The Blue Agave is a desert succulent, not a cactus as some have been led to believe. It is a species that is native to Mexico. There are many kinds of agave through out Mexico; however the Blue Agave flourishes in volcanic soil. Although Tequila and Mezcal and its other variants are made all over Mexico and through out the world, the mountainous state of Jalisco, Mexico is its birthplace. The primary reason for this is that soil in that region comes from the old volcanoes that make up the mountain range. If you ever get an opportunity to visit take special notice at the soil. It shimmers like glitter from all of the nutrients. The Blue Agaves are more hearty and plentiful here than anywhere else in the world.
Incidentally there’s a town in Jalisco near the city of Guadalajara called Tequila. Hummm?
The name agave comes from the Greek word for 'noble.' Organic agave nectar (and tequila) is made from the sap from hearts (piñas) of the plant. This plant is actually related to the lily and amaryllis (it has its own genus, Agave). It is known as a succulent and, although it shares a common habitat with many cacti, it is not one itself and has a different life cycle. A mature agave has leaves 5-8 feet tall, and is 7-12 feet in diameter. It has a lifespan of 8-15 years, depending on species, growing conditions and climate.
There are many species of agave in Mexico, of which the blue agave - Agave tequilana weber azul - is the only one allowed for use in tequila production and also the only agave used to make our Agave Nectar. Blue agave is higher in fructose-producing carbohydrates than other types of agave and is considered to be the finest agave in the world.
The agaves reproduce both sexually and asexually naturally but those involved in alcohol production are never allowed to reach sexual maturity. At the on set of sexual maturity the agave produces a flowering spike in the middle of the agave. But the agave farmers sever this spike, and all the plants nutrients and energy that would have gone in to making flowers and seeds is then redirected. This redirection is back into the heart of the plant. The severed spike or central stem begins to swell for about a month. The leaves at the base of the agave begin to get rusty brown spots and the central stem begins to shrink back it is at this time that they are harvested
The agaves are cut free from their root base and the sword like leaves are removed from the central stem. It is at this point that the agaves take on a new descriptive name of piña (because they look like big pineapples).
Organic agave nectar is a natural product that can sweeten any type of beverage or food. It is derived from the carbohydrates present in the agave plant through a totally natural heating process with no chemicals involved. To produce organic agave nectar, juice is expressed from the core of the agave (the piña). The juice is then filtered to create agave nectar. The agave nectar has the natural solids removed through a fine filtration process, creating a liquid that can be used in recipes that require a more neutral base that can be colored.
The agave nectar is then heated, causing thermic hydrolysis which breaks down the carbohydrates into sugars. The main carbohydrate is a complex form of fructose called inulin or fructosan. The filtered juice is concentrated to a syrup-like liquid a little thinner than honey.
Fructose is a simple sugar found mainly in fruits and vegetables. Due to the predominance of fructose in our agave nectar, our organic agave nectar is much sweeter than sucrose. Thus, a smaller amount yields the same sweetness but fewer calories than sucrose. This gives agave nectar advantages in both the food industry and the health of the consumer.
Things you should know about Agave in the market. There are only 3 major producers of Agave Nectar in the world. Nekutli, IIDEA and us. Nekutli doesn't use Blue Agave Nectar, but uses "maguey" to produce their syrup. The reasons vary as to why... but these other products contain unnatural sugars that are non existent in pure Agave Nectar (*Maltose, Sucrose, *Mannitol and others). We have a theory as to why they contain these sugars but we can't state that for legal reasons. These sugars are not healthy for those who monitor their blood sugar or are buying Agave because of a medical condition or for a healthy lifestyle. Our Blue Agave Nectar is the only agave which contains 100% blue agave nectar produced today and does not contain these foreign sugars. The best agave for your body must be low in fructose (more than 75%), low in glucose and cannot contain any other sugars.
The Glycemic Research Institute in Washingtion DC ran extensive tests on our Agave Nectar for the past several months and have concluded that our Agave Nectar is safe for Diabetics! If you buy Agave Nectar without this seal, it may not be safe for Diabetics. Click here for the Full Report and check out the FDA Labeling Laws.
Here are other sugars found in other agave's that claim to be pure agave. *Mannitol is a nutritive sweetener (compare to non-nutritive sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin which provide no nutrients or calories), stabilizer, humectant and bulking agent in foods and supplements. For commercial use, it is manufactured via a catalytic hydrogenation process. Excessive consumption may have a laxative effect, similar to certain high--fiber foods. Because of this, products containing mannitol must include a laxative warning on the label if the mannitol content in a serving exceeds 20g.
*Maltose, also called malt sugar, is not found free in nature, but is formed by enzymes or acid hydrolysis from starch also found in Corn Syrup.
After
learning about agave nectar and then researching all the different
brands out there--including taste testing--your "Volcanic Nectar"
is truly the best! We could not believe the difference in taste
and quality. "Volcanic
Nectar" is so pure and smooth tasting compared to other brands.
We are definitely making the switch from using sugar and Splenda
over to using your product, and, in fact, placed an order just moments
ago. Thank you for making such a superior product! Darla D.
Dr. Oz on Oprah was the
reason I ordered your agave.
I got off sugar several years ago but struggle to get myself off
of sugar substitutes. The agave should help me with this. Suzanne
The Blue Agave is a desert succulent, not a cactus as some have been led to believe. It is a species that is native to 
(and tequila) is made from the sap from hearts (piñas) of the plant. This plant is actually related to the lily and amaryllis (it has its own genus, Agave). It is known as a succulent and, although it shares a common habitat with many cacti, it is not one itself and has a different life cycle. A mature agave has leaves 5-8 feet tall, and is 7-12 feet in diameter. It has a lifespan of 8-15 years, depending on species, growing conditions and climate.
sexual maturity the agave produces a flowering spike in the middle of the agave. But the agave farmers sever this spike, and all the plants nutrients and energy that would have gone in to making flowers and seeds is then redirected. This redirection is back into the heart of the plant. The severed spike or central stem begins to swell for about a month. The leaves at the base of the agave begin to get rusty brown spots and the central stem begins to shrink back it is at this time that they are harvested
Fructose is a simple sugar found mainly in fruits and vegetables. Due to the predominance of fructose in our agave nectar, our organic agave nectar is much sweeter than sucrose. Thus, a smaller amount yields the same sweetness but fewer calories than sucrose. This gives agave nectar advantages in both the food industry and the health of the consumer.
After
learning about agave nectar and then researching all the different
brands out there--including taste testing--your "Volcanic Nectar"
is truly the best! We could not believe the difference in taste
and quality. 