Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with sugar

Best sweetener?

kmz — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:17:56 -0800

What's the "best" sweetener? With sugar, HFCS, agave nectar, honey, sugar alcohols, stevia, and others all on the market, my head is spinning. Obviously "best" is a vague word. And moderation is still key. But let's say I just wanted to sweeten a serving of Greek yogurt or choose between ice creams using different sweeteners. I know there's situations where one or another wouldn't work cooking wise, but speaking in general: what are the advantages and disadvantages of each of the alternatives?

A couple of more specific questions: Are there known ill health effects of the various sugar alcohols other than digestive ills? Is agave just a fancied up version of HFCS?

Where to find candy supplies in Boston?

Dr.Enormous — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:12:00 -0800

Where can I find candy making supplies near Boston? Specifically, I'm looking for things like flavoring oils and dyes, and I'm hoping to avoid paying the shipping fees for a rush order from an online source.

Anywhere near Boston would be good, though if there's a place in the city proper or along Rte 1 anywhere that would be extra special good. Thanks.

Where oh where can this be?

iabide79 — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:57:09 -0800

I was wondering if there was anywhere I could find Lou Barlow and Bob Mould singing an acoustic version of "Believe what you're Saying".. I saw this on 120 minutes a long time ago and never forgot it. I tried google and youtube but didn't find it anywhere! Thanks!

Does Pterocarpus marsupium work?

RajahKing — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:27:50 -0800

I recently heard that Pterocarpus marsupium extract can be beneficial for those of us with high blood sugar. Have you tried it yourself? Has it been helpful? Have you seen results? Any side effects?

Diabetes, glucose, and food -- Oh my!

DrGail — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:39:18 -0800

Type II Diabetes filter: How do measured glucose levels vary depending on how long it has been since eating? My husband was just recently diagnosed with Type II diabetes, based on an A1C reading of 7.3. He has made numerous lifestyle changes: careful food choices, no binging, regular exercise, eating three meals a day instead of one. (I nag very effectively, as you can see!) This has brought his second A1C reading down to 6.1, without any medication, so we feel like we're definitely on the right track.

But I keep wondering what the "curve" looks like if blood sugar readings are plotted against the hours since eating. A search of the internets hasn't turned up any generic curves we can use as a reference.

For example: His after-dinner blood sugar readings are usually done about 1 - 1-1/2 hours after having a Dannon Light Yogurt for dessert, instead of the 2 hour delay the doctor recommends. If he were to wait until the 2-hour mark before testing his blood, would the reading be higher or lower than the one he gets at the 1-1/2 hour mark?

If he were to take his blood sugar readings hourly, over several days, we could discover the curve empirically. This is not an option, though -- he would never go for it.

So I'm hoping one of you wonderful MeFi folks either knows the answer to my specific question or perhaps can point me to a generic curve that exists somewhere on the 'net.

Oh honey, honey, sugar sugar ..

Talia Devane — Thu, 21 May 2009 07:29:23 -0800

I have a quantity of local raw honey that is crystallizing. I know I can boil the mason jars to send the sugar back into solution, but how do I handle the plastic honey bear? I don't want to lose any of that sweet goodness.

Why does only Cool Whip make my teeth throb?

setanor — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:34:25 -0800

Why does only Cool Whip make my teeth throb? I used to have a little bit of cold sensitivity, but not so much anymore. Also, I used to eat Cool Whip more frequently (my Grandmother made pies with it) but whenever my mouth comes into contact with it, the same thing happens - my teeth throb as if I had cold sensitivity and was drinking or eating something ridiculously cold. I've been able to identify the presence of this whipped topping at least twice where it was pretty well hidden due to this.

No other product (though I suppose generic "whipped topping" might do the same - I've never had it) does this, nor does the temperature of foods affect my teeth in any significant way.

Also, I've seen the post regarding aspartame and artificial sweetener and I have never encountered the same thing, as much as I try to stay away from the stuff altogether.

