Report on Yacon Syrup

[Bev-Ann]

My yacon syrup arrived today and here are my observations.
It's a very dark amber colour with a consistency slightly thicker than maple syrup. I did a side by side taste test and it's very close to blackstrap molasses but a hint more fruity. The taste reminds me of a concentrated dark raisin syrup that my grandmother used to use when we were kids.
To replace the flavour of molasses, it will definitely work. The consistency is much thinner, though, so I'm not sure how it would perform in something like molasses cookies. I'll have to work on that.
I ordered it because I wanted to use it instead of molasses when a recipe calls for brown sugar. The normal sub is to use refined sugar plus 1 tbsp of molasses per cup. But even blackstrap adds way too many carbs.
So for my purposes, it's a big thumbs up!

I wanted to post a pic of some in a glass bowl to show what it looks like but couldn't figure out how.

[Charski]

Oh man, Bev, thanks! I may have to order me up some of this stuff. Sounds like it would sub just right for molasses from a taste perspective anyway!

Char

[scott123]

Close in taste to blackstrap molasses? Wow... that does sound promising.

A teaspoon of blackstrap (good enough for 1 C. brown sugar sub) is about 4 net carbs. Spread over an entire recipe, it's not the end of the world, imo

Still, if this can sub successfully for blackstrap at lower the carb impact. It sounds good.

[Bev-Ann]

Here's another very interesting thing I discovered. During my taste and consistency tests, I probably ate a scant teaspoon of it. I'd just gotten home from work and was thinking about what I should make for dinner. Within 10 minutes of eating the yacon syrup, though, I completely forgot about food. I finally noticed the time more than an hour later and ate a small meal just because I had to. I eat 5 times a day in the belief that it keeps my metabolism up and I never experience hunger pangs, but food is always in the back of my mind just because I like to plan. The realization that I wasn't thinking about food at all was a bit of a shock!
I think this may have good potential as a craving-killer.

[Bev-Ann]

Originally Posted by scott123

Close in taste to blackstrap molasses? Wow... that does sound promising.

A teaspoon of blackstrap (good enough for 1 C. brown sugar sub) is about 4 net carbs. Spread over an entire recipe, it's not the end of the world, imo

Still, if this can sub successfully for blackstrap at lower the carb impact. It sounds good.

It is amazingly close in taste.
I've tried using just a tsp of blackstrap for a brown sugar sub, but it never did it for me. The yacon syrup nutrition facts say that it's 7g carbs but <1g sugar per tbsp because it's almost all inulin. It's too bad the powers that be haven't recognized inulin as a fibre yet.
And for those of us who can handle it, inulin has health benefits that molasses doesn't. I might just add a tbsp of yacon to my morning smoothie.

[Buffy45]

Bev, are you still noticing that it works to dull your appetite? Interesting, could be a great tool for us overeaters.

[Bev-Ann]

Originally Posted by Buffy45

Bev, are you still noticing that it works to dull your appetite? Interesting, could be a great tool for us overeaters.

The effect lasted for several hours. I really didn't want to eat my dinner at all and had to force it down. It wasn't a sensation of being full, it was that the thought of food was totally unappealing.
I did a google search for "yacon" and "appetite" and found several sites stating it is an appetite suppressant. They talk about the dried root (and some were selling it in capsule form) but the syrup certainly did that for me and I ate maybe half a teaspoon. The effect was very unexpected. The only other time I've experienced that kind of total appetite suppression was when I combined Prozac and 5-HTP. I don't recommend doing that, though, since there were other very nasty side-effects.

[theislandgirl]

Hmmmmm, sounds almost like a Shangri-La Diet effect...

I've been calling around all the local HFSs, and at least two were interested enough in this product to seriously look into it and call me back when they get it in stock. Cool!

[scott123]

Hmmm... an appetite suppressant... hmmmmm.... I'm not sure if I'm happy about that or not. I know that everything we eat effects our biochemistry in one way or another, but that seems... a little extreme.

[Bev-Ann]

Originally Posted by scott123

Hmmm... an appetite suppressant... hmmmmm.... I'm not sure if I'm happy about that or not. I know that everything we eat effects our biochemistry in one way or another, but that seems... a little extreme.

There have been studies, mainly in animals but one in humans, that show it lowers blood sugar without inducing hypglycemia. They sugest it may be beneficial for diabetics.
Another forum poster sent me a private message saying she's interested in it to see if it might help with her overeating. If it works for her (and others) I think that's a good thing.
I get almost unbearable cravings for chocolate. I'm going to try using it to make "molasses" candy and see if having a piece will help curb them.

[sherlynn9]

Just wondering how your experiments with the yacon syrup are going. And, if you are still getting the "not interested in eating" side effect. Sure could have used that today. Most days I do fine but every once in a while, I can eat all day long and still be hungry. Would be nice to have something nutritious that would quell that feeling.

Sheryl

[Bev-Ann]

Originally Posted by sherlynn9

Just wondering how your experiments with the yacon syrup are going. And, if you are still getting the "not interested in eating" side effect. Sure could have used that today. Most days I do fine but every once in a while, I can eat all day long and still be hungry. Would be nice to have something nutritious that would quell that feeling.

Sheryl

Yes, I'm still getting an appetite suppressant effect from it.
I made "molasses" candy using the syrup and isomalt but I only cooked it to 280F. It tuned out ok but it's a little soft (like a hard taffy; pieces stick to each other like cement!) so next time I'll cook it to at least 300F to get a hard candy.

