I recently stumbled across, wait for it …. Sugar Free maple syrup (well maple flavoured syrup. There’s no sugar free alternative to the real deal).
No way. I couldn’t believe it! For someone with diabetes, this was like finding the holy grail of diabetes products. I never in my wildest fantasy, could have dreamed there was a sugar free alternative to maple syrup, but there is!
Christmas really has arrived!!!
I can thank Just a Pinch Recipes who introduced me to this awesome product. I happened to stumble across the website which talked about sugar free maple syrup – thank you Just a Pinch!
Thanks to this discovery, I have created a yummy sugar free glaze that’s perfect for Christmas ham or turkey. Yahoo, the festive season has never looked so good. I can now enjoy my festive feasting even more, with a diabetic-friendly alternative to the traditional sugar laden version.
Tell me more about sugar free maple syrup
Queen is the only brand I could find that makes sugar free maple syrup, and thankfully it’s readily available at my local Coles and Woolworths Stores – very handy.
This product is great, as it has no sugar alcohols. Many products that claim to be sugar free, still raise blood sugar levels. To find out more about sugar alcohols, check out my post Sweeteners Explained.
Queen use sorbitol and sucralose as sweeteners, which are not naturally occurring and you don’t want to eat too much of these, but the great news is, they don’t raise Blood Glucose Levels (BGL).
Glaze recipes
This discovery couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. I always look forward to turkey or ham at Christmas, but as my sister always makes it, it’s always the traditional version with loads of jam and brown sugar!
There are loads of variations on the traditional ham or turkey glaze, but now that I found this secret ingredient, I had to test it out and come up with my very own diabetic-friendly glaze.
My version of sugar free glaze uses the natural sweetness or nectarines and dates, which reduces the need for all the extra unnecessary sugar.
Best of all, you can use this recipe all year round. It’s ideal for marinating other meats. I think I’ll give it a whirl on some chicken drumsticks once the festive season is over!
So here’s my version! It’s guaranteed to leave you wanting more! Give it a try!
Sugar free turkey or ham glaze
Ingredients
- 3 nectarines
- 1 tsp French mustard (heaped)
- 4 dates (large, or 10 small)
- 1/2 cup sugar free maple flavoured syrup (I buy Queen brand)
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- juice of half a lemon
- zest of one orange
Instructions
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De-seed dates and soak in boiling water while you prepare the other ingredients.
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Wash the nectarines, before de-seeding and cutting into quarters. Add to a pot.
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To the nectarines, add the spices, maple syrup and lemon juice.
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Remove liquid from the dates and add dates to the pot of other ingredients.
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Put put on the stove and bring to the boil with the lid on. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium/low and simmer for approximately ten minutes with the lid off, stirring regularly.
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Once cooked, turn off the heat. Blend the contents in a heat-proof food processor or with a barmix.
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The glaze is ready to pour onto your chosen meat. You can make this a day in advance and store in the fridge in an air-tight container.
