| Product: |
Tesco Granulated Sweetener |
| Date: |
06/02/08 (102 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: Dissolves quickly
Disadvantages: Wouldn't use for baking
Tesco Granulated Sweetener is a great way to get a bit of sweetness without the calories and without the aftertaste of some other sweeteners.
This granulated sweetener is packaged in a jar with a red label and lid and is available from Tesco in a 70g size costing 72p or a 35g size costing 42p with the main ingredients being Maltodextrin and Aspartame. Each teaspoonful gives the equivalent sweetness as 1 teaspoonful of sugar but only 2 calories, whereas 1 teaspoonful of sugar supplies us with 15 calories.
I found this sweetener to be similar in texture to castor sugar, having much smaller granules than granulated sugar. It has a slightly more powdery feel to it than normal sugar and dissolves much quicker. Taste wise, very similar to sugar leaving no aftertaste at all in the mouth. This sweetener can be used just as you would use sugar, to sweeten hot drinks, to sprinkle on cereal or pancakes, to sweeten sauces and it is stated that it can even be used in baking. I usually use it for sprinkling on cereal, pancakes, strawberries etc. and often use it when making sauces. When making sauces I tend to make the sauce first and once the sauce is almost ready to serve I stir in the desired amount of sweetener.
I have never tried using a sweetener for baking. I love to bake and feel the stated ingredients should always be used to produce the perfect finished article. Aspartame starts to break down once it reaches 180 c and starts to lose its sweetness, therefore using it to bake a cake, would the cake still be sweet when it was removed from the oven?!
Aspartame, which is an artificial sweetener added to many food and drink products nowadays was, and still is, quite a controversial substance. Discovered in 1965 it wasn't until the 1980s that European countries started to approve the use of Aspartame with European wide approval in 1994. This approval again being reaffirmed in 2002 and 2006.
I find this a very handy addition to my kitchen cupboard as a quick and easy way to give my cooking a little sweetness, but I will always keep sugar there too for my baking.
Many thanks for reading.
© lel1969 February 2008
Summary: A handy addition to the kitchen cupboard
|
|