Sugar Casting Tips and Resources Sought

anastasiav — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 06:45:39 -0800

MeFi Chef Brigade: Anyone out there know anything about cast sugar (sometimes called poured sugar or sugar glass)? I'm experimenting with some historical cast sugar recipes, but could use some advice..... Because I'm dealing with a historical recipe, there aren't any exact amounts given, and I'm having trouble coming up with a sugar/water/acidic (lemon juice or vinegar) mixture that will set up truly hard when it cools. Both my attempts have ended up in sticky messes. I'm fairly sure its the mix that's the problem not the temp, but I'm open to suggestions.

Also, if you have good links on sugar casting, I'd love to see them.

Pray for my Pralines

cinemafiend — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:12:49 -0800

Help me salvage these pralines... I just made a huge batch of pralines by following this Paula Deen recipe. And when I say a really huge batch, I mean a really huge batch (over eight cups of pecans mixed into a doubling of the recipe). After searching the web and Metafilter, I've now found out why they are not setting up (previously) - the humidity is hovering around 88% here in Alabama tonight.

Help! I've got around thirty saucer sized pralines resting on parchment paper as I type this...Will these things ever set-up? Is there anything that I can do to salvage them?

Help me prepare right for a no-sugar diet

arniec — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 06:15:28 -0800

Help me find some recipes for a high protein, low car, no sugar diet intended to help my wife and I lose weight. Some restrictions inside. My wife and I are getting ahead of the game; rather than waiting until New Year's when everyone is dieting and joining a gym, we're starting both now. We've had some success with the Atkins type diets in the past and know that it works for our metabolism but last time we got insanely bored of the foods and because we didn't have a lot of recipes, etc.

Plus when we found recipes many had ingredients that we could not find at a local grocery store (we're in the midwest, have Meijer and Wal Mart as primary grocery stores).

So I'm looking for online resources that have recipes with fairly common ingredients, and hopefully a LOT of recipes that we can choose from over the coming months and years.

I've Googled this and found a few things here or there but no wealth of resources that I feel must be available on this great internet.

Bonus points if there are breakfast ideas included, since we are carb-heavy breakfast people (cereal, oatmeal, bagels, etc) and need something to start our day on that is none of those things.

Thank you for your help!

What's a reasonable amount of sugar to be consuming in a day?

GilloD — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:50:32 -0800

What's a "healthy" or "Reasonable" amount of sugar for a healthy mid-20's male to be consuming daily? I've recently started to think about my sugar consumption. I make it a point to avoid corn syrup and I don't drink soda or sugar-y juice very often, but I sneak sugar into my coffee and eat more than my shake of fruits (Raisins! So much sugar) and occasionally some candy-ish snacks.

As a result, I'm wondering: What's a reasonable or healthy amount of sugar for a healthy 24 year old male to be consuming? I know the stock answer is "NONE", but that's not really helpful. For example, my box of raisins has thirty grams of sugar. Is that a lot? Is it a third of a reasonable intake? A tenth? Triple what I should be consuming?

Avoiding sugar/honey residue in tea cups

Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 07:35:32 -0800

Whenever I drink tea, I'm always left with a sticky sugar/honey residue in the bottom of the cup. Is there any way to avoid this?

Splenda, what are you doing to me?!

jwfree — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:33:07 -0800

Is Splenda bad for you? I have read articles both ways and I am still unclear. I am curious because I will use a few packets a day while at work in my tea or coffee and would like to get rid of this habit if it may lead to negative effects.

Just looking for some opinions that aren't funded or influenced by either side!

I want my sweet sweet salsa!

saeculorum — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:57:56 -0800

Is there a copycat recipe in existence for Trader Joes' Corn and Chile Salsa? How about a cheaper alternative? I have become completely addicted to Trader Joe's Corn and Chile Salsa. The salsa is a tomato-less and appears to mostly consist of corn, a bit of green chile and onion, sugar, and vinegar. I've spent more than a little bit of time trying to find a recipe is even close to it, but haven't had any luck. In particular, it is a very sweet and tangy salsa - it's not spicy at all. Does anyone have any ideas on how to make this? My few attempts have ended up in sugary corn goop.

