# maybe a stupid question but...



## stircrazy (Jan 5, 2010)

is there any way when making rubs or sauces that you can replace all or some of the sugar with something like splenda?  

Steve


----------



## ronp (Jan 5, 2010)

For flavor I would say yes, for the browning of your meat I don't think so.


----------



## hoser (Jan 5, 2010)

I'm with Ron on this one....you can make the sauce taste however you want with the substitutes, but caramelization still requires sugar IMHO


----------



## pops6927 (Jan 5, 2010)

I agree.  I'm diabetic and use Splenda instead of sugar in making my own Kahlua.  It tastes the same, just doesn't thicken up like it does with real sugar, but it's sugar-free, so it just slides down quicker.. lol! (burp..).  Because of the diabetes I don't use much rubs or sauces, just some Stubbs when needed (it's a little lower on the glucose scale).  But, in making your own sauces, you'll have the same problem as my Kahlua.. just won't thicken up by itself, you may have to use a thickening agent (some oil and cornstarch).


----------



## mballi3011 (Jan 5, 2010)

My wife uses it alot and yes it will substitute for regular sugar.


----------



## stircrazy (Jan 5, 2010)

hmm ok, so in the rub mix I am going to try, if I were to replace the white sugar with splenda and use the brown sugar alone I would still have the brown sugar for the carmalization but I would knock out 1/2 the amount of carbs from sugar.  

I was going to try it in a JD BBQ sauce I am making but just realized that it has no white sugar onmy brown and mollasses.

thanks
Steve


----------



## fire it up (Jan 5, 2010)

Why not try replacing it with Stevia and see how that works.
Better for you than sugar or splenda, 100% natural 300x sweeter than real sugar and even has the included benefit of helping prevent gum disease and tooth decay.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia


----------



## pignit (Jan 5, 2010)

When I first started smoking my wife "RED" made up a rub and a sauce with no sugar for my diabetic friend I was smokin for. She just left the sugar out of the rub... which I still use... and used coffee as a base for the sauce and thickened it with Tomato Paste. It turned out well enough that none of us really missed the sugar. I guess it's a matter of what you get use to. I don't use sugar in my tea and I don't care for really sweet stuff so it works well for me to leave it out of my rub.


----------



## stircrazy (Jan 5, 2010)

ya I have that also, problem there is the sugar in the rub is also being used as bulk.  Stevia won't do that.  Stevia also has its own tast kinda.. I like it but I can tell its not sugar very easy, where with splenda its harder for me to tell.

Steve


----------



## stircrazy (Jan 5, 2010)

ya I have been looking at other kinds of rubs and sauces.  I am not hugley concerned about not havign sugar as the amount on it would be minor.  I have lost 80lbs over the last two years by reducing the amount of Carbs I consume, but a bit in a sauce or rub wouldn't hurt.  just have salad with the meat instead of veggies or potatos 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Steve


----------



## fire it up (Jan 5, 2010)

Ahhh...understandable.

Tried growing stevia last year but bad weather it never germinated.  Trying again this year and though they normally use the leaves dried and powdered you can also collect the syrup and dry that, also thinking about seeing how it works out if I actually extract its essential oils and reduce them into a paste them dry it and see how it comes out.


----------



## nwdave (Jan 5, 2010)

My local Costco just started carrying "Wholesome" Organic Blue Agave. Their label claims it is a natural sweetener extracted from the heart of the agave plant. Agave is a low glycemic index sweetener" ".....It is 25% sweeter than sugar." "....The sweet mild taste is perfect for sweetening beverages, baking and as a multipurpose sweetener. Use wherever you would use table sugar." One important caveat: This stuff is expensive. Two bottles of 23.5 oz (666 g) each cost $7.90, approximately, at Costco. In the local major chain supermarket, they wanted that much for a single bottle.

Observations: I've been using it now for the last two weeks. Tastes fine in my morning coffee and evening tea. Since it's a liquid, it should work fine in any liquid format. That being said, unless I want a paste, it won't work in a rub. I'll be working with some marinades, mops and finishing sauces during the next few months so I'll be substituting the Blue Agave to see what the results are. To be fair, I'll have to make the recipe as original as possible, then make it with the Blue Agave where possible. If the recipe calls for Brown Sugar, then it'll have to be Splenda Brown Sugar. 

Note to Stircrazy: You do know that Splenda also puts out a Brown Sugar, don't you?

To a great extent, I know that I'll have to make some exceptions in the final presentation of the prepared food. It's great to have that "crust" that only sugar can give, but, as I rapidly approach retirement (FINALLY
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





) this year, my Doctor is becoming more insistent on cutting down on the sugars in my life (and all those other things that taste "oh so good".) 

Once I come up with a version acceptable in taste and result, I'll be submitting it to my critics 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





(other members of my nuclear family, wife, brother-in-law, sisters, cousins) in our, it seems, every other weekend gatherings. Once they pass on it, I'll post it here for those who desire the information.

Sorry for the long write-up


----------



## stircrazy (Jan 5, 2010)

yup, but I have never tried it.. is it a reasonably tasting replacment for B sugar?

Steve


----------



## stircrazy (Jan 6, 2010)

well, made my first sauce today.  found a recipe for JD BBQ sause and it turned out great.  didn't use any fake sugar or anything.   tomorrow I am making a tony roma sauce, canning both of them and mixing up my rub.  got to be ready when the parts to modify my ECB get here.

Steve


----------



## nwdave (Jan 6, 2010)

Yes.  BTW, a minor hijack:  Welcome to the ranks of the Retired Military.


----------



## stircrazy (Jan 6, 2010)

thanks, think I am going to have to go find a job pretty soon though, running out of things to do around the house. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Steve


----------



## oldschoolbbq (Jan 7, 2010)

The flavor will be there,but for color you may try Kitchen Bouquet-not much flavor but colors well. Start with just a little and add more next time if you want. What you think Ron?


----------



## john3198 (Jan 8, 2010)

Stircrazy - I like your answer to this - make it the same way you normally would. I tend to think that you are correct, porbably not enough sugar to matter, as long as you don't over do it.

Your 80 lbs loss speaks for itself. Congratulations. Shooting for half that this year.


----------

