Making Agave Nectar

Having just returned from the Natural Products Expo East in Boston, couldn’t help but notice that there are a lot of questions about how the different Agaves are processed, referring to both Agave Salmiana or White Agave and Agave Tequiliana or Blue Agave.  Just saying “agave” is not misleading, rather it is not specific enough when comparing the two types of agave that can be made into nectar since the term refers to the genre (or genus), not the species.

 

Agave Tequilana, commonly referred to as Blue Agave is processed by first removing the pina, which is the root or bulb of the plant.  This pina is then ground down and water is run through it (hydrolisis) which pulls the fiberous inulin out of the ground down bulb.  This is the fiber that is blended with white agave to create Xagave.  Blue Agave is a bit like honey in that when cooked with it certainly imparts a distinct flavor when compared to its flavor neutral cousin Agave Salmiana. 

 

Agave Salmiana, or White Agave is processed much differently than it’s genre cousin Agave Tequilana.  Agave Salmiana at gestation grows a large flower from the center of the plant called the Quiote.  This Quiote is cut off before it fully grows (when the plants is 7-8 years old) creating a hole or pool of liquid in the center of the plant, called “Aguamiel.”  The plant is then milked twice daily as the Aguamiel collects.  It is important to note that the Aguamiel is not the sap of the leaves as some have noted (the sap from the Agave Salmiana leaves contain saponins, raphides and calcium oxalate rendering it inedible).  Aguamiel is the juice that the plant prepares to feed the Quiote.  It is full of nutrients as it contains large amounts of carbohydrates, fructans, vitamins and aminoacids.   This juice, if left to ferment, turns into a mild alcholic drink, but the removal of the water in the juice by evaporation leaves us the White Agave nectar.

 

When making Xagave, organic enzymes are introduced to the Aguamiel to break  fructans into fructose/dextrose.  The Aguamiel is then evaporated at (<105º F) to reduce it to the right viscosity.  This makes our product very clear, sweet and mild flavored (almost flavor neutral).  We then blend Inulin fiber extracted from the pre-processed Agave Tequilana (blue agave) plant. Because making blue agave nectar generally requires high processing temperatures, we make sure to extract the inulin before the high temperatures are used. This makes Xagave a truly unique sweetener with the best taste and the best profile, and the only sweetener on the market with added health benefits of fiber (12% by volume or 2.5 g per tablespoon) and a high Calcium content (17% of your daily requirement per tablespoon).

We encourage everyone to taste Xagave and see for him or herself why it truly is the complete sugar replacement!

Xagave Lab Analysis PDF

References:
http://www.paleobioticslab.com/agave_yields.htm
http://newfarm.rodaleinstitute.org/international/panam_don/sept04/pulque.shtml

The differences between Xagave and regular Blue Agave

Lot’s of questions coming in about Agave Nectar in general, and then why Xagave is different then what you usually find in health food stores (usually Blue Agave in it’s regular and light variations).

First of you should know the terms “nectar” and “syrup” mean the same thing. You will also see the term “honey” used as well. Though there are many variations of the Agave plant, when it comes to the Agave Plants that can be made into nectar, there are only two: Agave Salmiana (White Agave) and Agave Tequilana (Blue Agave). There is a difference between the Blue Agave and White Agave as far as taste. The White Agave has a clean sugar taste whereas the Blue Agave has a slightly ‘nutty’ aftertaste. Both can have the same consistency, depending upon how long the product has been “distilled” to reduce overall water content.

Xagave is a White Agave nectar blended with the Pre-Biotic fiber Inulin extracted from the preprocessed Blue Agave plant and has a somewhat thicker consistency than other agaves due to the fact that we have a standardized Inulin content that provides an improved taste and texture — both in the nectar form and as an ingredient in foods. I cannot speak to all products out there, but Xagave is thicker than maple syrup but not as thick as honey. It lies in the middle.

So why did we create this blend, knowing that it would have a higher shelf price (As you can imagine, extracting Inulin and combining it with the White Agave makes things more complicated then just harvesting Blue Agave)? We wanted the best cooking agave on the market, and the White Agave has simply a clean sugar taste when compared to the Blue. Also the White Agave is processed under 104º, and using only natural enzymes, thus keeping it a raw product.  

Blue Agave contains Inulin, a pre-biotic fiber that is both good for you and helps the cooking properties. The levels of Inulin in Blue Agave you find on the shelf can vary depending on the harvest and how much of the Inulin is cooked out in the process (Blue Agave is heated to high temperatures, and much of the Inulin cooks out). We extract the Inulin from the Blue Agave and mix it with the White Agave at a standardized level (12% by volume). The result of these efforts is a Agave Nectar with the healthiest profile (due to the inulin and calcium levels), best cooking properties (due to its nuetral flavor and inulin), and best taste (due to the fact that we use white agave and its very neutral flavor and the mouth feel and texture due to the fiber content).

I am certain that you, like many others will not be disappointed with Xagave. We have had numerous customers, chefs, and food aficionados tell us that it is by far the best tasting agave on the market. Xagave truly is a Premium Agave Nectar!

For more information on how both types of Agave are processed, see http://blog.xagave.com/how-agave-is-processed/