Manufacturing method, chemical composition and useful properties of coconut sugar, possible harm when consumed. Recipes for dishes, features of using tropical flower sweetness, recommendations for a successful purchase. The glycemic index is low - only 35 units, thanks to which coconut sugar is allowed to be introduced into the diet of patients with grade 1-2 diabetes. However, this does not mean that the use is unlimited. When switching to this type of sweetener, you need to monitor your blood glucose levels and avoid overeating. The beneficial effect on the body is due to the minimum technological processing. The composition of the product retains the substances contained in the flower nectar.
Contraindications and harm of coconut sugar
Those who are intolerant of coconuts should not switch to tropical sweetness. An allergic reaction may develop.
The harm from coconut sugar appears with abuse - dependence on sweets can develop, teeth begin to deteriorate.
Care should be taken when introducing a sweet product into a weight loss diet. On the one hand, its calorie content is lower than that of beet sugar, but since it breaks down more slowly and is not as sweet, you can significantly increase the amount of sweetener to achieve the usual taste. With an excess intake of carbohydrates in the liver, glycogen stores will begin to be deposited. The only way to regain weight loss is to increase your physical activity.
Coconut Sugar Food and Drink Recipes
When replacing regular sugar with coconut in desserts, a ratio of 1:10 is observed. This product will help to give a new, original taste to baked goods and drinks - coffee, cocoa, tea.
Coconut Sugar Recipes:
- Cocoa Bean Dragee … On a regular baking sheet, lay out the cocoa beans in one layer and place them in an oven preheated to 130 ° C. Every 10 minutes, the temperature is lowered by 10 ° C by opening the door. Cocoa beans readiness indicator - taste. It should become identical to dark chocolate. The grains are allowed to cool, and the coconut sugar is placed in the oven to melt. Then pour cocoa grains into the molasses, mix everything well. Future dragees are laid out on a wooden board to dry out. Children will love this delicacy. If the dessert is prepared for adults, the grains are not fried until tender. The piquancy of the dragee is given by the "bitterness".
- Banana muffins … Oil, 100 g, slightly heat up and add 1, 2 cups of coconut sugar, 2 eggs, 2, 5 cups of wheat flour and 2 tsp. baking powder. Knead the airy dough. Then mash 2 bananas with a fork and add to the dough too. Bring to a homogeneous consistency. If liquid begins to stand out, add flour. The dough should be thick and elastic, but not firm. Silicone cake molds are greased with sunflower oil, the dough is poured so that it does not slightly reach the edges. Preheat the oven to 200 ° C and place future muffins in it. Bake for 40 minutes. The buns should be doubled in size.
- Brownie … For the preparation of this dish, carob is used - the crushed fruits of the carob tree. It tastes like cocoa, but is sweeter and does not change the taste of the final product. In combination with coconut sugar, it is possible to achieve the desired sweetness and beautiful color of baked goods, without sugary. Wheat flour, 100 g, pour into a container, add 100 g of carob, 1, 5 tsp. baking powder and 1/4 tsp. salt. All ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Separately beat 120 g of butter and 50 g of crushed sweet coconut granules, 2 eggs. It is better to drive in the eggs one by one so that the dough does not crumple. Before the end of the process, 1 tsp is poured into the batch. vanilla syrup. Combine the dry mixture with the dough. Flour can be added to prevent delamination. The form is greased with sunflower oil, spread out the dough, leveled with a wooden spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 ° C for about 30 minutes. Check the readiness by piercing the dough with a toothpick. If it is dry, you can get it out. Sprinkle with coconut sugar before serving. The taste goes well with ice cream.
- Biscuits … In the microwave, melt 100 g of coconut oil and sugar. It is useless to melt without heating - the components will not combine at room temperature. Pour in a glass of flour, 60 g of coconut, 1 tbsp. l. baking powder and a little salt. Knead the elastic dough so that circles can be formed. The cookies are laid out on parchment and baked in the oven at 180 ° C for about 40 minutes. It will be delicious if the circles are browned.
Coconut Sugar Drinks:
- Coffee cocktail … Strong coffee is brewed at the rate of 1 tsp and 100 ml of cold water. Poured into a Turk and cook for a long time over low heat. The turku is removed when foam appears at the edges of the surface. Close to infuse, add 1 tsp. coconut sugar, stir until completely dissolved and set to cool. Filter the cold drink through a fine sieve to remove all grains, pour into the blender bowl. 200 g of creamy ice cream without filler is also laid there, beat until a lush, stable foam. Poured into glasses, each decorated with a lemon wedge and whipped cream.
- Warming broth … There are a lot of ingredients in this drink. Experiment with the composition, achieving the perfect taste. Mix 2 cups of milk with one water and bring to a boil. In a dry frying pan, 10 pieces of transferred cloves, a cinnamon stick, 10 allspice and black peppercorns, about 1 cm of finely grated fresh ginger root, 5 almond kernels, 10 cardamom seeds, 2 anise grains are overcooked. Pour the fried spices into boiling milk, boil for 5 minutes, add tea, grated nutmeg, vanilla and coconut sugar to taste. Better to use the Assam brew.
When stored in an airtight container in a dark place, coconut sugar retains its nutty caramel flavor and beneficial properties for 2 years. If the product is damp, has changed color, it has a pungent smell - it is better not to eat it.
Interesting facts about coconut sugar
A sweet product made from the juice of coconut buds is used not only in the food industry. In tropical countries, it is used for the manufacture of drug shells, and in chemical countries - plastic materials of increased elasticity.
Interestingly, the United States is the largest producer of tropical sweets. In Sri Lanka and Indonesia, very little is produced, only harvested. One tree is capable of producing up to 200-250 kg of nectar per year.
Male flowers ripen up to 22 months, and all this time nectar is produced in them. About 50% of the buds are not pollinated in the future, and local residents unmistakably choose them for pumping.
Coconut sugar is often added to home cosmetics to exfoliate dead skin cells and eliminate cellulite. Mix in 0.5 tbsp. l. vegetable oils of jojoba, olive, sea buckthorn and coconut, add 1 tbsp. l. cocoa and 1, 5 tbsp. l. crushed coconut pellets. Connect 2 tbsp. l. coconut oil and coconut granulated sugar, add 5 drops of vanilla essential oil. To enhance the effect, natural honey, cinnamon, grated nutmeg can be added to the compositions.
To make a scrub for cellulite, the formulations are strengthened by sleeping coffee. Mixtures for restoring the relief of the skin are applied only to a steamed wet body. Wash off after the procedure without the use of detergents.
If the goal is to improve the health of the body, it is advisable to purchase a package of goods made in Indonesia or the Philippines. No need to be surprised at the packaging - the consumer is offered syrup or bars formed from a dense pasty mass. This coconut sugar was not frozen.
When the opportunity arises to replace sugar beet with sweet from the tropics, there is no need to hesitate. It is very important to purchase from a reliable manufacturer to ensure that the health benefits of coconut sugar are maintained in full. But you need to remember - it dissolves much more slowly.
Watch a video about coconut sugar:
Since the product has not yet gained popularity among Europeans, the best way not to be deceived is to order the packaging from friends who have visited tropical countries. Otherwise, you can buy an analogue of "Bounty" - granules made from a mixture of syrup of buds with coconut juice.
