Dextrose monohydrate, in other words, is glucose powder since it is made from corn starch. It serves as a sweetener that helps produce beneficial bacteria during the fermentation of sausages. Dextrose is an essential ingredient in meat fermentation since it is better health than using sugar, which is less sweet.
Therefore, if you fail to get dextrose or, at some point, you want to change the ingredient you are using, then there are many substitutes of dextrose that you can use for the sausages. Some of the best replacements include maltose, lactose, sucrose, and Fermento.
The guide will explain all the four substitutes and explain why they can be in place of the dextrose ingredient. There will be the frequently asked questions and conclusion at last.
Components of a good dextrose substitute
Most people think that all ingredients they use for fermenting sausages produce salty and sour flavors in different ways. The general function of fermenting sausage is to have the traditional tangy taste, just like adding sugar into the mix.
Adding sugar to the sausages cannot make the links less piquant and salty. However, the right amount of sugar is necessary for sausage production to maintain the overall pH levels that help minimize the growing bag bacteria. The only ingredient that can cause instant fermentation of lactic acid inside the meat, but dextrose substitutes need more time to break down to do the same thing.
Therefore, a dextrose substitute needs to lay the ground for fermentation while at the same time the alternatives should maintain the correct water levels within the sausages too.
Dextrose substitutes to use
Sometimes, you can urge to change the type of ingredient to use with your sausages. Therefore, you need to check on the components below to check the best one to use and also what best substitute that you can use whenever you need.
1. Maltose
Maltose is also known as malt sugar that you can get in different foods like cereals, particular fruit, sweet potatoes, and other foods. Since maltose has fewer sugar contents, it is commonly used in the production of candy.
Maltose is a good ingredient since it is convenient and helpful such that it contains a tolerance for both cold and warm temperatures. You can choose maltose as a dextrose substitute because it helps in reducing the PH levels in sausages and therefore reduces the development of harmful bacteria. Maltose is also good in lowering water levels inside meat products, making them dry faster.
Health-wise, maltose is considered better than table sugar and can reduce the damages that one can get. However, the amount of calories is just the same as sugar. Apart from sausages, maltose can also produce other types of food such as cereal, candy, beverages, sauces, dressing, and baked goods.
2. Lactose
Lactose refers to sugar that is extracted from milk and other dairy products. When you check it carefully, the amount of milk within it is very low to the extent of two percent because lactose is not receptive to yeast fermentation; it is not usually added to food directly but can be used to sweeten the flavor.
Traditionally people use lactose for bread, cereal, salad dressings, baked goods, and sausages. When you compare it with dextrose, lactose is less sweet than table sugar. Therefore, people use it in combination with other types of sugar in curing and fermenting sausages.
3. Sucrose
Sucrose, in other words, is table sugar since sucrose is the sweetest alternative of all substitutes of dextrose. Therefore, you need to use less when preparing sausages. Apart from sugar cane and sugar beets, you can find sucrose in fruit, honey, sugar maple, and many other food sources. Due to its high sweetness levels, sucrose is best used with medium-fermented sausages. It’s also advisable to use sucrose with links through a longer fermentation process because it is readily available and easy to use.
Sucrose keeps the pH levels of sausages to a minimum at a slower rate. Sucrose also gives links a better curing color and improved flavor. It is also the most straightforward dextrose substitute to come by. You can find it in any supermarket, and it’s also the most affordable option.
4. Fermento
Fermento is the last of the substitutes with dextrose. It acts as a starter culture that is necessary for the process of fermentation, primarily for semi-dried cured sausages. It not only links the tangy flavor and smell but also provides the required sugar level to increase the taste. Below are some of the advantages of Fermento:
- After using it, it gives a tangy smell to the food and starts the starter culture process that makes the fermentation process faster. Therefore, when you have sausages and add the Fermento, the mixture begins smoking immediately and dries too. The tangy smell that the fermento has is what makes most people use it when they need it.
- Fermento minimizes the curing time in the fermentation process, whereby it takes only three months and produces quality sausages. You add Fermento, which will speed up the process and take a few days.
- As a starter culture, it helps produce lactic acid and bacteria necessary for the process of meat fermentation. The bacteria have the effects of color and taste of the meat when it is good. On the other side, Lactic acid helps make the food safe for consumption.
- Fermento makes food safe to consume by reducing harmful bacteria with the meat. Bad bacteria growing in food makes food unsuitable for consumption and can lead to infections in the body. The main advantage of the Fermento is its ability to maintain and control the levels of bacteria inside the food to ensure that there is no any food poisoning and other things.
- It minimizes the growth of harmful bacteria while boosting the production of good bacteria, which is suitable for fermenting sausages. Fermento increases the growth of good bacteria and helps the food dry, and adds nutrients to the food.
Frequently asked questions:
- Where can one purchase the dextrose substitute?
You will want to use dextrose at some point, and you lack it that you choose for its substitute, but you do not know where to get it from. Therefore, if you need the replacements, consider visiting any local store or online shops to order and get the deliveries at home.
- Can one freeze summer sausages after fermentation?
Yes, you can freeze summer sausages after fermentation, depending on your desires. However, before doing all this, you need to wrap it in a large piece of paper before storing it, and it stays for about ten months.
Conclusion
Now that we have discussed the substitutes of dextrose and how they work, we summarize that dextrose monohydrate is a good ingredient in producing fermented sausages. Dextrose is much healthier than for some reasons, like maintaining the correct PH levels and having lactic acid. The article above shows the other ingredients that you can use instead of dextrose, including maltose, lactose, sucrose, and Fermento.
However, maltose and lactose have lower sweetness levels since they contain other types of sugar to increase the flavor. Sucrose has high sugar contents making it the sweetest and most substantial, and the most accessible type to get. Fermento is a healthy option that will help grow helpful bacteria and minimize the growth of harmful ones.