Features of date sugar and its preparation. Caloric content of tropical sweetness and chemical composition. Benefits and harms when introduced into the diet, recipes. Interesting facts and the choice of raw materials.
Date sugar is a natural sweetener that comes in granules of various sizes and shapes, has a brown color of varying saturation and a sweetish odor. The original product is obtained by drying or dehydrating berries. Sometimes a powder made from berry syrup is offered under the same trade name.
How is date sugar prepared?
To prepare the original product, 2 methods are used - dehydration (dehydration) and drying. This helps to get rid of pathogens that colonize on the surface and prevents deterioration of the sweetener. In an industrial setting, date sugar can be cooked, as well as at home, in the oven, as well as with the help of special equipment.
At dehydration in installations, peeled pitted fruits are placed on a baking sheet in a pressure chamber and blown with hot air. In this case, it is possible to preserve their vitamin and mineral composition in full. However, the method is very expensive, which affects the cost of the product.
More often in small farms, ripe berries are poured into rotating boilers or ovens reminiscent of home dryers. With the first method of production, the final product has a characteristic aftertaste of roasting, with the second, you still have to dry it by contact with a hot surface.
There is an easier method for making date sugar. In this case, the fruits are washed, pitted and laid out on scorching sun on metal sheets to get rid of the water completely.
Whichever method is used for drying, in the final stage, the dehydrated berries are crushed into powder.
If made from syrup, dates are simmered until thickened. When the liquid has evaporated in full, the contents of the cauldrons are poured onto baking sheets and exposed to the scorching sun. Dense hard lollipop plates are crushed. Such date sugar is finer, but contains the least nutrients.
By its appearance, it is almost impossible to distinguish one type of product from another. You have to rely on the "conscience" of the seller. If at home, date sugar is prepared from syrup, then it later dissolves in hot water and does not burn at high temperatures. Powder from dehydrated raw materials is added only at the very end of the culinary process.
There is one more difference - the syrup sweetener is sweeter. But you cannot completely rely on your own feelings. Fruits of different varieties differ in taste.
Composition and calorie content of date sugar
Studies of the food and chemical properties of the original product were carried out using samples obtained under industrial conditions.
The calorie content of date sugar is 300-327 kcal, of which:
- Proteins - 1.2 g;
- Carbohydrates - 79 g;
- Dietary fiber - 1.5 g.
The more thoroughly the dehydration is carried out, the more carbohydrates are in the composition and the sweeter the final product. Vitamin C is completely destroyed.
The chemical composition of date sugar is not rich. It retains a small amount of vitamins:
- Retinol - boosts the immune system and supports visual function;
- Nicotinic acid - stimulates the conversion of sugars and fats into energy, maintains the tone of the body;
- Group B complex - has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous system.
Minerals in date sugar:
- Calcium - responsible for bone strength;
- Iron - without this substance, the production of red blood cells (red blood cells) is impossible;
- Magnesium - normalizes the work of the heart muscle;
- Silicon - increases the elasticity of the vascular walls;
- Chromium - regulates carbohydrate metabolism, normalizes blood sugar levels;
- Boron - increases the activity of digestive enzymes.
Also, date sugar contains nonessential and irreplaceable amino acids. Without these substances, the synthesis of organic substances and metabolic processes are completely stopped. The life cycle is interrupted.
Fruit sweetener can be safely added to the diet of those who are losing weight. Its nutritional value is lower than that of refined sugar, and it contains a richer complex of nutrients.
Useful properties of date sugar
The fruits from which the sweetener is made have medicinal properties. Since vitamins and minerals are preserved in the composition of a properly prepared product, it can be safely introduced into traditional medicine recipes as well as raw materials.
Date Sugar Benefits:
- It speeds up the work of the intestines, helps to get rid of old toxins and toxins.
- Increases the rate of metabolic processes.
- It has a beneficial effect on the condition of teeth, nails, skin and hair.
- Tones up, stimulates the conduction of nerve impulses in particular and in general, the work of the nervous system.
- Helps to lose weight. The sweet taste blocks hunger by inhibiting the production of digestive enzymes.
- Prevents the development of cardiovascular pathologies.
- Increases the healing properties of home remedies for the treatment of pharyngitis, tonsillitis, laryngotracheitis.
Given the beneficial properties of date sugar, it can be safely introduced into the diet of women during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as babies, as soon as they are allowed sweets.
There is one more quality worth mentioning that is useful for date lovers. Sometimes you really want to eat a few berries before bed. But since this puts an increased strain on the stomach, it will become difficult to fall asleep. Half a spoonful of a sweet product will help to please yourself without provoking the development of insomnia.
A natural sweetener will help calm down and cope with depression. It takes a lot longer for the date sugar to melt than it takes to dissolve the lollipop. Taste and good mood will last for a long time if you put a small pinch of crystalline powder on your tongue and dissolve for a long time.
Contraindications and harm of date sugar
A sweet product should be used with caution in insulin-dependent diabetes. It is necessary to ensure that the interval between the use of this delicacy and the injection of the drug is at least 2 hours.
Date sugar causes harm in people with allergies to the raw materials. Abuse can provoke headaches, nausea, epigastric discomfort, drowsiness and lethargy.
