Rice Syrup and Barley Malt Syrup as Sweeteners
Natural Sweetening Ingredients That Can Be Used in Place of Sugar
May 22, 2009
A quick way to start eating healthy is to limit the amount of sucrose sugars in the diet. Many sucrose-based products are highly refined and are best used in moderation. Rice syrup and barley malt are composed of maltose, have a mild taste and are about half as sweet as regular refined white sugar. They are also both acceptable in macrobiotic diets, and are great for diabetics and others looking for sweeteners that won’t spike blood sugar levels the way white sugar can.
Here are two sweetener alternatives to sugar. Each can be used on their own as a sweetening agent to sauces, cereals, and can be used in recipes for cooking or baking. Both are also good used as a topping for pancakes and waffles in place of pancake syrup.
Rice Syrup
Rice syrup is a liquid sweetener that has a light color to it. It is made by adding enzymes to cooked rice, and can be made from either white or brown rice. It can be stored at room temperature in the pantry or for longer storage in the refrigerator. It doesn’t crystallize the way honey can but in very humid areas mold can grow on the surface, therefore for longer storage it can be kept in the refrigerator. Brown rice syrup is the most popular and flavorful of the two.
The advantage to using rice syrups to regular sugar in cooking and as a sweetener is that it contains roughly 50 percent complex carbohydrates and is fructose-free and sucrose-free.
Rice syrups can be used in place of white sugar in recipes. To substitute rice syrup for regular sugar in recipes, for every 1 cup of sugar use 1 1/4 cups of rice syrup and decrease the liquid by 1/4 cup. It can also be used in place of maple syrup or corn syrup.
Barley Malt Syrup
Barley malt syrup is familiar to home brewers as it can be used in beer making but it is also a sweetener to be used in the baking kitchen. Barley malt is a thick syrupy liquid that is about half as sweet as regular sugar with a distinctive taste similar to molasses. It is made from roasted sprouted barley that is cooked to a liquid form. It can be stored at room temperature as the rice syrup, but is best kept in the refrigerator once opened.
Barley malt syrup is great for use in baked goods like yeast breads, quick breads and cakes that contain ginger, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg for spices as these are complements to the flavor of the malt. It is also good for sauces that need a little sweetness like barbeque sauce and for dishes that have a malty or sweet accent to them, like hearty baked beans and baked sweet potato dishes.
Experiment with using barley malt syrup as different brands may be more pronounced in flavor than others. Barley malt syrup is good in place of molasses in baked goods.
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