PILONCILLO MEX

Piloncillo: artisan sweetener that conquers the palate

Fri, 30 Dec 2022 09:02:15 -0800

The piloncillo or “chancaca” comes from the Nahuatl chiancaca, which means “brown sugar”. It is prepared from the undistilled juice of the sugar cane.

In 1493, at the time of the conquest of America by the Spanish, during culinary miscegenation the cultivation of sugar cane was introduced. Along with this new crop came sugar mills, milling and its different products. In that period it was the main source of sweetener for peasants and rural dwellers.

How is piloncillo made?

The traditional manufacturing process of piloncillo can vary according to the area and customs. In general, the following steps are carried out:

The sugar cane is harvested and squeezed to obtain the juice (trapiches).

The leftover bagasse is left to dry and is used to stoke the oven.

The cane juice is heated in the oven to its boiling point.

It is transferred to a mixer that does not stop turning until the thick sweet is made.

When it is thick, it is poured into cone-shaped wooden molds, as piloncillo is commonly known.

The clarity of the piloncillo is related to the quality; that is, the greater the clarity and sweetness, the better the product.

Currently, an average of 10 to 12 tons of sugarcane are needed to obtain a brown sugar cane, depending on the humidity and concentration of sugars. It is important to remember that it is a natural sweetener with no added chemicals.

9 benefits of Read More

Piloncillo Terron and Granulate, an Unrefined Mexican Brown Sweetner

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 09:23:37 -0700

First and foremost, it comes from Mexico. Basically, it’s just a form of brown sugar, but a lot less refined. It also comes in the form of a cone, which can be in all sorts of sizes — large ones are great for cooking and making sure that you have lots of stash of it, and really small ones are perfect for one-time consumption.

A less refined form of sugar — that’s exactly what makes this Mexican brown sugar win the hearts of many. The fact that it has gone through minimal processing is a testament that it retains much of the vitamins and minerals that sugar tends to lose after it gets processed. And with the presence of all those nutrients, piloncillo offers a number of health benefits.

The taste of piloncillo is rather awesome! So many people who have already tried it say that it tastes like molasses, but there are no molasses added to every cone of piloncillo — it’s just brought about by the fact that it is practically unrefined. It’s because of its rich and saccharine taste that it can be used for so many different purposes.

It is said that the way piloncillo is made can be compared to the way sugar is manufactured in the yesteryears, thus making it win the hearts of many. In this day and age, a lot of people are into unprocessed food products for the attainment...Read More

No Hammer: A Better Way to Break Up Unrefined Sugar

Sun, 24 Nov 2019 12:29:57 -0800

If you've ever worked with solid sugar "blocks" -- like piloncillo cones or those large disks of palm sugar -- you know how difficult they can be to break apart. I think it's the only time I've ever seen a hammer called for in a recipe.

Handcrafted by indigenous hands in the Huasteca. Evaporated under traditional methods of sugarcane; The Granulate Piloncillo is a 100% natural food with excellent properties such as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SUGARS?

Terron Grain Granulate Piloncillo.

In its process of obtaining, the piloncillo is the only sugar that is not subjected to any type of refinement or chemical process. That is why it is the sugar that preserves the greatest amount of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

Piloncillo contains five times more minerals than brown sugar and 50 times more than white. It has fewer calories than white sugar. 240-260 calories per 100gr. of Piloncillo sugar versus 400 calories of white.

Natural Granulated Piloncillo

Save Time and Money with Granulate Piloncillo

Fine Grain from...Read More

Aguapanela, a wonderful sweet drink with many benefits

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 13:28:21 -0700

Aguapanela (panela water) is a traditional sweet drink made with panela, which brings many benefits, and is usually made in countries such as Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, or Peru. Discover how to do it with the 2 recipes we propose.

Depending on the country where we are, we can enjoy different natural drinks that become, in fact, the main hallmark of that place. In the case of all of South America (as well as some parts of Central and Caribbean America), the so-called agua panela -also known as panela water- stands out, a wonderful drink that is produced from the brown sugar

And what is panela? As you probably know, the panela basically consists of the juice of sugarcane, which does not undergo any type of chemical or refined process, and is capable of preserving all the nutrients that sugarcane provides or provides. That is, it is produced from sugarcane juice, which has been solidified.

Among its nutrients, we can mention the presence of vitamins (from groups B, A, C, D, and E), as well as minerals (such as iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, manganese, and zinc).

However, we must bear in mind that depending on the country in which we are, the panela is known by other names. For example, it could be the case of panelón, Pepa dulce, piloncillo, scraping, tied sweet, or cap of sweet.

What is aguapanela or panela water?

As you can imagine, the agua panela - or panela water - is a drink resulting from the infusion prepared from the panela. Although there are different recipes, in countries like Colombia...Read More

Piloncillo: benefits and properties of the best natural sweetener

Mon, 28 Oct 2019 11:21:25 -0700

The piloncillo is a wonderful sweetener, healthier than sugar. Discover the benefits and properties that it brings, what are its main uses and how it is obtained.

Surely in your country you do not know it with the name of piloncillo, and yes with the name of scratch, scrape, tied sweet, cover of sweet, brown sugar, paper, panela, chancaca or panocha. It is characterized by being a very healthy food, as long as it can be used as a completely natural sweetener, without providing the empty calories provided by other less healthy sweeteners, such as white sugar.

