Artificial sweeteners

[JAZ]

Bar sugar (extra fine sugar) dissolves better than any other, so you could probably get better results if you ground it up very fine in a food processor. But even bar sugar doesn't dissolve as well as the artificial sweeteners.

I use simple syrup instead.

[rstarobi]

High school chemistry: the answer to every 3rd question: higher surface area leads to greater reactivity.

[Schielke]

Also you need less artifical sweetner than sugar to achieve the same sweetness. The liquid can only hold so much of a sugar concentration at room temp.

[fendel]

The notable exception is the sugar alcohols, like maltitol, erythritol, or Isomalt (main ingredient in Diabetisweet). Those don't dissolve any better than sugar, and maybe even worse. Erythritol doesn't seem to dissolve well except in hot liquids. I have some rather crunchy brownies and homemade ice cream sitting in front of me. Tasty, but crunchy.

[Suzanne F]

totally different crystalline structure.

How does Splenda® compare to sugar on these terms?

[fendel]

Splenda seems to dissolve readily.

[scott123]

I have heard a few references to the synergistic effect achieved when different sweeteners are combined. I know it occurs when you combine splenda with acesulfame K but I was wondering which other combinations do this as well.

Splenda with stevia?

Stevia with acesulfame K?

Stevia with polyols?

Splenda with polyols?

Acesulfame K with polyols?

Also, besides knowing whether or not synergism occurs, I'm also interested as to how much additional sweetness is generated.

[chefpeon]

Wow.....I had never heard of such "sweetener synergy". Very interesting!

My question is, what would you be trying to achieve with this synergy?

A low sugar, highly sweet baked good?

I've NEVER had good luck with artificial sweeteners.....I'm always looking for ways

to use them because in todays calorie conscious Atkins lovin' society, if you don't

jump on the low-this-low-that-bandwagon, you lose business.

I am just never that happy with the end result when I bake low sugar low fat.

If this synergy would help me create a low sugar baked item that actually TASTED GOOD,

I'd be anxious to know about it!

Annie

[kthull]

Try Whey Low as a low cal, low carb, low glycemic sugar substitute. It's about $5/lb in bulk and it works nearly identically to sugar. I've tested quite a few artificial sweeteners and the like, but this beats them all out hands down and there's nothing artificial about it. No aftertaste, caramelize it, make candy, ice cream, baked goods, you name it.

And anytime I tell someone about it they say, "Man that's expensive...Splenda is cheaper." But I just saw that huge bag of Splenda, all 10 ounces of it for like $8. I think people see a big bag and think they're getting a lot since it claims the sweetness of xx pounds. Hah. Try explaining that to your cakes and cookies when they don't have the bulk that sugar adds. Heck, the Splenda web site even says you'll probably get a lower yield and the few applications it's intended for.

Whey Low...you have to try it. (And as I've said before, no I'm not on their payroll.)

[scott123]

Whey Low...you have to try it. (And as I've said before, no I'm not on their payroll.)

Kevin, the moment you are anyone else proves to me the partial digestion claims of whey low, I'm buying some. Not the glycemic impact, mind you. That I can believe. But the caloric/ketogenic impact, that's what I'd like to see some good solid research on.

[scott123]

Wow.....I had never heard of such "sweetener synergy". Very interesting!

My question is, what would you be trying to achieve with this synergy?

A low sugar, highly sweet baked good?

I've NEVER had good luck with artificial sweeteners.....I'm always looking for ways

to use them because in todays calorie conscious Atkins lovin' society, if you don't

jump on the low-this-low-that-bandwagon, you lose business.

I am just never that happy with the end result when I bake low sugar low fat.

If this synergy would help me create a low sugar baked item that actually TASTED GOOD,

I'd be anxious to know about it!

Annie

Annie, artificial sweeteners that synergize when combined are a huge aspect of low carb prepared foods. The commercial entities are monopolizing on this phenomenon and home chefs are beginning to become aware of it.

Basically, the way synergy works is this:

1 cup sugar = 1 cup powdered splenda = 1 cup acesulfame K

When you combine the artificial sweeteners, the amounts needed to create the same sweetness drop by one half.

1/4 C. splenda + 1/4 C. acesulfame K = 1 cup sugar

Less of both sweeteners = less aftertaste/lower cost

That 200% increase in sweetness is only hearsay. There is a substantial gain from combining, though, whatever that may be.

One almost requires a degree in rocket science to create good low carb baked goods. This is still very unexplored territory. BTW, low carb baking involves no sugar but high fat, not low sugar low fat. You just want to stay away from shortening.

