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Low Carb Substitute

by Al Stone
(Farmington, New Mexico)

Some recipes for brines and rubs call for sugar or brown sugar. I am on a low carb diet. Can Splenda or the low carb brown sugar substitute be used with the same results?

Thanx,
WAS

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Low Carb Substitute

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by: SmokerBill

Splenda can be used for cooking, and the granular type would be fine for using in rub recipes. The sugar in dry rubs is there to add flavor, so substituting Splenda for sugar would work well.

However, in a brine recipe, the sugar's main role isn't about flavoring, but rather to help the meat absorb and retain moisture, so it's more juicy and tender when done. Real sugar is hydrophilic, which means it attracts and holds water. I don't know if Splenda has the same affect on proteins as sugar.

It would be fine to just delete the sugar from the brine recipe, but you could try adding the Splenda. Shouldn't be a problem, though it may affect the flavor in a way that's not to your liking.

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