And if you do not follow the recommendations regarding the dosage in the recipes, you can spoil the taste of the dish. This warning especially applies to sweets made with non-compliance with the technology. The unpleasant bitterness will persist for a long time.
Date sugar recipes
The sweet product can be used in the same way as refined sand. Just do not add to thick dishes or try to cook jam on it.
Delicious Date Sugar Recipes:
- Chocolate fondant … A bar of chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 85% is grated. Combine with 40 g of butter and melt in a water bath. You can use a microwave oven or low heat, but in this case, lumps may appear in the final product or it will burn. Allow the butter-chocolate mixture to cool slightly, drive in a chicken egg, stir in 2 tbsp. l. whole grain high quality flour and date sugar. Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Lubricate silicone muffin molds with refined sunflower oil, pour in the dough, set to bake for 6 minutes. Dessert is usually served with ice cream.
- Vegetarian condensed milk … Soy milk is put on a slow fire and date sugar is added - 2-4 tbsp for 1 liter. l. It should be borne in mind that if a sharp sweetness is felt before heat treatment, then in the future the taste will be sugary and unpleasant. Boil until thickened. We'll have to wait for the volume to decrease by 1/3, no less. Cooled first at room temperature, then on a refrigerator shelf.
- Sweet hot sauce … Date sugar, 2 cups, pour half a glass of boiled warm water, let stand for at least 2 hours. Pour this mass into a blender bowl, add a crushed garlic clove, half a glass of lemon juice, 1 tsp each. ground coriander and cumin, 1 tbsp. l. grated fresh ginger root, 1 pod of green and red chili. All are mixed by pouring in water to get a creamy consistency. The sauce will taste very peculiar. In Thai cuisine, it is served with unleavened dough pancakes.
- Peanut cakes … The oven is heated to a temperature of 185 ° C. Beat a glass of peanut and butter with a mixer until a frothy mass is obtained, slowly add 1 glass of date and the same amount of coconut sugar, mix again. 4 eggs are driven in, 1 tbsp each. l. vanillin and molasses. If you mix all the ingredients together, you will not be able to get an airy dough. It is very important to add foods gradually. Next, replace the hand blender with a whisk. Stir in spelled - 3-3, 5 tbsp. l. (the cereals must first be washed and dried), cinnamon - 1.5 tsp, the same amount of baking powder, a pinch of salt and a handful of chocolate chips. The mold is greased with refined sunflower oil and the pasty dough is spread into it, smoothing with a spoon to get a flat surface. Bake, checking readiness with a toothpick. The finished cakes take on a pleasant golden color. Usually the baking process takes 25-30 minutes. The chilled crust is cut into pieces and laid out on a dish. You should not decorate the cakes with liquid chocolate and icing, they are already quite sweet.
If date powder is not on hand, you can grind dried or even sun-dried fruits in a food processor. It is an equivalent replacement for a rare ingredient.
Interesting facts about date sugar
Who was the first and when he began to make a sweetener from palm fruits is unknown. Most likely, it was invented by the Bedouin Arabs, for whom these berries were sometimes the only food source. The bodies of these people, accustomed to the harsh conditions of the desert, became so trained that a few dates a day were enough for them to replenish their energy. But having arrived at the right place, the Bedouins switched to normal food, adding powder from dried berries to all dishes, otherwise the body's tone could not be restored.
The product is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine along with palm sugar made according to various recipes. Date sugar is believed to be healthier because cooking is minimal when properly prepared.
Ayurvedic medicine recipes:
- To prevent ARVI … As soon as there is a sore throat, you need to mix the juice of fresh ginger with date sugar in a 2: 1 ratio. Dissolve in the mouth for pain and soreness 1/2 teaspoon 2-3 times a day. This method will help cure pharyngitis, sore throat, laryngotracheitis and rhinitis.
- For exacerbation of chronic arthritis … Dissolve 1 tablespoon of date sugar in 1 glass of milk and drink 1 hour before bedtime.
When making medicines, you need to purchase granulated sugar from a reliable manufacturer or prepare the product yourself. Berries should be thoroughly washed before pitting.
Before making date sugar, you need to pay attention to the quality of the raw materials:
- If the berries are light, and there are pronounced cracks on the skin, it can be assumed that the fruits were harvested unripe, and in order to stop the activity of pathogenic bacteria, they were soaked in non-food caustic soda. Accordingly, they will have to be soaked before drying, often changing the water in order to completely remove the preservative.
- If the skin is rough, wrinkled, drying was carried out in natural conditions, under the rays of the scorching sun. And to prevent rotting, the fruits were fumigated with sulfur dioxide. In this case, ordinary ablution is sufficient.
- Small cracks and slight peeling of the skin result from degradation in high-temperature furnaces and pressure chambers. This is the best product for homemade date sugar.
- The bright shiny skin of the fruit indicates glycerin processing. In small quantities, such dates are safe, but they are not suitable for making a sweetener. After thorough washing, the pulp will turn into porridge. However, it will be possible to boil the syrup.
Watch the video about date sugar:
Don't count on long-term storage of date sugar if you've made your own tropical sweetness. It is difficult to follow the cooking technology, and the powder will stick together. However, it can be eaten in this form. The main thing is not to get moldy.