[chefpeon]

1/4 C. splenda + 1/4 C. acesulfame K = 1 cup sugar

Less of both sweeteners = less aftertaste/lower cost

Yowza! I like both of those concepts! Anything to reduce that horrible aftertaste!

Thanks for the info......and just to clarify, acesulfame K is Nutra-Sweet, right?

And I'm also going to try that Whey-Low stuff......thanks for the tip on that!

Annie

[NulloModo]

Why do you want to stay away from shortening?

I have found a good synergy is splenda and saccharin.

Edited May 7, 2004 by NulloModo (log)

[scott123]

1/4 C. splenda + 1/4 C. acesulfame K = 1 cup sugar

Less of both sweeteners = less aftertaste/lower cost

Yowza! I like both of those concepts! Anything to reduce that horrible aftertaste!

Thanks for the info......and just to clarify, acesulfame K is Nutra-Sweet, right?

And I'm also going to try that Whey-Low stuff......thanks for the tip on that!

Annie

Nutrasweet is aspartame. Acesulfame K is sold under the brand name Sunnett.

Nutrasweet and splenda may have a synergy, although nutrasweet is not all that popular with the low carbing crowd.

[scott123]

Why do you want to stay away from shortening?

I have found a good synergy is splenda and saccharin.

Shortening is trans fatty acids. Although Atkins has been publicizing the dangers of trans fatty acids for quite some time, it has only been in the last year or two that the rest of the nutritional world has chimed in. Hydrogenated oil is bad news.

[NulloModo]

Why do you want to stay away from shortening?

I have found a good synergy is splenda and saccharin.

Shortening is trans fatty acids. Although Atkins has been publicizing the dangers of trans fatty acids for quite some time, it has only been in the last year or two that the rest of the nutritional world has chimed in. Hydrogenated oil is bad news.

Oh, gotcha, so it is just more of a general health issue than one pertaining to weight-loss.

Which, btw, is the same reason that nutrasweet isn't popular on Atkins (also had a tendancy to cause sugar cravings).

If you are really baking to cater towards hardcore LC needs, avoid the granulated splenda, and use the liquid form. The Granulated is suspended in a Dextrose base, which has a carb content, while the liquid is pure sucralose.

[mags]

I'm another huge fan of Whey Low. Particularly when making desserts to share with other people, I won't use any other artifical sweetener (and I think I've tried them all). To my tongue, it is a near-perfect mimic of sugar, and it also has great functionality -- caramelizes beautifully, etc. Many polyols (sugar alcohols) taste ok, but they can have produce seriously bad GI problems -- think many hours in the bathroom -- if consumed in quantity, and the problem is, "quantity" appears to differ from person to person, so there's no way of telling if your maltitol-sweetened brownie is going to give 3 out of 5 customers a very unpleasant night. Which would not be good for business.

Be aware that neither Sweet n Low nor Equal is heat-stable, so if you cook with them -- though I don't know why on earth anyone would -- their "sweetness" will effectively disappear.

Finally, I would STRONGLY STRONGLY recommend looking at some recipes/cookbooks that have been produced by the low-carb community, rather than by non-low-carbers trying to cash in on the current trend. First, people outside the community often don't understand the needs of low-carbers: they'll substitute Splenda for sugar in a recipe, and then go on to specify 2 cups of flour. Second, those outside the community who have made some efforts to understand the basics (ok, flour = bad) typically try a single-item substitution; they'll take a generic recipe for cookies, say, and substitute Splenda and soy flour for sugar and wheat flour. Yccchh. Tastes disgusting. Just as a combination of artificial sweeteners can produce a synergistic sweetening effect, a combo of flour-substitutes can often produce a MUCH tastier cookie or pie crust or brownie than any one alone. Some of the flour-substitutes that are frequently used in LC cooking include:

vital wheat gluten (essentially wheat "protein," stripped of all starch)

almond flour or other nut flours (no chestnut -- too high in carbs)

protien powder (can be derived from rice, whey, soy)

wheat protein isolate

inulin (which also has sweetening properties)

wheat bran

soy flour (careful -- this stuff can taste nasty if it's not adulterated)

vegetable gums (guar gum, etc.)

oat flour (relatively high in carbs, but quite a bit lower than wheat flour)

flaxseed meal

Take a look at April Fields' "101 Low-Carb and Sugar-Free Dessert Recipes" for some ideas about low-carb baking. (I'm not crazy about her recipes from a sweetening POV -- she relies almost entirely on maltitol and commercial, Splenda-sweetened syrups -- but she's fairly savvy about making substitutions for flour.) I think her website is fabulousfoods.com. Alternatively, look at some of the websites frequented by folks in the LC community -- try lowcarbluxury.com or lowcarbtransformation.com -- most of which have extensive recipes. I'm not at all suggesting that you copy the recipes -- though many people in the LC community are good, inventive cooks, they're mostly amateurs, and you're a pro. But these people do have extensive experience working with the sometimes oddball ingredients that go into making the difference between a baked good -- a cookie, a muffin, whatever -- that both tastes good and meets dieters' needs, and one that doesn't really do either.

