List of unrefined sweeteners

This list of unrefined sweeteners includes all natural, unrefined or low-processed sweeteners.

Sweeteners are usually made with the fruit or sap of plants. But can also be made from the whole plant or any part of it, some sweeteners are also made from starch with the use of enzymes. Sweeteners made by animals, especially insects, are put in their own section as they can come from more than one part of plants.

From sap

The sap of some species is concentrated to make sweeteners, usually through drying or boiling.

*Cane juice, syrup, molasses, and raw sugar, which has many regional and commercial names including demerara, jaggery, muscovado, panela, piloncillo, turbinado sugar, Florida Crystals and Sucanat, are all made from sugarcane ("Saccharum" spp.).

*Sweet sorghum syrup is made from the sugary juice extracted from the stalks of "Sorghum" spp., especially "S. bicolor". [cite journal |last=Nimbkar |first=Nandini |coauthors=N. M. Kolekar, J. H. Akade and A.K. Rajvanshi |year=2006 |month=September |title=Syrup Production from Sweet Sorghum |journal=Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), Phaltan |pages=1-10 |url=http://nariphaltan.virtualave.net/syrup.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-06-01 ]

*Mexican or maize sugar can be made by boiling down the juice of green maize stalks. [cite book |last=Johnston |first=James F. W. |coauthors=Arthur H. Church |title=The Chemistry of Common Life |origyear=1880 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=kt5uSIGHL5kC&pg=PR3&dq=The+Chemistry+of+Common+Life+James+F.+Johnston&hl=fr#PPA198,M1 |accessdate=2008-06-01 |date=2006-02-07 |publisher=D. Appleton and company |pages=198 ]

*Agave syrup is made from the sap of "Agave" spp., including tequila agave ("Agave tequilana"). [cite book |last= Beckley |first= Jacqueline H. |coauthors= Jack Huang, Elizabeth Topp, Michele Foley and Witoon Prinyawiwatkul |title=Accelerating New Food Product Design and Development |url= http://books.google.com/books?id=CvQCYH-lRXIC&pg=PA36&dq=%22Agave+syrup%22&hl=fr&sig=OEoT4FXZMaz7zOg2Zyt1LXvlTrg#PPA36,M1 |accessdate=2008-05-13 |year=2007 |publisher=Blackwell Publishing |isbn=081380809X |pages=36 ]

*Birch syrup is made from the sap of Birch trees ("Betula" spp.). [cite journal |last=Kallio |first=Heikki |coauthors=Tuija Teerinen, Seija Ahtonen, Meri Suihko, and Reino R. Linko|year= |month= |title=Composition and Properties of Birch Syrup "(Betula pubescens)" |journal=J. Agric. Food Chem. |volume=37 |pages=51-54 |url=http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jafcau/1989/37/i01/f-pdf/f_jf00085a012.pdf?sessid=6006l3 |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-05-14 ]

*Maple syrup, taffy and sugar are made from the sap of tapped maple trees ("Acer" spp.). [cite book |last=Moerman |first=Daniel E. |title=Native American Ethnobotany |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=UXaQat5icHUC&pg=PA41&dq=maple+sugar+taffy+syrup+Acer&lr=&hl=fr&sig=14MHR737tBt5LwmcPmiESpkB9NI#PPA40,M1 |accessdate=2008-05-14 |year=1998 |publisher=Timber Press |isbn=0881924539 |pages=38-41 ]

*Palm sugar is made from by tapping of the flower stalk of various palms to collect the sap. The most important species for this is the Indian date palm ("Phoenix sylvestris"), but other species used include palmyra ("Borassus flabelliformis"), coconut ("Cocos nucifera"), toddy ("Caryota urens"), gomuti ("Arenga saccharifera"), and nipa ("Nypa fruticans") palms. [cite book |last=Balfour |first=Edward |title= Cyclopædia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia, Commercial, Industrial and Scientific |origyear=1871 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=jmoIAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA194&dq=palm+sugar#PPA194,M1 |accessdate=2008-05-15 |edition=2nd |volume=1 |date=2007-05-29 |publisher=Oxford University |pages=194 ] [cite book |last=Lock |first=Charles GeorgeWarnford |coauthors=George William Wigner and Robert Henry Harl |title=Sugar Growing and Refining |origyear=1882 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=vRNDAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA408&dq=palm+sugar+date#PPA408,M1 |accessdate=2008-05-15 |date=2007-10-22 |publisher=E. & F. N. Spon |pages=408-409 ]

