Get active! Move around in your kitchen!

[sarahfae]

A recent post in the raw veganisim community has sent me into a flurry of web research in regards to Agave nectar actually being a raw, "living" food.

(This may be old news to you - if so I apologize for my newbie-ness!)

What I've learned thus far is: There are NO raw food regulators that oversee natural food manufacturing companies and those products that are marked "RAW".

What does this mean? Well, these wonderful companies that produce such things as Agave, Coconut Oil, ect., can throw the word "RAW" on a label just as easily as a baby can shit in a diaper --- and in my opinion neither one of these things is appealing, nor raw.

What does it really mean when you see "RAW" on a label at your local grocery store? Nothing. Unless of course you know for a fact that the company producing has not exceeded in heating said product above the 118F mark...but then again, they don't have to even tell you that. Unless of course you ask.

So, for the first time in my life I'm really getting active - I've got a number of emails out to various natural food companies that produce and distribute in my area - these are the companies that have "RAW" marked on their products, but don't have any specifics noted anywhere else on the label.

Now, I should admit to you that this has me frustrated - mainly because I've never really cared enough in the past to send emails to companies, drilling them for direct answers about their products, but I'm really quite a bit peeved. In a away this recent realization has me yet again acknowledging the sad, but true fact that buying pre-made products is rarely a good idea - especially when there are SO many resources out there that enable you to make basically anything you could/would buy (on a grocery store shelf) in your own home.

So what does this really mean for me, and possibly you too?
I'm going to start making my own liquid and dry sweeteners (a few different versions) - and screw those idiots trying to fool me into buying their "raw" products. I'm not gonna! I'll also be experimenting more with making "at home" healthy raw food versions of mass produced, and more often than not bad for you foods and products that I'm sicksicksick of buying because it "makes life easier". 'Cause you know what? With a little bit of preparedness just about anything you want to make can be really easy, and not intimidating! 

The end.

Or is it?

P.S. I'll keep you all posted on any responses that I get back from the companies that I've emailed.

Comments

[miss-bonzai.livejournal.com]

This is great. I look forward to seeing what you come up with as far as homemade sweeteners! =)

Also, if you ever feel so inclined, I'd love to read a write-up of your findings on agave. I've read mixed opinions/reviews but admit I've never done the heavy research.

Love your journal and all your creativity!
~Sayward

[beatle2102.livejournal.com]

The OP commented both in the post and the comments that date syrup would make a suitable alternative. I've kept the leftover soaking water from dates and used it in my muesli (which is obviously neither raw nor vegan but it is very yummy), but I'm not sure how it would work by mixing dates and water together. I guess I'm hesitant because I can't think of how to mix the two without ending up with lumpy mush. I like agave because it's kind of a glue as well as a sweetener. I know that by grinding up flax seed into a powder and then mixing it with water, it can become egg-like and is used in a lot of vegan baking recipes as an egg alternative. Maybe flax-water could be the glue so that we don't end up with crumbles, and the date-water could be the sweetener? Or maybe raisin or fig-water?

Since dried fruit is usually quiet sweet, maybe also something like dried strawberries and water could be mixed if the dish is a strawberry-centred one? Or rasberries? Apricots maybe? Don't think you can dehydrate rockmelon or watermelon, but if you could (and I think I'll have to give it a try sometime), they'd totally be awesome sweeteners.
I don't know, just thinking (typing?) out loud here.

I'm totally intrigued by the maple sugar mentioned in the post, but I'm just wary of all of my food having a maple flavour, because I think my tastebuds would get bored.

I don't know why I feel this way, and it's probably not fair, but I find myself skeeved out by stevia. Mentally I can't help putting it in the same category as Nutra-sweet and those other chemicals masquerading as 'sugar', and I'm really seriously anti-fake food.

And I'm totally with you on homemade things being invariably better than pre-made things, both in taste and in health benefits. And I totally enjoy my food SO much more when I know that it was ME that made it!

Hope most of the companies respond -- I'm looking forward to seeing what they have to say.

[emilyrugbrn.livejournal.com]

Usually reputable raw food sites done the homework for you. I'm sure you know "raw" almonds are usually not raw. I get mine from Spain. This means, a lot of raw almond butter isnt raw. There is a brand made with truly raw almond butter made with spain almonds. A lot of cashews arent truly raw either. You just have to know your source. If you buy online you have to know that they have done all the leg work for you.

[illumealli.livejournal.com]

FYI there is a similar debate about Braggs Aminos though there are even more charges against it aside from simple raw nonraw ie comparing to MSG

http://www.veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13049

http://www.essentialoilcookbook.com/html/fascinating-braggs.htm

http://welikeitraw.disqus.com/bragg_liquid_aminos_history_repeats_itself/

http://acidalkalinediet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=402