Description
What is Yacon?
While sometimes referred to as the Peruvian ground apple, Yacon is actually a distant relative of the sunflower. Reaching heights of 5-7 tall, both the leaves and tubers are edible. Traditionally the leaves were made into tea while the tubers were sliced and eaten raw. The syrup, derived from the roots, is used as a replacement for common sugars.
How is the Syrup Made?
To make the syrup, the tuberous roots are harvested and carefully selected for processing. They are then washed, peeled and ground down or pressed to extract the juice. After the juice is filtered, the moisture is dehydrated at temperatures between 40 - 70C/104-156F to produce the thick syrup. Once this process is complete, the syrup is flash pasteurized at temperatures between 80 and 100C/176-212F to minimize heat degradation.
What is the Glycemic Index?
The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly a specified amount of food will cause a rise in the blood sugar (glucose) level. Numbers typically range from 1 to 100. Foods with higher index values raise blood sugar more rapidly than foods with lower glycemic index values do.
Here is a comparison of some of the common liquid-form sweeteners: Sweetener GI Ranking
Sucrose (ordinary sugar for reference) .... 65
Yacon Syrup ............................... 1
Agave .......................................... 15
Brown Rice Syrup ...................... 25
Cane Juice .................................. 43
Honey .......................................... 50
Maple Syrup ............................... 54
Blackstrap Molasses ................. 55
While sometimes referred to as the Peruvian ground apple, Yacon is actually a distant relative of the sunflower. Reaching heights of 5-7 tall, both the leaves and tubers are edible. Traditionally the leaves were made into tea while the tubers were sliced and eaten raw. The syrup, derived from the roots, is used as a replacement for common sugars.
How is the Syrup Made?
To make the syrup, the tuberous roots are harvested and carefully selected for processing. They are then washed, peeled and ground down or pressed to extract the juice. After the juice is filtered, the moisture is dehydrated at temperatures between 40 - 70C/104-156F to produce the thick syrup. Once this process is complete, the syrup is flash pasteurized at temperatures between 80 and 100C/176-212F to minimize heat degradation.
What is the Glycemic Index?
The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly a specified amount of food will cause a rise in the blood sugar (glucose) level. Numbers typically range from 1 to 100. Foods with higher index values raise blood sugar more rapidly than foods with lower glycemic index values do.
Here is a comparison of some of the common liquid-form sweeteners: Sweetener GI Ranking
Sucrose (ordinary sugar for reference) .... 65
Yacon Syrup ............................... 1
Agave .......................................... 15
Brown Rice Syrup ...................... 25
Cane Juice .................................. 43
Honey .......................................... 50
Maple Syrup ............................... 54
Blackstrap Molasses ................. 55