a large number of shoots to be replanted.
When harvesting agave syrup, a small hole is cut into the fruit using a small tool called a "Coa-De Jima" or an "Acocote". The nectar is then siphoned from the fruit, usually twice a day. Subsequently, the fruit will begin to gather more syrup. The syrup can have a milky like substance from the plant that is later filtered out during the final processing stage. When the agave fruit will produce no more syrup, it is removed and wrapped in a mesh cloth, smashed and pressed for any syrup that the fruit may still contain. It is then made into a pulp and used as fertilizer. Once the plant has exhausted its supply of syrup, it is then cloned or used as fertilizer for other agave plants.
The collected agave syrup is then run through a number of mesh screens to remove and collect any of the plant's fibers and to obtain clarity.
When harvesting agave syrup, a small hole is cut into the fruit using a small tool called a "Coa-De Jima" or an "Acocote". The nectar is then siphoned from the fruit, usually twice a day. Subsequently, the fruit will begin to gather more syrup. The syrup can have a milky like substance from the plant that is later filtered out during the final processing stage. When the agave fruit will produce no more syrup, it is removed and wrapped in a mesh cloth, smashed and pressed for any syrup that the fruit may still contain. It is then made into a pulp and used as fertilizer. Once the plant has exhausted its supply of syrup, it is then cloned or used as fertilizer for other agave plants.
The collected agave syrup is then run through a number of mesh screens to remove and collect any of the plant's fibers and to obtain clarity.
Agave Fields
Different types of agave nectar
Light, Amber, and Raw.
The lighter grades of Agave Nectar are flavor neutral, enhancing the natural flavors of coffee, tea, fruit beverages, baked goods, fresh fruits, fruit smoothies, salad dressings, jams and jellies, ice cream, yoghurts, and various prepared foods, without altering their flavor. This is in marked contrast with bee honey, malt barley syrup, and certain other natural sugar substitutes that do alter the flavor of the products which they sweeten.The amber and dark grades offer the delicate flavor of Agave with increasing intensity. The amber grade is much like honey and delicious in tea, suitable to sweeten a wide variety of foods, dry and hot cereals, pancakes, waffles, baked goods, protein drinks, and sauces. Heavier sauces such as BBQ, spaghetti, stews and meat glazes may be enhanced by the darker grades of this sweetener which deliver the rich and complex flavors distinctive to Agave.
The term "raw" means the syrup has not been heated above 114F degress to preserve more of the minerals and enzymes.
How does agave nectar compare to honey?
Both agave nectar and honey are excellent natural products and we want to have some of each in our pantry. In regard to agave nectar, some favorable points include:- lighter viscosity, ease of use, dissolves quickly even in cold liquids
- due to its purity, agave nectar never crystallizes
- lower glycemic index rating (32), compared to honey (58)
- long shelf life (3 years+), no refrigeration necessary
- mild flavor, suitable for may uses
- 1.4 times sweeter than sugar; use less - save cals & carbs!
What is a "low glycemic index rating"?
This is a relatively new concept which can be important from a metabolic standpoint, especially to diabetics, along with athletes and grossly overweight individuals. The index is an indicator as to how much your blood sugar increases in 2-3 hours after specific food consumption.Most if not all carbohydrates are normally metabolized into the simple carbohydrate glucose, which in the glycemic index concept is arbitrarily assigned a value of 100. As a result, the higher a glycemic index food number is, the faster it raises your blood sugar level. Foods or ingredients with glycemic index numbers close to or above 100 present some significant health issues to diabetics, and in general, sweeteners of all kinds should be avoided by diabetics.
Nonetheless, for those diabetics who choose to consume certain amounts of carbohydrates, agave nectar, it should be noted has a lower glycemic index than honey. agave nectar was found to have a glycemic index of 32. In contrast, honey has a reported glycemic index of 58, due to its higher ratio of glucose to fructose, as compared to the ratio of glucose to fructose in Agave Nectar.
Please note: these values are based on using glucose as the reference point, which is the currently accepted approach relative to reporting glycemic index. Earlier, white bread was the reference point, but white bread composition can vary widely, and thus glucose is now the preferred base product.