[CompassRose]

Splenda with Stevia powder works very well for me. I avoid any kind of sugar alcohol like the plague, since they have *ahem* very unfortunate effects on me at any dose. Nor do I like acesulfame-K, as it seems to "trigger" me.

A very small amount of any sort of real sugar, dry or liquid, works miracles with Splenda, as well. As do "lower impact" sugars such as brown rice syrup and agave nectar, or even the addition of fruit (grated apple, pureed banana...).

But I am not a hardcore low-carber; I carb-cycle and (apart from the Splenda) try to stick with "clean carbs". Splenda Liquid isn't available in Canada, to my knowledge. I'm fond of Splenda Granular because, among other things, it will allow egg whites to meringue.

I'm interested in the Whey Low. I wonder if I could get it here? Like scott123, though, I'd like to see some hard proof of the caloric impact, I think.

[mags]

I'm interested in the Whey Low. I wonder if I could get it here? Like scott123, though, I'd like to see some hard proof of the caloric impact, I think.

You might want to email the company. Just go to the website -- www.wheylow.com -- and I think they have a "contact us" button. Josh Wheedon from WheyLow did a Q&A here a few months back, and he was very responsive and a nice guy.

[SeleneSue]

If you are really baking to cater towards hardcore LC needs, avoid the granulated splenda, and use the liquid form. The Granulated is suspended in a Dextrose base, which has a carb content, while the liquid is pure sucralose.

Splenda.com [uSA] has a recipe page: http://www.splenda.com/page.jhtml?id=splen...pes/library.inc

Unfortunately, straight liquid Sucrolose in a carb-free no-filler liquid form is not available in the US from the Splenda people. Don't know why.

Call and pester them until they offer it here: 1-800-561-0070

I do find some at a website called Sweetzfree. Pretty expensive though; $16 USD for 1 ounce, although a little goes a very long way, they describe 1 ounce as 24 cups sugar equivalent.

Flavored syrups =are= available however. Torani and Da Vinci are readily available in major supermarkets and wherever fancy flavored cappacino is served. Also, see a wide selection of flavors at Nature's Flavors, including a couple of neutral syrups which will probably fill the bill: http://www.naturesflavors.com/

Sweet dreams!

Susan

[k43]

Which sugar substitutes work best for cooking? I've found out a little, but need some expertise. I've found the following:

Cyclamate – any word on the current status?

Equal (Aspartame) is said to break down in heat, so it's not suitable for cooking.

Erythitol – browns like sugar. The FDA rates it as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe), but that means the FDA hasn't evaluated it. Their site here, but it's a health food manufacturer, and I'd like a neutral evaluation.

Saccharin

Spenda (Sucralose) -- OK for cooking, but is said to have an "artificial" aftertaste. How strong is it?

Stevia -- OK for cooking, but not approved by the FDA for food use.

Sunett (Acesulfame potassium) is said not to break down in cooking.

I assume any of them could be sprinkled on cooked food before serving where necessary, but how about, say, pork roasts to create a lacquered surface or in most Indian and Chinese dishes?

[andiesenji]

I have been using Splenda and the Splenda/sugar and Splenda/brown sugar baking mixes (which work much better than the plain Splenda) since they became available.

I have relatively sensitive taste buds and I have not been able to detect the so-called "artificial" aftertaste that some people have mentioned.

In fact, unless people know it is in the product I have not heard anyone mention it.

One person, who told me in no uncertain terms that she won't use Splenda because of the "horrible" aftertaste, used my flavored Coffee-Mate at work, apparently unaware that there is an obvious lable on it that states it is sweetened with Splenda.

I didn't mention it and she drank the mug of coffee without complaint.

The combinations are specifically formulated for baking and help to keep the product moist and retard staling.

Sweet One (Acesulfame potassium) is another one I have used and is stable at cooking temps.

