Xagave is the Complete Sugar Replacement™ and is truly where Delicious Meets Nutritious.™ Xagave tastes great, is very versatile, and is easy to use in the kitchen. Xagave can be used for cooking, canning and baking or as a table top sweetener for cereal, coffee or tea. In order to use Xagave, it is best to understand its cooking qualities. Please keep the following in mind.

Sweeter than Sugar.
Xagave is 1.4 to 1.5 times sweeter than sugar so you will need to reduce the amount of Xagave accordingly in your own recipes (e.g., 1/2 to 2/3 cup of Xagave for each cup of sugar called for). For best results, see our Sugar Exchange Table.

Highly Soluable.
Xagave mixes well in anything whether hot or cold. In fact, it dissolves into water, coffee, tea or any mix better than sugar and does not leave any residual on the bottom. As a result, you can minimize the sweetness level and add more later. For example, when making cranberry sauce, you can use less Xagave and add more to taste after the sauce has been cooked.

Use Lower Temperatures.
Xagave sweetened baked goods should be cooked at lower temperature. Most baked items are baked at 350°. As a general rule, you should reduce the heat by 25° to 325° and cook for approximately the same amount of time.

Promotes Rise.
Xagave is great for whole grain cooking as it promotes rise. You will find that baked goods are lighter, fluffier and moisture when cooked with Xagave over sugar or honey. We recommend grinding you own flour and have recommended a number of white flour options in the cookbook, Delicious Meets Nutritious.

Acts as a Natural Preservative.
Xagave is a natural preservative because of its hygroscopic effect. Baked goods will taste fresher longer and generally taste better on the second day.

Reduce Liquid Volumes.
Xagave is a liquid and sugar is a dry ingredient in recipes. I have found that you do not need to make adjustments unless you want to. You can add a little flour or reduce the other liquids in a recipe. We have found that you can reduce oils and save even more calories without sacrificing taste and texture. Remember that inulin is used in commercial baking to enhance the flavor and texture of low fat and low sugar baked items. A perfect example of this is a Zucchini Bread Recipe in Delicious Meets Nutritious. We reduced the oil from 1 cup to 1/2 cup and saved 1000 calories in addition to the 500 calories already saved by using Xagave instead of sugar. If you choose to reduce the liquids, and it is a choice, reduce the fats and oils.

Storage and Shelf Life.
Xagave has a naturally long shelf life and will last up to 18 months after it is opened. It does not require refrigeration or any special care. So go ahead and keep it on your countertop for ready access!