Nutritional Info for Agave Nectar
Nutritional Facts
for 1 teaspoon:
Calories 20
% daily value based on a
2000 calorie diet:
Fat 0g/0%, Trans Fats 0g/0%,
Sodium 0g/0%, Protein 0g/0%,
Total Carbohydrates 5g/5%
Sugars (75% natural fructose) 5g
Agave Nectar Companies
Who makes the best agave nectar?
There is a small number of agave nectar distributors in the US. The largest, and in my opinion the best of them is Madhava, in Lyons, CO.Full disclosure: I've worked with Madhava for the last 3 years through my company Sweet Venus Delights, which manufactures Agasweet flavored agave nectar. Madhava is the supplier for my unflavored base syrup.
Madhava has consistently provided a certified pure, organic, and kosher nectar, harvested from strictly controlled, privately-owned Indian land.
In the light of occasional internet rumors (and facts) about unethical practices in regard to syrup processing methods by certain manufacturers, Madhava has been a reliable purveyor of the purest nectar, at the best possible price.
Madhava Agave Nectar is readily available in most health food stores, pharmacies, natural groceries and markets such as Whole Foods Market.
"How about adding nice flavors to this wonderful sweetener?
I'm so glad you asked! Please see below."
Agasweet flavored agave nectar
A delicious sweetener AND condiment!
Chef Keem's (that's me) company Sweet Venus Delights introduced the first and original full line of flavored agave nectars under the brand name AGASWEET.For all the details on this delicious sweetener and condiment, as well as usage tips and recipes, please visit my companion lens on Agasweet flavored agave nectar. Further information on me and my company is available on my lenses Small Business Adventures and Who is Chef Keem?
Chef Keem and his wife, Chef Karen, demoing Agasweet
Delicious sweetener and condiment
Madhava agave nectar on Amazon
Madhava Pure Organic Raw Agave Nectar, 17-Ounce Bottles (Pack of 12)
Amazon Price: (as of 11/23/2009) 
Madhava Agave Nectar, Natural Sweetener, Amber, 11.75-Ounce Bottles (Pack of 12)
Amazon Price: $34.52 (as of 11/23/2009)
Madhava Raw Pure Organic, Agave Nectar Natural Sweetener, Light, 11.75-Ounce Squeeze Bottles (Pack of 12)
Amazon Price: $34.52 (as of 11/23/2009)
Madhava Pure Organic Raw Agave Nectar, 23-Ounce Bottles (Pack of 6)
Amazon Price: (as of 11/23/2009)
Madhava Organic Raw Agave Nectar, 46-Ounce Bottle (Pack of 2)
Amazon Price: (as of 11/23/2009)
Madhava agave nectar on eBay
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Agave Nectar Deals on eBay
Agasweet flavored agave nectar on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byExcellent collection of recipes using agave nectar
Baking with Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature's Ultimate Sweetener
Amazon Price: $10.87 (as of 11/23/2009)
This recipe collection offers an attractive course towards healthier sweetening habits with additional deliciousness.
Dear visitors -
I hope you could take something away from this lens that is useful to you. Please let me know about it with a comment here in my guest book. Live healthy! -Chef Keem
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- SaraMu SaraMu Aug 20, 2009 @ 5:58 pm
- Surprisingly, there's not a lot of good info about agave on the web so thank you for putting this lens together. Very helpful.
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- spirituality spirituality Jan 18, 2009 @ 10:45 am
- Sounds like a great product.
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- spirituality spirituality Jan 18, 2009 @ 10:45 am
- Sounds like a great product.
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Reply
- JaguarJulie JaguarJulie Oct 16, 2008 @ 11:00 am
- Hello Chef, just dropping by to find that link to get your Agave Nectar. ;)
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- Margaret_Schaut Margaret_Schaut Jun 20, 2008 @ 11:22 pm
- I dearly love the Agasweets! I've tried several kinds now, and it is very hard to pick a favorite- they are each special, each have LOTS of uses, and each one is delicious!
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A little more about me...
Lensmaster chefkeem has been a member since January 29 2008, has rated 2,717 lenses, favorited 2,127, and has created 135 lenses from scratch. Achim Thiemermann donates their royalties to Squidoo Charity Fund and Operation Helmet. This member's top-ranked page is "Best Tres Leches Coconut Macaroons". See all my lenses
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