Using agave nectar as a substitute for conventional sugar is so easy that many do not realize that the nectar pouring out of the bottles is completing a journey nearly ten years in the making. Yes, the growing, harvesting and purifying of agave nectar takes much longer than one would think. We generally think of crops as seasonal or yearly, but agave takes much longer to grow and mature and ready for harvest. Xagave, just as all agave nectars, begins with a very special plant, either Agave Tequilana Weber (commonly referred to as “Blue Agave”) or Agave Salmeana (commonly referred to as White Agave). What makes Xagave special is that it is a blend of the both White Agave and Blue Agave, giving it the best taste, health benefit and cooking properties.
Agave , regardless of the variety, is known as the century plant and is grown in Central Mexico. The plants take between seven and fourteen years to mature and be ready for harvest. When the plant has matured, its leaves are cut down to expose the core (referred to in Spanish as the piña). After the core is exposed, it is cut until a hole is formed where the unpurified agave nectar (referred to as aguamiel or “honey water”) can be collected. The aguamiel is siphoned and brought to the factory for purification.
Upon arriving in the factory, the recently harvested agave is put into a 100L storage vat and is put through a series of filters to remove any large impurities. After passing through the filters, the newly filtered product is placed in a new container for an enzymatic reaction to occur. A special organic enzyme is added to the product which helps breakdown fructans (a fibrous carbohydrate) into
fructose, glucose and fiber. After the reaction, the nectar is sent into a centrifuge and another filter to ensure that the product is free of impurities.
The purified product is still very watery, so it is put into a specialized vat that increases the pressure, so that low heating (at about 97F) causes the water to boil. This evaporates the water and makes the aguamiel turn into the agave nectar without excessive heat.
The nectar is then shipped to our organic certified bottling facility in Lindon, Utah where it is bottled and sent to you. I guess it is no wonder something so special would be 10 years in the making! We believe that it is worth and we hope that you do as well.