Organic coconut sugar has risen in popularity in the past few years. In fact, it has circulated Internet blogs and videos as a healthier and more sustainable cane sugar alternative. While coco sugar is a great sweetener, it does not react exactly as regular table sugar.
To get the most out of your coconut sugar, you have to understand what you can and cannot do with it in the culinary sense. Here are some cooking with coconut sugar essentials you should know:
It Is Not a Direct Swap for Regular Table Sugar
Because coconut sugar is so rich in flavor, you will need to reduce the amount you use to compensate for the stronger taste. Keep in mind that coconut sugar is about 3/4 the sweetness of regular sugar. So, if you are used to using 3/4 cup of white sugar in your recipes, try reducing it to 1/2 cup of the brown stuff.
It Will Not Taste Like Table Sugar
When it comes to making caramel, cane sugar, in this case, may be the better option. With its molasses content, coconut sugar will not caramelize like white sugar, making it taste more like honey. If you were thinking about making your coconut sugar caramel for your next dessert, consider coconut sugar’s more unique flavor profile!
It Burns Faster
Did you know that organic coconut sugar has a lower melting point compared to table sugar? This means that you can burn coconut sugar faster. However, you would not want to get a whiff of burnt coconut sugar, so keep an eye on it at all times.
Grind It Before You Cook with It
The crystals in coconut sugar are coarser than white or brown sugar. When using coconut sugar as a cane sugar alternative in a recipe, remember to blitz them up in a blender for a few seconds before using. Otherwise, whatever you are making will be grainy.
It Does Not Taste Like Coconut
Coconut sugar is made from the sap of coconut trees. This is why it will not taste anything like coconut meat. It does, however, have subtle caramel notes in it.
Boost It with Other Natural Flavors
Coconut sugar has a deeper and more complex flavor profile. If you have trouble with these coconut sugar characteristics, then try adding some other ingredients to it. Consider using cinnamon and vanilla to help bolster the flavor. The coconut sugar will absorb the other flavors and make for an overall better-tasting recipe.
Use in Recipes for an Exotic Twist
Coconut sugar adds a different taste that you can use in a variety of different recipes. It adds a unique sweetness to savory dishes and subtle caramel hints in sweet dishes. You can even try adding some coconut sugar to your next beef stew for a new twist on an old classic. It also goes well with chocolate desserts.
Add More Liquid When Cooking with Coconut Sugar
When using coconut sugar as a brown sugar alternative, always add more liquid than the recipe requires. Brown sugar has more moisture in it because it has more molasses. But adding a bit more liquid or wet ingredients to your mixture when using coconut sugar will compensate for it.
Conclusion
Organic coconut sugar is a great sugar alternative for a lot of reasons. It is rich in minerals, has less of an environmental impact than regular sugar, and is a great substitute for brown sugar.
However, you need to remember that coconut sugar and regular sugar are two different things. You can use coconut sugar as a substitute for table sugar in recipes, but you just have to do some tweaks to make it work.
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