However, baked goods stale rapidly, if you like hard cookies use this one - it is just fine in egg custards, puddings, etc.

[SuzySushi]

Both my husband and our daughter have Type 1 diabetes, so I do a fair amount of substituting sugar-free sweeteners in cooking and baking.

My sweetener of choice is Splenda (sucralose). Splenda granular (in the large zip-top bags) can be measured cup-for-cup like sugar in cooking and baking*; the small paper packets are concentrated and meant largely for sweetening beverages at the table, though I've also sprinkled them over fruit and cereal, etc.

* Splenda does not behave exactly like sugar in baking. It doesn't brown, for instance, and baked goods may not rise as well. As Andiesenji indicates, Splenda also puts out Splenda/sugar and Splenda/brown sugar blends for baking, and they perform better in baked goods, though they contain some carbs from sugar. For baking, I would suggest referring to Splenda's website for recipes, or Googling for other Splenda-specific recipes (if you PM me, I have a handful).

For browning foods to create a lacquered surface such as on pork roasts, etc. I

suggest using a minimal amount of a sugar product that caramelizes rapidly (such as dark brown sugar or molasses), or try the trick of browning onions in a pan without oil (saute with a splash of water until the water evaporates, repeating three or four times until the onions are tender and browned), then sauteing the meat in the fond left by the onions. Splenda has worked nicely in the Asian recipes I've tried.

Splenda can also be used, BTW, to make mock "confectioners' sugar" and mock "sweetened condensed milk" for recipes -- PM me.

I have not detected any aftertaste, although I will say that some foods cooked/baked with Splenda taste "flat" -- they need a bit of something else (a dash of salt? a squirt of lemon juice or additional vanilla?) to perk up the flavor.

***

Cyclamates are still banned in the USA, although they're for sale in Canada. Products that contain cyclamates in Canada (such as Sweet 'n Low and Sugar Twin) substitute saccharin in the USA.

***

Saccharin has a distinctive aftertaste and I would not advise it for cooking.

***

Stevia is not approved by the FDA. I read something very interesting about it on a diabetes message board this past week -- don't have the link any more -- one guy who did research into it for personal use found that most stevia products in health food stores also contain some form of sugar (sucrose, glucose, etc.) if you read the labels carefully. He bought the one product that was pure stevia and said it tasted horrible, with a distinctive licorice-like undertaste.

Also, he said the reason the FDA has not approved stevia is that although it's been used for hundreds of years in South American culture, that use is as a (beverage?) occasionally consumed at a religious ceremony/festival and not on a day-to-day basis. There are no conclusive tests as to its ongoing safety. Manufacturers were able to get around that by marketing it as an unregulated "supplement" rather than for food use, which requires stricter safety criteria.

***

I haven't read anything about how Sunett (acesulfame potassium) reacts in cooking and have not personally tried using it. I see it mostly in soft drinks. I've read that it does have an aftertaste.

[andiesenji]

I have a very nice little cookbook titled

Unbelievable Desserts with Splenda, authored by Marlene Koch

These range from smoothies to fruit sauces.

I have prepared many of the desserts and every one has been excellent.

Peanut butter cookies, Lemon chiffon pie, Applesauce snack cake, just a few of the ones I found to be as good as any made with sugar.

the author's web site

the book at Amazon

I have Graham Kerr's Splenda cookbook too - I have not made as many of the recipes but the couple I tried were very good.

I also have Type II diabetes.

[paulraphael]

There are many different kinds of Stevia product, refined in different ways from the leaves of the plant. Some are white, others dark brown. The brown stevias tend to have a woody, almost maple-like flavor with some liquorice and other root flavors. It doesn't pass as sugar, but it has interesting flavor profile. I have no experience cooking or baking with it, so I don't know how it reacts with heat or other foods chemicals.

There is almost overwhelming evidence that stevia is safe. It's been used as a sweetener for thousands of years in Asia and South America. I haven't seen a single evidence-based allegation about potential problems. Suspicion is that food industry lobbies (who have a strong interest in pattentable sugar substitutes) have exerted influence on the FDA in this matter.

If you look on PubMed, you can actually find a decent number of clinical trials that support Stevia as an anti-diabetic supplement. It has a tendency to lower and to stabilize blood sugar, which cuiously has been known about for a long time in some native cultures. Unfortunately, as far as i can tell, these clinical demonstrate beneficial effects only with huge doses of stevia ... considering how sweet it is to begin with, you'd never get the benefit of it as a supplement if you're using it as a sweetener. But wouldn't worry for a second about sweetening food with it if you like the taste.