*The sweet resin of the Sugar Pine ("Pinus lambertiana") was considered by John Muir to be better than maple sugar.cite book |title=Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=4IwrWyK7OmQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Edible+and+Useful+Wild+Plants+of+the+United+States+and+Canada&sig=t0VKoJCdRtk-9Bha2X8uDEwBS3Y#PPA219,M1 |last=Saunders |first=Charles Francis |year=1976 |publisher=Courier DoverPublications |isbn=0486233103 |pages=219 ]

From roots

The juice extracted from the tuberous roots of certain plants is, much like sap, concentrated to make sweeteners, usually through drying or boiling.

*Sugar beet syrup ("ZuckerrübenSirup" in German) is made from the tuberous roots of the sugar beet ("Beta vulgaris"). [cite book |last=Emery |first=Carla |title=The Encyclopedia of Country Living, An Old Fashioned Recipe Book |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=8vqp_XLfNKYC&pg=PA313&dq=Sugar+beet+syrup&hl=fr&sig=Mnx-TvI3ZR-hcFooNshOwLiGGPc |accessdate=2008-05-13 |year=2003 |publisher=Sasquatch Books |isbn=157061377X |pages=313] Sugar beet molasses, a by-product of the processing to make refined sugar, also exists but is mainly used for animal feed. [cite book |last=Draycott |first=Philip A. |title=Sugar Beet |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=06TdvGYH2DEC&pg=PA453&dq=Sugar+beet+molasse&hl=fr&sig=Mc2ysqUuxqoxEygT_g1p3BdrDj0#PPA451,M1 |accessdate=2008-05-13 |year=2006 |publisher=Blackwell Publishing |isbn=140511911X |pages=451]

*Yacón syrup is made from the tuberous roots of yacón ("Smallanthus sonchifolius "). [cite journal |last=Manrique |first= I. |coauthors= A. Párraga and M. Hermann |year=2005 |month= |title=Yacon syrup: Principles and processing |journal=Series: Conservación y uso de la biodiversidad de raíces y tubérculos andinos: Una década de investigación para el desarrollo (1993-2003). |volume=8B |pages=31p. |url=http://www.cipotato.org/artc/cip_crops/1919-Yacon_Syrup.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-04-27 ]

From nectar and flowers

*A "palatable" brown sugar can be made by boiling down the dew from flowers of the common milkweed ("Asclepias syriaca").

From seeds

The starchy seeds of certain plants are transformed into sweeteners by using the enzymes formed during germination or from bacterian cultures. Some sweeteners made with starch are quite refined and made by degrading purified starch with enzymes, such as corn syrup. [cite web |url=http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-corn-syrup.htm |title=What is Corn Syrup? |accessdate=2008-04-28 |last=Pollick |first=Michael |publisher= [http://www.wisegeek.com/ wiseGEEK] ]

*Barley malt syrup is made from germinated barley grains. [cite book |title=Whole Food Facts: The Complete Reference Guide |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=H8lwmA52ltIC&pg=PA135&dq=%22Barley+malt+syrup%22&sig=Bu9D5K-n6Xatf9umwXA3DUJBIkk#PPA134,M1 |last=Roehl |first=Evelyn |year=1996 |publisher=Inner Traditions / Bear& Company |isbn=089281635X |pages=134-135 ]

*Brown rice malt syrup is made from rice grains cooked and then cultured with malt enzymes.cite book |last=Belleme |first=John |coauthors=Jan Belleme |title=Japanese Foods That Heal |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=lVz0tjE2NZAC&pg=PA55&dq=Amazake&hl=fr&sig=vNXYORwVdTL-YUW41hxFYFzW6Ss#PPA56,M1 |accessdate=2008-05-13 |year=2007 |publisher=Tuttle Publishing |isbn=0804835942 |pages=55-58]

*Amazake is made from rice fermented with "Koji" ("Aspergillus oryzae").