Failing the recipe, has anyone seen this salsa anywhere else? Trader Joe's rebrands almost all of their goods, so I'd imagine some other company makes the salsa in their own label. Any hints?

Healthrisk by not eating anything sugary?

madcow20 — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:09:35 -0800

I havn't eaten anything sugary for the past 2.5 years. This includes things like: cola, cakes, candy, icecream, chocolate etc. I know that I can't be 100% sugarfree since things like orangejuice, bread, beer contains "small" amounts of sugar. I didn't start on this "thing" in order to become more healthy. I did it to test myself and my body. I havn't had any issues, but I am worried that it could be a potential healthrisk in the long run. So my question is: Do I risk my health in the long run if I continue on this "non-sugar"-thing?

Sweet, sweet candy

mjao — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:49:38 -0800

What are some (at least slightly) healthy alternatives to muffins, pudding, cupcakes and chocolate? Everybody I know favours savoury -- but I favour the sweet stuff! My attempts to eat well eventually derail because while I have lots of healthy savoury options, I've got no healthy sweet options. NB: Fruit doesn't count, I already eat it and it doesn't seem to satisfy my cravings.

My diet consists of salads, sushi, nuts, rice, white meats (and sometimes bacon and sausages), soups, fruit, pulses, wholegrains, cereals, yogurt, etc.

I can go fine for a while but, especially when I have PMS, I need sweet stuff. And I am now on birth control that makes me hungry all the time.

So what do you think? Are there substitutes that are healthier than what I crave? You can be as wacky or creative as possible! I'll try anything.

Or should I just accept that I have a sweet tooth and not try to fight it? After all, the rest of my diet is okay. I don't really need to lose weight or anything (although I'd like to, I'm at the low end of healthy in terms of BMI so that's not really necessary, just superficial!)

I didn't poop this morning, therefore I shall OM NOM NOM all day long

woebot — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:41:55 -0800

Why do I crave sugar on days when I've had a lackluster/no bowel movement? Normally I take a dump within a half hour of waking up, and my day is all sunshine and flowers afterwards.

On days where I don't poop in the morning (either from constipation [rarely], or because I don't have enough time/privacy to poop in peace) or if I don't completely expel all the poop that needs to come out (time restraints. sigh.), I notice an increased craving for sweets and an increased appetite in general (but mainly in the area of super sweet junk food and drinks). The cravings stop once my bowel movements go back to normal.

While this doesn't horribly cripple my life in anyway, I am quite curious as to why my bowel movements change my eating behavior as it seems to do. Any ideas?

But they're both sugary and delicious!

pised — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:13:14 -0800

Understanding that both are bad for you, which one is worse: high-fructose corn syrup or aspartame?

I can't believe it's not sugar!

Dreamcast — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 01:36:50 -0800

I'm looking for some sugar substitutes (other than Xylitol) that can be used in coffee, tea, and [unsweetened] juices that won't rot my teeth. I'm looking for some sugar substitutes that I can use in my tea, coffee, and juices. I tend to use a lot of sugar -- about two or three teaspoons depending on what it is I'm drinking -- so I'm trying to find something that's a little easier on my teeth. Any suggestions?

I've tried Xylitol, but I didn't like the odd flavor it had, nor did I like how much of it I had to use to actually sweeten my drinks. Though, to be fair, it did say on the bag that it shouldn't be used in drinks, but I didn't know that when I ordered it. I should also mention that I'm aware that most sugar substitutes will probably have an odd flavor, so I don't need to be lectured on that. I'm just looking for an odd flavor I can stand.

I'm allergic (not severely, but enough to keep me from using anything that contains it) to aspartame and saccharin, if that matters.