Yacon Syrup Candy
1/2 cup isomalt
1 cup yacon syrup
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda

Butter a cookie sheet; set aside. (Note: warming the cookie sheet in the oven will help to spread the candy thinner.)
In a heavy saucepan combine isomalt, syrup, butter and vinegar. Cook and stir over medium heat until isomalt dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking, without stirring, to 300F (150C). Remove pan from heat.
Quickly stir in vanilla and baking soda, mixing well. Immediately pour onto prepared cookie sheet, spreading candy to an even thickness. Use kitchen scissors to cut candy into pieces when cool.
I cut it into 96 pieces so each piece would have 1/2 tsp of syrup.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I eat 5 times a day so rarely ever experience hunger pangs, but I've been having unbearable cravings for chocolate for about a year now. Sometimes they happen shortly after I've eaten a meal and I'm full. When a craving comes on, I have just one piece of the candy and within about 10 minutes the craving subsides. I've been searching to find something that will do that since the cravings started. Nothing else I've tried, except actually gorging on chocolate, ever worked.
The effect from a piece of the candy isn't as pronounced as when I was doing the taste test...the thought of food doesn't turn me off, the craving just goes away. I can still eat a meal if it's time but I can concentrate on healthy choices. The reaction I had after the taste test (had about 1 tsp of syrup) was too extreme for me; this is much more subtle but just as effective. It's possible that the other ingredients in the candy are softening the effect, so if you need the full-blown-forget-about-food thing, taking the syrup directly might be what you need.

[Bev-Ann]

Originally Posted by Bev-Ann

Yacon Syrup Candy
...
Continue cooking, without stirring, to 300F

In the post above, I cooked the candy to 280F because that's what the original recipe said to do. I've never had molasses candy, but maybe it's supposed to be taffy-like?
300F in the recipe posted is a guess. It might have to be a little higher to get to hard-crack. I tried to edit the post but the time limit had expired.

[Zuleikaa]

Originally Posted by Bev-Ann

In the post above, I cooked the candy to 280F because that's what the original recipe said to do. I've never had molasses candy, but maybe it's supposed to be taffy-like?
300F in the recipe posted is a guess. It might have to be a little higher to get to hard-crack. I tried to edit the post but the time limit had expired.

Molasses candy is taffy like.

[Bev-Ann]

Originally Posted by Zuleikaa

Molasses candy is taffy like.

Ok, thanks!

[magnamater]

I'm fascinated by the idea of this candy.

Gotta get me some of this. . .if it is an appetite suppressant. . .however you spell it!

Anyway. . .report on how much of the candy you need. . .to get the effect.

Gonna order some stuff!

[Bev-Ann]

Originally Posted by magnamater

I'm fascinated by the idea of this candy.

Gotta get me some of this. . .if it is an appetite suppressant. . .however you spell it!

Anyway. . .report on how much of the candy you need. . .to get the effect.

The candies are very small but I only need 1, which has about 1/2 tsp of syrup, to kill my cravings. When I ate about 1 tsp of the syrup straight from the bottle, I got the extreme food-turns-me-off effect. I didn't like the extreme effect at all and don't get it from 2 of the candies, which would have about 1 tsp of syrup also, so I suspect that the combination with the other ingredients softens the effect of the syrup. But being able to eat one very small candy to kill my chocolate cravings is a miracle for me!

[Bev-Ann]

I feel I should say that this will probably be a YMMV type of thing. Just because it has this effect for me, doesn't mean it will for you.
I'd hate to see people rushing to buy some because they think it's going to be a magic bullet. I bought the syrup as a LC replacement for molasses. The appetite suppressant effect is something I wasn't aware of before I tried it.

[magnamater]

Bev-Ann, is your Yacon Syrup Candy still working for you???

I have ordered mine, waiting impatiently to get the stuff and make the candy.

Tell me, how did you wrap or store your candy, and where are you keeping it? In the fridge, or at room temp? Do you think you could powder some E. in the blender and shake it on the candy so it won't stick to everything? Or was that not a problem???

Anyway, TIA! and thanks for your good work on this. . .I read about the appetite suppressing thing last night, or I think it was this stuff. . .in Dr. Oz's new book, You, the Diet!

[Buffy45]

I ordered some as well, am waiting to see if it works to suppress my appetite, will be interesting to see.

[Bev-Ann]

Originally Posted by magnamater

Bev-Ann, is your Yacon Syrup Candy still working for you???

I have ordered mine, waiting impatiently to get the stuff and make the candy.

Tell me, how did you wrap or store your candy, and where are you keeping it? In the fridge, or at room temp? Do you think you could powder some E. in the blender and shake it on the candy so it won't stick to everything? Or was that not a problem???

Anyway, TIA! and thanks for your good work on this. . .I read about the appetite suppressing thing last night, or I think it was this stuff. . .in Dr. Oz's new book, You, the Diet!

I only cooked the batch I made to 280F so it's very taffy-like and sticks together like cement. If you cook it to a hard-crack stage, though, it shouldn't stick together but because I haven't tried that yet I can't be 100% sure.
I didn't wrap the individual pieces and I'm storing it in a parchment-lined plastic container at room temp. I did originally cut the candy into 96 pieces but it melted back into a single sheet. The cut lines are still visible, though, so I use a pair of kitchen shears to cut a piece off when I want one.
Shaking some powdered erythritol on it is a good suggestion. The only thing I'd be concerned about is that it might add a mint-like flavour to the outside of the candy due to it's cooling effect. If you do try that, please post how it works out and if it changes the flavour at all.

[Bev-Ann]

Here's a pic I took. Click on the image to see a larger version.

[parrotchic]

Bev-Ann, you should put in a request to TOM so it can be bought here at Netrition.