(Newswire.net — September 9, 2019) —
The Agave Plant
The agave plant has roots in the monocots, which is the largest genus of plant types on the earth, having about 60,000 species of plants. Below the agave, there are most of our grains, grasses, banana, wheat, sugar cane, bamboo, and pineapple, to name a few.
To describe the agave takes a considerable degree of botanical finesse, but we can offer a simple description here. The agave rosettes grow upward toward the ground and fan out in large and succulent leaves. The leaves fan outward as each grows upward. The individual leaves can be as broad as several inches. An outline of leaves bearing small thorns grows on the outer edge of each leaf. The stem of the agave is very short, whereas the leaves appear to take up 99% of the plants surface structure. The leaves are both fleshy and dense, composed of grainy and porous skin throughout. The agave plant is widespread in Mexico and very arid regions. The genus agave contains as many as 256 subspecies and requires an agave specialist to distinguish the different subspecies contained in the genus.
Harvesting the Agave
The time of growth for the agave is between 3-40 years for some species. All the parts of the plant can be harvested, the flowers, leaves, and bark. The leaves also produce a sweet sap which is collected. The agave plant provides its nectar at certain times of the year during pollination. The quality of the nectar is a perfect natural sweetener. Monin uses the sweet nectar to produce its own agave nectar. The organic nectar can be used in various kinds of drinks like the Berry Agave Daiquiri given below. Other than in teas, the sweet nectar from the agave can be used in cocktails, margaritas, and daiquiris. The Monin Organic Agave Nectar has no additives but is produced with the sweet agave nectar in its pure form.
Berry Agave Daquiri
- 2 oz. Monin Raspberry Puree
- 1/2 oz. Monin Agave Organic Nectar
- 1 1/2 oz. citrus rum
- 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
Harvesting the Agave Nectar
To get to the nectar within the agave plant, several steps need to be taken. The reason for the multi-step process is for safety and precaution. The agave has sharp spinelike needles and they must be removed. The needles can penetrate the skin and break within the person which could be dangerous. The procedure that is outlined below is the one that those who work in the agave fields use when harvesting the agave field.
First
Identify the mature agave plant. The mature agave will be standing between 7-12 feet in height. Any plant that is not mature will not yield the wealth of its nectar since it will not be grown.
Second
Remove all the thorns on the leaves of the agave plant and be careful for they can cause harm. Use a sharp shearer or machete to cut off the spines. When using the shearer or machete to remove the thorny spines from the leaves move the machete from north to south in a motion moving away from yourself and towards the base of the agave plant. Following a downward movement, you will safeguard yourself from being pricked or piereced by any of the thorns.
Third
Remove all the leaves surrounding the center of the plant. After all of the leaves are removed and the center of the agave plant is exposed, pull the center of the plant toward you.
Fourth
After the agave is completely exposed, cut deep into the agave plant and remove the base of the plant. After the base is removed, you can also remove the white meat of the agave until you expose the juice or the sweet syrup of the agave. The agave plant contains an organic storehouse of sweetness from its leaves and flowers. Now that you have exposed where the nectar is located you can proceed with caution.
Fifth
After the nectar begins to run, it will fill up the hole where the while meat used to be. After the agave nectar fills the hole, it can be siphoned into the container. A filter can be added to the siphon of the nectar.
If you haven’t tried agave nectar, you should. Agave nectar has a very low GI and very little glucose, at least when compared to regular sugar.