how much erythritol?

[jtex]

I would like to make the carbquick brownies using erythritol instead of splenda. How much should I use?

[theredhead]

I wouldn't use only Erythritol because it has a strange "cooling" sensation to your tongue that can be unpleasant by itself. It works really well when you mix it with other sweeteners, though. Good luck!

[KatEyez44]

I agree, I would use a combo of sweeteners if you have them. I always substitute sugar cup for cup and I do it with an equal blend of Splenda, erythritol, and xylitol. So, if the recipe you're making calls for 1 cup of sugar, or Splenda in your case, I would use 1/3 cup of each of the above sweeteners. Hope this helps and I hope your brownies turn out!

[jtex]

Drat! Well, I made the brownies before I saw your posts (thanks very much for replying!). I ended up using 1 cup of erythritol in place of two cups of splenda. They weren't sweet enough for me, but my non-LC husband thought they were fine.

Thanks for the conversion though - I will certainly do that next time!

[argo2d]

i am very puzzled by this term 'cooling affect'. having never used or experimented with SAs, i'd really like a more graphic description if anyone wouldn't mind!

another question i had was whether Erythritol is still useful now that polyD is around. this question is not so much regarding the sweetness synergy as it is a question about texture.

thanks!

[theredhead]

That "cooling effect" is very strange. The best way I can describe it is that it reminds me of the sensation left on your tongue after you've eaten a jalepeno pepper. It doesn't taste that way, of course, but your tongue kinda' tingles or burns. I find that unpleasant, but I don't notice it if I don't use too much of it. The sweetening power and texture is actually quite wonderful. I don't care for the aftertaste of Splenda, and Erythritol cancels it out for me.

[Lee140]

If you ever ate those chocolate candies called "Ice Cubes" when you were a kid, it's a little similar to that. Or the feeling of eating a candy cane, but without the peppermint flavor.

[argo2d]

oh i see!! so what does it do for texture? is it different from the effects of polyD?

[scott123]

Originally posted by argo2d
i am very puzzled by this term 'cooling affect'. having never used or experimented with SAs, i'd really like a more graphic description if anyone wouldn't mind!

The 'cooling effect' is exactly the way it sounds. When you add erythritol to water, the temperature of the water literally drops a few degrees. As crazy as it sounds, that's the truth. I can't recall which sugar alcohol it is exactly, but in Japan someone is developing running clothing that incorporates SA fibers. As the runner sweats, the SA cools him/her.

Originally posted by argo2d
another question i had was whether Erythritol is still useful now that polyD is around. this question is not so much regarding the sweetness synergy as it is a question about texture.

Erythritol and polyd provide almost exactly the same sugary texture, but there are a few key differences:

Erythritol is supposed to caramelize (polyD will only caramelize very slightly)
Erythritol has a low molecular weight, polyd a high molecular weight (for certain applications one or the other is desireable)
PolyD is hygroscopic (water attracting), E is less.
Erythritol has a cooling effect, polyD, from what I've read, has a warming effect.
Erythritol crystallizes easily, polyd resists crystallization.

The biggest difference, though, is from a perspective of synergy. Without the additional sweetener, non erythritol sweetening formulations are no where near the quality they could be.

So, although polyd does replace E to an extent, E continues to play a very important role in lc baking.

[argo2d]

thanks Scott! i think the cooling effect must be coming from some sort of chemical reaction -- possibly endothermic? i'd be curious to find out what the products of that reaction are though -- hopefully not carbs!

[scott123]

That's a good question Argo! Hopefully not!

[kglowack]

FYI: Erythritol info (article from "Prepared Foods," Nov 2004 v173 i11 p54(1))

Wherever another sweetener lacks, erythritol may well pick up the slack. Erythritol, a 0.2Kcal/g sweetener, is found in many different fruits and fermented foods. It is commercially produced from glucose via a natural fermentation process using Moniliella pollinis, a yeast-like organism found in beehives, to form a four-carbon sugar alcohol. Other polyols are produced chemically by hydrogenation processes.

Cargill's (Blair, Neb.) commercial version of erythritol, Eridex[TM], can be used to enhance the inadequacies of other sweeteners in low-carb and no-sugar-added foods. Many polyols, for instance, can contribute to digestive intolerance. Therefore, they are not often used to sweeten diet drinks, which typically are consumed in large quantities.

While fructose, sucrose and glucose are actively transported, rapidly digested and absorbed, most of the sugar alcohols are transported into the gut, through passive diffusions, which are much slower and incomplete. The fraction that is not absorbed is sent to the lower gut, where it can cause discomfort. Erythritol, on the other hand, is absorbed but not metabolized at all, and 90%-95% is excreted through the kidney. Research shows that erythritol has the highest digestive tolerance of all sugar alcohols.

Erythritol's sweetness is 60%-70% relative to sucrose. In addition, erythritol masks the lingering aftertaste of intense sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose and acesulfame K, which provide sweetness, but no bulk. "Diet beverages that use intense sweeteners lack the mouthfeel on the palate that is normally perceived with sugar," says Ravi Nana, technical service specialist on polyol applications at Cargill. Erythritol synergizes nicely with these to promote a smoother mouthfeel and body perception in reduced-calorie, aqueous solutions.

"All polyols are carbohydrates, but they are slow-digestible carbohydrates, as opposed to normal sugars," explains Nana. "Eridex is a fine addition to low-carb, low-sugar baked and sweet goods. Also, Eridex does not contribute at all to the glycemic index," he adds.

As with xylitol, erythritol has a high negative heat of solution (-43Kcal/g), causing an endothermic cooling effect that is typical of confections like mint chewing gums and throat lozenges. To some extent, this cooling effect can be minimized by adding polydextrose or inulin (which has a positive heat of solution), says Nana.

Since it is a low molecular weight sugar alcohol, it has influence in lowering the water activity of food, and its high osmotic pressure leads to an increased preservative effect and extended product shelflife. "Moreover, low molecular weight also will help in lowering the freezing point depression in frozen products," he says.

Like other polyols, erythritol has no reducing group and, therefore, no Maillard reaction. "Eridex is low in solubility and crystallizes rapidly, making it ideal for fudge and fondant," says Nana. Erythritol crystals melt at 121[degrees]C to form a colorless and transparent non-viscous melt. When an erythritol melt cools down, the crystallization starts at 43[degrees]C. Erythritol forms anhydrous crystals without off-tastes or odors. "It crystallizes rapidly under static conditions," observes Nana. The powder has a transparent white, brilliant appearance that dissolves in water to give a colorless, non-viscous and sweet-tasting solution.

Polyols are not fermented by oral bacteria and, therefore, are considered non-cariogenic. Some research has shown that erythritol helps reduce the presence of oral bacteria capable of fermenting carbohydrates and harming dental enamel.

[scott123]

Endothermic! Argo wins the prize!

Great article Karolina!

Like other polyols, erythritol has no reducing group and, therefore, no Maillard reaction.

I don't have first hand experience, but I know a few people who have gotten E to caramelize, I'm pretty sure this is wrong. The rest of the article looks good, though.

Erythritol, on the other hand, is absorbed but not metabolized at all, and 90%-95% is excreted through the kidney

Excreted through the kidney... I'm going to have to start using that phrase. Sounds so much better than 'peeing it out'

[5cats4me]

It sounds like a menthol effect, and that makes sense since it's used in toothpastes!