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Geo Organics Organic Sweetening Syrup is described as an “all purpose sweetener” and, as such, is ideal as an alternative to other sweetening products, such as sugar, honey, treacle, and maple syrup. It is presented as a healthier option than other sweeteners by virtue of its very low Glycaemic Index (GI) value. A lower GI level means that carbohydrates break down into sugar in the bloodstream more slowly, reducing the effect of ‘sugar rush’, burning energy more slowly, and thereby maintaining more balanced blood sugar levels in the body.
Agave syrup naturally contains a high ratio of fructose to sucrose, unlike sugar products which are typically sucrose-heavy. Fructose is a slow-release carbohydrate which is absorbed more steadily into the bloodstream than sucrose, substantiating the claim that agave syrup is a healthy alternative to other sweetening products. Agave syrup, like maple syrup, also contains quantities of iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium.
Typically, refined sugar has a GI value of 68, honey 55, maple syrup 54, and agave syrup 15. (The GI value of molasses and its derivatives, e.g. treacle, are, as yet, undetermined).
My sample of Geo Organics Organic Sweetening Syrup came in a clear glass bottle with a stated quantity of 320g. The syrup exhibits a pale golden hue, with the colour and transparency of lager beer. It has the consistency of clean engine oil, and is less viscous than honey but slightly thicker than maple syrup. In comparison with maple syrup, Geo Organics Organic Sweetening Syrup comprises approximately 10% more carbohydrates and calories, but contains 0% fat.
Geo Organics Organic Sweetening Syrup may be used in a variety of applications: as a sweetener in hot and cold beverages, on cereals and pancakes, as a sweetener on piquant fruits, as an addition to marinades and salad dressings, and as a sweetening agent in baking. It readily dissolves in cold liquids, rendering it more convenient than honey, maple syrup, and sugar.
The taste of the unadulterated syrup displays a clean, delicate sweetness to the tongue; less complex and grainy than honey, and less rich and immediate than maple syrup or molasses, but more natural and metabolically amiable than refined sugar. I would describe the flavour as uncomplicated and sincere (thankfully lacking that astringent aftertaste one normally associates with tequilana products); it exhibits subtle aromatic character with a well-orchestrated balance of fructose fruitiness, but lacking saccharin stridency; the impression is of an unpretentious yet well-defined sweet sensation.
In conclusion I can happily recommend Geo Organics Organic Sweetening Syrup as a healthy and good value-for-money alternative to traditional sweetening products; it avails itself as a valuable addition to the kitchen pantry.”
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