Snacking on sugar cubes

PercussivePaul — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:36:21 -0800

So I've started eating sugar cubes at my desk. Is this bad? It all began late one evening when I was starving and had no money and no food... except the box of sugar cubes I keep for coffee in my desk drawer. I mixed a few in with some water and it was quite good and seemed to give me the energy boost I needed. Now a month later I find myself popping a couple in my mouth during the long breaks between meals to take the edge off the hunger.

By my calculation these are 3.5g each, so even to equal the amount of sugar in one can of coke I would need like 11 of them. In that sense it seems like it must be harmless. But I instinctively feel that I'm doing something wrong because when I was a kid and used to eat raw sugar instead of putting it on my cereal at breakfast I always caught hell for it. So, um... can I do this guilt-free, or am I damaging my teeth, or what? Should I always mix them with water instead of popping them in raw?

I suppose I could always find something else to snack on, but whenever I keep nuts or fruit at my desk I wind up eating way too much of it. And it will inevitably run out and I'll be caught with no food except for sugar again.

Any tips for curbing my serious sugar addiction?

lxs — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 13:31:27 -0800

How do I curb my sugar addiction? It's getting serious. I am seriously, seriously addicted to sugar. I've always had a sweet tooth, but when I quit smoking about a year and a half ago, my consumption of anything and everything sugary went haywire. It's reached the point where I eat enough sugar that I end up feeling ill almost daily and I feel cravings as intense for sugary things as I remember feeling for cigarettes. I'm maybe on the high end of normal, but am not considerably overweight as I exercise a good amount and eat healthily otherwise.

I guess I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions as to how I can get this sugar issue in check, if the exercise is balancing the effects of the sugar consumption at all, and how much sugar is reasonable to have. I only buy fruit to have at home, and that helps, but there are plenty of bakeries near my apartment and always sugary crap in the break room at work - at least with cigarettes, I didn't have to walk by a dish of them in the room next to my office every day. :(

How do I revive a brown sugar stone?

100watts — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 08:30:29 -0800

How do I revive a brown sugar stone? My mom gave me a brown sugar stone a few years back. It's similar to this. It really did work, keeping the sugar soft, until the most recent time I went to use the brown sugar and noticed it was hard as a rock.

When I received it there were instructions on the packaging and I remember soaking the stone and then either putting it in the sugar when damp or when dry after the soak. I've long since lost the packaging and don't remember what I did. It may also be that these things just lose their efficacy after a while.

So, how do I make the stone work again?

(And I know that a slice of bread would do the same thing as the stone, but I have the stone and it takes up less space in the canister.)

Why do sugars like to cyclize in solution, thermodynamically speaking?

perissodactyl — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 06:31:38 -0800

What is the correct thermodynamic explanation for the fact that all monosaccharides with 5 or more backbone carbon atoms occur predominately in their cyclic form in solution?

I'm looking for the sugar version of kosher salt...

melissam — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 22:26:25 -0800

I'm looking for a reputable source of coarse-grained sugar to decorate cookies with. There are these sugar cookies at Potbelly's Sandwich Works that are decorated with sugar that is large and coarse grained...almost the sugar equivalent of kosher salt. I've seen in on pastries at fancy bake shops too. I always thought it would be easy enough to find, but none of the grocery or gourmet stores I've been to seem to stock it.

I can find stuff online when I search for coarse sugar, but they don't seem to have good specifications, so it's hard to know if it's what I'm looking for. Is there a standardized name for what I'm looking for and where can I buy it? If you've bought something similar before, where did you find it?

Thanks for the help!

Peanut Butter Cups with less sugar?

cda — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:13:37 -0800

Can you tweak this Nigella Lawson peanut butter cup recipe to be lower on the glycemic index? I saw this great recipe online and I was wondering what I could substitute for the sugar without changing the outcome too much.

I'm very sensitive to sugar so I can tell the difference between sugar and honey to my system. So any small change to the glycemic index would be worth the trouble to me.

Turbinado sugar? Honey? Wouldn't honey make the recipe to gooey? Is there another sugar I don't know about that would work?

Have you successfully made sugar substitutes in a candy recipe like this?