Xylitol is a diabetic-friendly sugar alcohol that has plenty of uses. It can be used to make crystal candy syrup, and breakfast coffee to name a few uses. Melting it is simple, you only need about 2 ingredients, and it takes only about 10 minutes or so to melt. If you are on a keto or sugar-free diet you can have the simple syrup available in your refrigerator to help you make life and meals easier- as well as keeping cravings in check. Melted xylitol has so many uses it can be used for everything from breakfast coffees & oatmeals to adding a sweet chili sauce for dinner or sweetening up your dessert. This sweet-tasting polyalcohol or sugar alcohol is found naturally in small quantities, in fibres of fruits as well as vegetables. Below are some of the ways you can melt Xylitol.
What You Need
- Xylitol
- Water
- Pan
By melting xylitol you create a syrup or a liquid sweetener made by dissolving sugar in water at a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio. Simply follow these steps to dissolve xylitol in water instead of sugar.
- 5 cups of water and a cup of xylitol
- Take your pot or pan and add the xylitol and water into the pan
- Heat the mixture of xylitol and water and stir until all the grains have dissolved
- Make sure that you do not boil
- Cool and store the mixture in a sealed jar in refrigerator until needed
As you melt your xylitol place the lid on the pot and simmer while it is covered. Once the xylitol has melted cover and simmer for another minute. Covering the pot will cause steaming and condensation to take place. The condensation will pull any xylitol crystals on the edge of the pot back into the syrup and make sure that they are fully dissolved.
Ways To Prevent Your Xylitol From Crystalizing
There are times when your mix can crystalise and you can prevent this from happening by simply doing the following;
Put the xylitol and water in the pot gently. When you pour water into your pot sometimes you can splash a few xylitol granules onto the sides or edges of the pot. As a result, they may not properly dissolve and they come into contact with your syrup as you pour it out of the pan and into a storage container. As such, your mix may crystallize. To prevent that from happening make sure that you pour the water gently into your pot.
Another important factor to take note of is making sure that you use a clean container to store your syrup. Make sure that the container you choose to store the xylitol has no traces of granulated or powdered xylitol.
Make sure that you do not stir your xylitol whilst its dissolving. You should only stir before your xylitol starts to dissolve. Melting your xylitol is a hands-off and watch process. The process is similar to making caramel, stirring it can make some crystals stick on the sides of the pot and not dissolve properly. In order to avoid that make sure that you do not stir your xylitol when it is dissolving.
Uses Of Xylitol
To sweeten your morning coffee:
Xylitol can make a sugar free coffee syrup. Whether you are having hot coffee or iced coffee, xylitol syrup can easily dissolve right into your cup. You can use xylitol to sweeten hot or iced teas too.
For sugar-free or keto cocktails:
A number of cocktail recipes require a simple syrup or a sweetener of some kind. Some of these cocktails include margaritas and flavoured martinis. Some people may use a sugar cube mixed with other ingredients to make this syrup. Regardless of the cocktail you need to sweeten, you can make use of xylitol to make a sugar free syrup.
A sugar-free syrup to sweeten other beverages:
You can use this syrup when making homemade lemonade, fruit juices, smoothies, and mocktails. You can add xylitol to most of all the beverages that require a touch of sweetness to balance flavours. Xylitol syrup makes a good sugar free substitute to your beverages.
Use for keto/ Sugar-free sauces:
Xylitol can also be added in a lot of curry recipes, glazes, and Asian-inspired sauces to add a complex and amazing flavour due to the sweetness and heat that can be created. Meals such as wings, orange chicken, sweet chili sauce, teriyaki sauce, Thai curries, and hoisin sauces that have sweet-salty-tangy flavours mingling together can have xylitol added to them. Just because you are following a sugar-free or keto diet does not mean that you need to miss out on the sweetness. This liquid sweetener has a lot of savoury applications as well.
Is Xylitol Safe For Pets?
It is important to note that xylitol is not safe for dogs. If you have dogs in the house use xylitol with caution if you do not want anything to happen to your pets. Xylitol gets in the way of the normal functions of the pancreas in dogs and can cause an immediate insulin spike and blood sugar drop, which can cause liver failure and other ailments. Some signs of low blood sugar can include weakness, unsteadiness, shaking and if it is not treated soon enough your pet can have seizures. While low blood sugar can occur very quickly, often soon as 30 minutes after ingestion, it can take about 12 hours for the symptoms to appear.
Where Can Find Xylitol
Sadly, xylitol can be found in a lot of commonly purchased goods. Gum or food items are the most common. The ingredient can be found in;
- Medication
- Vitamins
- Personal items including baby wipes, diapers, sunscreen, makeup, and lip balm
- Dental health products including toothpaste, dental floss, breath fresheners, mouth wash and mints
Other food items that contain xylitol include;
- Drink powder
- Pudding
- Some Candy
- Chocolate
- Baked food items
- Pancake syrup
- Ketchup and barbecue sauce
If you suspect that your pet got into something, check the ingredient label on the product. If the ingested products contains xylitol and you notice any abnormal behaviour from your pet, go to your local veterinary clinic as soon as possible.
