Page 49 - Summer2008

A PLANT OF MANY USES ses from two comparable sweeteners, unheated There are
Agave nectar is a sweetener produced from honey and maple syrup.
the agave plant. There are hundreds of species The difference between Nekutli’s and hundreds of
of agave, which is not a cactus as commonly IIDEA’s sugar pro le re ects the fact that they are species of
believed, but a succulent that is more closely from two different plants and are manufactured in agave, which
related to amaryllis and other lilies. Each species different ways. Note that accusations have been
of agave has unique characteristics that make it made that some companies add  ller sugars to is not a
suitable for different uses: food, clothing, ber, their agave nectar. While this may indeed happen, cactus as

beverage, construction, and so on. I could neither conrm nor deny this fact for any commonly
The agave plant has a large root base with particular brand.
long pointy projections coming out of it. Each believed,
species of agave plant looks different and has its IIDEA’S AGAVE but a
own features. A mature agave has leaves 5 to 8 IIDEA’s agave is extracted from the blue succulent
feet tall, and is 7 to 12 feet in diameter. agave plant when the plant is approximately eight
years of age. What follows is not an exact factory that is more
AGAVE NECTAR tour of how IIDEA’s agave is manufactured, but closely
Commercial agave nectar is produced primarily rather a general overview. related to
by two companies, T h e g i a n t
Nekutli SA de CV heart of the plant, amaryllis and
(distributed by the which can weigh from other lilies.
Colibree Company 70 to 100 pounds, is
of Aspen, Colorado) the goal of the col-
and IIDEA (the lat- lection process. Once
ter also produces te- collected, the heart,
quila). Each of these which looks like an
companies then sells enormous pineapple,
its bulk product for is shredded, pulped
repackaging under and subjected to high
a variety of differ- pressure steam in or-
ent brand names. Ne- der to make it easier to
kutli’s most familiar extract the juice. The

brand of agave nectar juice is then ltered to
is sold as “Madhava create light and dark
Agave Nectar 100% varieties. Next, the
Natural Sweetener” and IIDEA’s most popular extracted and  ltered juice is heated to create
brand is “Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Blue thermic hydrolysis, which breaks down the car-
Agave Nectar.” bohydrates into sugars, very much like boiling

The nutrient prole below shows what Ne- maple sap to get maple syrup. For the raw agave
kutli and IIDEA agave nectars provide in terms produced by IIDEA, the temperature is controlled
of chemical composition. I have included analy- for this stage to remain below 118 degrees F.

IIDEA RAW & CONVENTIONAL
NEKUTLI PREMIUM UNHEATED HONEY MAPLE SYRUP

Total Carbohydrates % 97.4 - 99.8% Min. 98% 79.5% 67%
Water trace trace 17% 32%
Fructose 70.5 - 74.5% 78 – 85 % 38% 0.8%
Dextrose (Glucose) 20.5 - 26.5% Max. 16% 31% 2.3%
Mannitol 0.0% Max. 1.5% n/a n/a
Sucrose 0.0% Max. 3.0% 1.3% 56.3%
0.0% Max. 2.0% n/a n/a

SUMMER 2008 Wise Traditions 47