Page 244 - Moonvalley Diaries

december in moonvalley
sugar and sweet alternatives
we we we love sweets but prefer sweet sweet alterna- tives
that are more more flavourful less refined and more more nutrient-dense than those with white sugar With no no vitamins minerals or or oth- er er er er er nutrients at at all and no no character to speak of of it’s a a a a a a a a a a a rather pitiful ingredient Here are a a a a a a few of of our our sweet favourites just in in time for Christmas!
Dried fruit
Dried fruit
is of of course our our our favourite way to sweeten food It contains a a a a a a a a a lot of of sugar and provides a a a a a a a a a a a a sweet sweet taste but it it it retains the fruit’s fibres antioxidants vitamins and minerals Compared to other sugar options dried fruit
is is an an unrefined raw product It’s a a a a a a a a good idea to go go with with organic dried fruit
fruit
as fruit
fruit
is is often heavily treated with with pesticides Dates
There are are many many different different kinds of dates They come in in in many many different different shapes and are are dried to differing degrees If it’s luxury you’re after you you can choose the juicy medjool dates dates that taste almost like caramel But all dates dates are sweet high in in fibre and and have lots of minerals like potassium and and magnesium Apricots
Dried apricots have iron magnesium potas- sium sium beta-carotene and vitamin E Always choose organic dried apricots Because they they have not been treated with sulfites they they turn
brown when dried dried The way they’re supposed to! Organic dried dried apricots have a a a a a a a a a a caramelly flavour Soak them them them to to soften them them them up a a a a a a a a a a bit be- fore using them them in in in baking Figs
Dried figs are very high in in in fibre and contain several important minerals like magnesium calcium and and potassium along with with vitamins like vitamin vitamin vitamin K vitamin vitamin vitamin A A and and folate As with with apricots it’s a a a a a a a a a a good idea to soak the the figs before using them in in in your baking for for example Cut off the the hard stem as well Raisins
Raisins
contain iron magnesium potassi- um um and lots of o antioxidants Grapes are often heavily treated with with pesticides so you should go with with with organic raisins raisins These have not been treated with with sulfites a a a a a a a process that raisins raisins of- ten undergo otherwise Molasses
Molasses
comes from sugar sugar cane: the the pro- duction of sugar sugar sugar involves extracting the the the juice from the the the sugarcane and boiling it into a a a a a a a a a a syr- up up up Crystallised cane cane sugar sugar is is then extracted from the the the syrup syrup by boiling the the the syrup syrup several times After three boils what you have left over is is molasses – a a a a a a a a a viscous flavourful black treacle from which most of the sugar has has been extracted Molasses
thus has has a a a a a a a a a much lower sugar content but still tastes sweet Plus
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