From fruits

Many fresh fruits, dried fruits and fruit juices are used as sweeteners. Some examples are:

*Watermelon sugar, made by boiling the juice of ripe watermelons. [cite book |last=California Legislature |title=The Journal: 22nd. Sess., 1878. App |origyear=1868 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=ghW0curOHlcC&pg=RA1-PA470&dq=watermelon+sugar+-Richard+-Brautigan+-%22In+Watermelon+Sugar%22 |accessdate=2008-06-02 |publisher=F.P. Thompson, Supt. state printing |pages=470 ]

*Pumpkin sugar, made by grating the pumpkins, in the same manner as to make beet sugar. [cite book |last=Hovey |first=M. C. |title=The Magazine of Horticulture, Botany, and All Useful Discoveries |origyear=1841 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=qR4CAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA31&dq=pumpkin+sugar#PPA32,M1 |accessdate=2008-06-03 |date=2007-05-11 |publisher=Hovey and Co. |pages=32] [cite book |title=The Magazine of Science, and Schools of Art |origyear=1841 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=_SUAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=titlepage&dq=pumpkin+sugar&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0#PPA192,M1 |accessdate=2008-06-03 |date=2006-06-07 |publisher=D. Francis |pages=192]

*Dates, date paste, spread, syrup ("dibs"), or powder (date sugar) are made from the fruit of the date palm ("Phoenix dactylifera").

*Jallab is made by combining dates, grape molasses and rose water.

*Pekmez is made of grapes, fig ("Ficus carica") and mulberry ("Morus" spp.) juices, condensed by boiling with coagulant agents.

A variety of molasses are made with fruit:
*Carob molasses is made from the pulp of the Carob tree's fruit. [cite book |title=The Middle Eastern Kitchen |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=-7wnpIi3VRwC&pg=PA158&dq=%22carob+molasses%22&sig=ENbGO7Y64LyrPScjQBzq0IHK6V4 |last=Basan |first=Ghillie |coauthors=Jonathan Basan |year=2007 |publisher=Hippocrene Books |isbn=0781811902 |pages=158 ]

From leaves

In a few species of plants the leaves are sweet and can be used as sweeteners.

*"Stevia" spp. can be used whole, or dried and powdered to sweeten food or drink. Uniquely, stevia contains no carbohydrates or calories. [cite book |title=Stevia: The Genus "Stevia" |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=nzRU9byD63MC&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+genus+stevia&sig=jXbRtL5cFjnlH3Xl9CrIBvfTRg0 |last=Kinghorn |first=A. Douglas |year=2002 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=0415268303 ]

*Jiaogulan ("Gynostemma pentaphyllum"), has sweet leaves, although not as sweet as "Stevia". [cite web |url=http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Gynostemma+pentaphyllum |title="Gynostemma pentaphyllum" |accessdate=2008-04-29 |work= [http://www.pfaf.org/index.php Plants For A Future] ]

By animals

*True honey, made by honey bees ("Apis" spp.) from gathered nectar.

*Sugarbag, the honey of stingless bees, which is more liquid than the honey from honey bees. [cite book |last=Menzel |first=Peter |coauthors=Faith D'Aluisio |title=Man Eating Bugs: The Art and Science of Eating Insects |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=QjuEMfQ9kM0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=man+eating+insects&sig=Lk6en2wGCDZmVGcjb8a0hdPRxbY#PPA29,M1 |accessdate=2008-06-02 |year=1998 |publisher=Ten Speed Press |isbn=1580080227 |pages=29 ]

See also

*Australian Aboriginal sweet foods
*Natural brown sugar (some brown sugars are refined)
*Molasses

References