Evaporated Cane Juice: A Healthy Sugar Alternative

Healthy Sweet Foods

I love sweet foods! Chocolate, candy, donuts, pastries, for me - the sweeter the better! Even my coffee has to be super sweet. Needless to say, I am always on the lookout for healthier alternatives to refined sugar, with some success. Sometimes I use maple syrup, sometimes honey, but let’s face it they lack the versatility sugar has and simply don’t work in coffee! So when I was asked to do some research for an article about evaporated cane juice, my curiosity was piqued!

What is Evaporated Cane Juice?

Simply put, evaporated cane juice is liquid cane sugar. Termed evaporated cane juice because the water has been removed, its flavor is more concentrated and its color is a rich brown. Unlike refined sugar, evaporated cane juice retains some vitamins and minerals, mainly due to the retention of molasses as well as the decreased amount of processing. Moreover, it is different from straight sugar as evaporated cane juice retains its fructose, glucose and sucrose whereas sugar is solely sucrose. Measure for measure, it contains the same caloric content - 1 teaspoon = 16 calories however, because of its processing it is sweeter tasting than refined sugar, so the potential to use less offers the ability to save calories.

Is Evaporated Cane Juice Safe?

Evaporated cane juice is not considered to be a food commonly associated with allergies or allergic reactions. However, its effect on blood levels is still being researched. As with all individuals on a health restricted diet, care should be given to any changes made to diet without prior consultation with your health care provider, specifically those individuals with diabetes and conditions which require a limited intake of carbohydrates. It is also important to make sure you are actually purchasing pure evaporated cane juice which still contains molasses, as the molasses contains much of the vitamins and minerals which might make this sweetener a preferred choice.

How Do I Use It

The good news is, evaporated cane juice can be used just like other sweeteners, in foods as well as beverages. As the degree of sweetness is more rich, be sure to flavor test your foods by adding smaller amounts instead of the full amount requested in the recipe. As the choices of sweeteners keeps growing our knowledge of the many benefits as well as downsides of these sweeteners is most important. Fortunately, we now have another choice…evaporated cane juice.