Its only ingredient is sugarcane juice, which is subjected to a drying process before going through the purification process, in which the juice is converted into brown sugar.

The panela stands out for being an organic product of a hundred percent natural origin, and we could say that it is characterized precisely by being the integral sugar of the cane in its maximum extension. That is, when we are faced with a piloncillo, we can be sure that we are really facing real cane sugar, and we should not doubt in the same way as if we were faced with a container with granulated brown sugar that could actually It is tinted white sugar.

What is piloncillo?

It is quite probable that you have already tried it, especially used as a sweetener in natural and homemade desserts, and surely you did not know its name; but what was it delicious? It is known by the name of piloncillo, and depending on where you are, it is also known by other names: scraping, scratching, sweet tying, sweet lid, brown sugar, pancake, paper, empanizao, or chancaca. While in countries like Pakistan or India, it is known as...Read More

Piloncillo Cones Natural Sweetener

Thu, 17 Oct 2019 12:15:15 -0700

Piloncillo is a caramel-rich dark brown sugar used in Mexican cooking. Learn about piloncillo, Mexican unrefined brown sugar used in beverages, and various recipes.

The name piloncillo refers to the traditional cone shape in which the sugar is produced. It is also known as panela and panocha. There are actually two varieties of piloncillo produced one is lighter (Blanco) and one darker (Oscuro) with better taste. The cone size can vary from as small as 3/4 ounces to as much as 9 ounces per cone. The cones shown in the picture above are about 3" tall.

How To Use Piloncillo

Piloncillo is very hard compared to the brown sugar you purchased in a box at the local grocer. Chop the piloncillo with a serrated knife or you can buy Chopped Piloncillo.

Traditional Uses For Piloncillo

Cafe de Olla - An earthy mixture of Viennese-roast coffee, cinnamon, aniseeds, and piloncillo (Mexican dark brown sugar).

Champurrado - A special hot chocolate thickened with masa and flavored with piloncillo and aniseeds.

Featured Recipe - Piloncillo Pralines

1 1/2 cup sugar
8 to 9 oz. piloncillo softened and chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cup pecan pieces, toasted
1/2 teaspoon ground Canela (cinnamon)
2 teaspoons vanilla...Read More

Calabaza en Tacha: History and Recipe

Fri, 19 Oct 2018 19:32:29 -0700

We often associate pumpkins with Halloween in the US, but did you know that many varieties of pumpkins have been cultivated in Mexico for thousands of years!? In fact, archeologists have found pumpkin seeds in tombs in Mexico dating back to 7000 BC! They also found evidence that indigenous farmers cultivated the pumpkin from 6000-5000 BC in Oaxaca and Tehuacán in Central Mexico (which coincidentally is also where the first maize was ever cultivated). The pumpkin shell was used as a recipient and cup by the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican indigenous groups, and pumpkin seeds were ground in sauces (such as mole or pepián).

The Aztecs celebrated Mictecacihuatl (Queen of the underworld and afterlife) during their fall festival commemorating the dead- which eventually combined with the Catholic “All Souls Day,” and evolved into the current Day of the Dead celebration. During this fall festival, they cooked the pumpkin pulp in clay pots. This dish- “calabaza en tacha”- is enjoyed by people around Mexico and Guatemala during the fall when pumpkins are harvested. Typically bought in mercados or ferias (fall festivals) to celebrate the Day of the Dead, here...Read More

How to Brew Kombucha with Piloncillo Cones

Mon, 24 Sep 2018 17:08:00 -0700

Piloncillo is a great raw sugar option to use in your kombucha. Although brewing with piloncillo falls into the experimental category of kombucha making - it is definitely doable. In this guide, we take you through the step-by-step process recommended for switching your SCOBY over to piloncillo sugar.

As the next installment in our series on how to use raw sugars in your kombucha, today we are going to go through how to brew kombucha with piloncillo sugar.
What is Pilconcillo Sugar?
Piloncillo sugar is a raw form of sugar common to Mexico and surrounding regions. It is minimally processed and contains high molasses levels in comparison to refined sugars. Piloncillo usually comes in cone-shaped solid blocks. It is relatively inexpensive in some places, especially when compared to other forms of raw sugar such as jaggery, muscovado, and sucanat.
What Does Kombucha Make With Piloncillo Cone Taste Like?
Because piloncillo sugar has a high molasses content, this will come through into the taste of your kombucha if you brew with...Read More

How to Make a Basic Piloncillo Syrup

Sat, 15 Sep 2018 18:06:12 -0700

Give your waffles a new taste with piloncillo syrup. Treat yourself to a sweet Mexican syrup that you can make at home with only two ingredients.

I’ve been working with piloncillo for the last few weeks. Fall is always the right time to start experimenting with piloncillo because anything I do with it entails making some kind of dessert. It’s my favorite sugar to use in any dessert that calls for brown sugar. What I don’t enjoy about working with piloncillo, however, is working with them as whole cones. As cones, they are impossible to measure in a recipe! It’s not always a big deal when making something like champurrado, but if you want to get serious with this ingredient and get creative with it, cones are not ideal.

The only way I learned to use piloncillo is to boil them down.
The method is just like making a simple syrup.
For two 3″ cones, you’ll need two cups of water. On medium heat, bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low. Continue on a low boil until the liquid has reduced and starts to become thick. Check it...Read More