Comments on Crunchy Chicken: Going agave: an alternative to sugar

Love, love, love my agave. :) And that gimlet reci...

2009-07-26T09:24:45.385-07:00

Love, love, love my agave. :) And that gimlet recipe looks luscious, will HAVE to try it!!!!

Becca - looks like someone is getting started earl...

2009-07-15T14:53:58.649-07:00

Becca - looks like someone is getting started early :)

Basil Gimlets are wonderful... perhaps my new favo...

2009-07-15T14:05:01.780-07:00

Basil Gimlets are wonderful... perhaps my new favorite ever. I'm on my second, and it seems as though I am loving everything more right now. Thanks for the awesome drink recipe.

Yes. That was an excellent way to describe agave....

2009-07-14T08:53:49.486-07:00

Yes. That was an excellent way to describe agave. Just wish it wasn't so darn expensive.

a friend of mine pointed out that mercola sells ho...

2009-07-14T08:48:09.558-07:00

a friend of mine pointed out that mercola sells honey on his site, so go figure that he's knocking agave. i think i'm going to stick w/ my old mantra - everything in moderation. :)
also, here's a response from madhava's president - Madhava's Craig Gerbore Responds to Agave Nectar Controversy Here

I've heard the argument so many times now that aga...

2009-07-13T07:22:38.421-07:00

I've heard the argument so many times now that agave is basically corn syrup in disguise. Well, I can tell ya... I am the canary in the coal mine for corn syrup. I can find it wherever it lurks, because it makes me SICK. I feel horrible after I have even the tiniest bit of corn syrup. And agave never makes me feel sick. I can't even tolerate much maple syrup, rapadura, or raw honey. But I've never yet had enough agave to make myself sick. I don't push it... I'm not crazy... but I've had 3 limeades in a row, made with lime juice, agave, and club soda, and felt fine.

I love agave.

i just read the mercola article. sh*t.

2009-07-12T22:57:35.839-07:00

i just read the mercola article. sh*t.

i frickin' love agave. :) i use it in tea, to swee...

2009-07-12T22:53:16.199-07:00

i frickin' love agave. :) i use it in tea, to sweeten plain yogurt, as well as in baking. great stuff!

As cool as it sounds, some of the comments (includ...

2009-07-11T01:20:52.391-07:00

As cool as it sounds, some of the comments (including the link) have made me conclude to stick to regular sugar for now. Also, I really need to kick all regular sodas from my diet--even my beloved Dr. Pepper.

Big agave fan here- I like to use it because it do...

2009-07-10T14:52:53.807-07:00

Big agave fan here- I like to use it because it doesn't cause your blood sugar to spike, being diabetic- that's important
That, and it is the only way I know how to make a simple syurp that is diabetic friendly.

I love agave we use it in all sorts of stuff it's ...

2009-07-10T14:33:25.572-07:00

I love agave we use it in all sorts of stuff it's a staple in our kitchen. I only wish you could find it more often in glass jars as many of the plastic bottles agave comes in have bpa in them.

Agave is always touted as safe for diabetics, and ...

2009-07-10T10:39:44.293-07:00

Agave is always touted as safe for diabetics, and I've never been comfortable with that. Fructose raises triglyceride levels, which are a major indicator of heart health. Fructose also may disproportionately raise hemoglobin a1C levels, a major indicator of diabetic health. And this won't be reflected on home glucose monitoring.

I totally just jumped on the agave bandwagon, too!...

2009-07-10T10:18:04.348-07:00

I totally just jumped on the agave bandwagon, too! It had been at least two years of suspiciously glancing at it in the health food stores, but I finally decided to bite the bullet and add yet another crazy-hippie-foodstuff to my pantry. I still think raw organic honey has more health benefits, but agave is definitely more tasteless and akin to sugar... perfect replacement for baking.

Dr. Mercola is right... They agave you have pictur...

2009-07-09T12:03:31.199-07:00

Dr. Mercola is right... They agave you have pictured at the top of this site is not much better for you than HFCS! But all is not lost! There is another manufacturer that doesn't have much Fructose, No Maltose and No sucrose like the other brands of agave. As far as I can tell, they are the only ones tested and proven healthy for people. I found it at www.VolcanicNectar.com. It's really good too!

I use agave instead of sugar for the few things we...

2009-07-09T10:01:54.982-07:00

I use agave instead of sugar for the few things we don't sweeten with stevia, raw homey or maple syrup, around here, but I have to agree w/ Jessica's link. (Most of it, I haven't researched the growing conditions/processing claims she makes regarding quality/organicness)

I have found the same info in my own research and it is highly processed. Agave doesn't have nectar, it's a syrup made from processing the plant. Really it's just as processed as most cane sugars.

It's the same plant we make tequila from also FYI.

Great stuff -- you can also use it, in moderation,...

2009-07-09T09:20:20.975-07:00

Great stuff -- you can also use it, in moderation, to brighten up the flavor of blanched vegs or sharp-tasting fruits before freezing or preserving.

Malva has a point, though.

We tried agave soda at a local eatery this summer....

2009-07-09T08:44:58.995-07:00

We tried agave soda at a local eatery this summer. Truly refreshing without the sickly sweetness of HFCS or even cane sugar sodas.

Hello. I love your blog. I just thought I'd pass ...

2009-07-09T06:58:56.298-07:00

Hello. I love your blog. I just thought I'd pass this along just for information. My friend emailed it to me.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/07/02/Agave-A-Triumph-of-Marketing-over-Truth.aspx

I have to ask...where did you find this? I've trie...

2009-07-09T06:58:26.270-07:00

I have to ask...where did you find this? I've tried looking for it and have had no luck. Of course, I also live in Indiana...

Sounds mojito-ish. Looks yummy!

2009-07-09T05:50:17.655-07:00

Sounds mojito-ish.

Looks yummy!

I'm so glad you posted this. I just bought a bott...

2009-07-09T05:09:15.844-07:00

I'm so glad you posted this. I just bought a bottle and wasn't quite sure how to use it. Thanks!

My MIL gave me a bottle about a year ago and I've ...

2009-07-09T04:23:09.482-07:00

My MIL gave me a bottle about a year ago and I've never even opened it... I tend to use local sugar alternatives like honey and maple syrup first. Agave doesn't grow in CT :)

I've been using agave syrup but I'm thinking of ph...

2009-07-09T04:19:14.309-07:00

I've been using agave syrup but I'm thinking of phasing it out.

It goes through alot of processing to go from cactus to syrup in a bottle so I'm a bit concerned about its footprint before it even reaches my plate.

I am a big fan of agave. I've found that it's a gr...

2009-07-09T04:17:00.326-07:00

I am a big fan of agave. I've found that it's a great replacement in most recipes and nobody notices a difference. When baking with agave I tend to use less than 1 for 1 (probably 3/4 c. in place of sugar) and then reduce the liquids in the recipe by about 1/3

I like agave in tea! I use sugar still for many t...

2009-07-09T00:11:41.799-07:00

I like agave in tea! I use sugar still for many things (making wine!), but I do like it as an alternative to sugar since I am trying to cut down on it.