Sausages are either traditional or modern such that traditional sausage fermentation is when the dextrose must be of the right and correct amount of dextrose. Dextrose is a product from corn starch, a ubiquitous additive of food and usually works as the sugar alternative.The dextrose can be used for sausage fermentation and, at the same time, used for other varieties of food. Because of its benefits in health, dextrose helps provide useful lactic and bacteria inside the meat, which are very beneficial.
The granulated form of the dextrose is the powdered dextrose formed by crystallization and purifying dextrose anhydrous, monohydrate, dextrose, or other times the combination of bath salts creates it. The process is also called icing the dextrose. When one wants to utilize the alternative of powdered dextrose, or if you cannot get the powdered dextrose to use, there is always some other relevant option to use. There are better and appropriate substitutes to this type of dextrose, such as fermento, sucrose, lactose, sucrose, and Maltose.
The article will take you through every alternative of powdered dextrose and explain in detail why they are better substitutes for powdered dextrose. It also explains each of these substitutes of powdered dextrose.
Benefits of Powdered dextrose substitute
Using powdered dextrose to preserve and cure your sausages or any similar food ensures that the link will have a good flavor. At the same time, it ensures that it provides the essential nutrients that help improve and the process of fermentation a success. Powdered dextrose can also alter the saltiness and the entire aroma together with food taste.
The critical reason to use powdered dextrose is that it is advisable because it has lower pH levels than the sweet flavor of the meat. This will help reduce any beneficial bacterial growth and, at the same time, control the water level inside the sausage.
The saltworks by fixing itself inside the cells of the sausage since its molecules are heavier than those of the meat. Most of the time, the anti-caking ingredients are mixed with dextrose like starch, calcium, and magnesium, among others, to obtain and get far much better results.
Usually, the exact quantity by which the powdered dextrose can reduce the water levels incorporated inside the meat will depend on whether it was generated from the dextrose anhydrous or dextrose monohydrates.
The dextrose anhydrous means that it does not have water content inside because of the name anhydrous, while the dextrose monohydrate contains not more than a water molecule.
The correct powdered dextrose alternative should duplicate all the significant properties that the powdered dextrose has and not change and interfere with the flavor of sausage and similar food.
Powdered dextrose substitute
Generally, there are different alternatives of dextrose that you can try to make and process your sausage.
The following are the best options that one could use
- Sucrose
- Maltose
- Lactose
- Fermento
Now let’s look at each of the alternatives of dextrose and explain how and why they are the best options in substituting powdered dextrose.
1. Sucrose
Generally, sucrose is the building block of sugar that one usually gets in your pantry. It is the type of sugar that can be obtained easily. It is because you can get them by purchasing them in any supermarket, therefore, being the most common and known alternative.
It is usually extracted from sugar canes, sugar beets, honey, fruits, and other known sources. In addition, instead of using dextrose that has a minimal sweet flavor, sucrose itself is the most adorable powder and variety of dextrose.
The correct quantity of sucrose inside your sausage can give a vast difference, but if you add an excessive amount of the same, you can alter and affect the expected flavor of the link. Significantly, you need to use the recommended and required amount of acidic producing process to support the process. It usually is recommended to use between one and two grams of sugar or rather sucrose per a given kg of meat you want to process. Another advantage of sucrose is that it helps to brighten the color of sausages.
2. Maltose
On the other hand, Maltose is less sweet as compared to powdered dextrose. Maltose is also known as malt sugar. It is commonly found in cereals, sweet potatoes, and certain fruits, among other food sources.
Therefore, because of the low level of sugar that the Maltose has, it is less likely to impact the sausage’s and other similar food flavor and its taste, unlike adding too much sugar that will make the meat taste sour.
The pH levels of the sausage when you add Maltose will be at the minimum and optimum level, therefore, ensuring that the growth of harmful bacteria is reduced and prevented in other cases. The Maltose also will significantly reduce the water levels within the meat. The alternative to dextrose powder is Maltose; it is healthier.
3. Lactose
Lactose, specifically known as milk sugar, is obtained from any milk product.Lactose is the same as Maltose because both are less compared with sucrose and dextrose, making it healthier to use since it is less harmful. Also, its light flavor is primarily used to add sweetness to various food varieties, making the sausages an exception.
Because you don’t have to taste and know the exact amount of sugar inside your sausage, you can only use a small and recommended quantity of lactose when you are processing your food. The links that have been fermented always require less sugar than those that have a medium fermentation process once; therefore, you should know at the back of your mind that you need to have 1% sugar inside your recipe.
Since Maltose and lactose are significantly less sugar than the other varieties and substitutes of sugars. They are combined with varieties and types of sugars to enhance and improve the flavor of any food in question.
4. Fermento
In contrast with the other three alternatives of fermento, they are the types of sugars. On the other hand, fermented is the only starter culture that helps enhance its flavor, specifically in those sausages that are not thoroughly dried.
Even though the fermento is usually produced and gives out salty and smoky flavors, it can significantly add a slight sweetness to food taste.Fermento also serves as the best alternative to dextrose since it can produce some small amount of lactic acid inside the meat, which the other substitutes cannot make before it is broken down.
Fermento can also reduce and prevent the growth of some harmful bacteria and at the same time promote valuable nutrients that help improve and speed up the process of curing sausages.
For the quantity of fermented that can be used in neat production, it is usually advised that you use about a speck of fermento for a piece of meat that you want to process.
Therefore for using fermento, you will fasten the process of fermentation significantly. After using your sausage or mixture, you can start smoking and drying them immediately.
Conclusion
The powdered dextrose is the most valuable ingredient that helps in providing a tangy flavor to your sausage, which you have known for a while. But in some different cases that you want to use powdered dextrose, there are many options that you can consider before using them in any case.
The sucrose variety is used in fried sausages since it is cheap and can be afforded easily.On the other hand, Maltose and lactose areless flavored, but generally, they can change the overall flavor of your sausage production. Fermento is a healthier alternative because of its nature in producing lactic acid and other essential bacteria inside the meat that you are processing.
Finally, you can choose any substitute for powdered dextrose, depending on your food processor. Therefore, regardless of what alternative you go with or desire, you cannot make a mistake or wrong on what alternative or substitute to use or replace with since it is straightforward to use them.