Ethyl Maltol
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EM is not really needed and I don't consider it a sweetener, per se. It can give a slightly sweet taste to a mix, but you will never be able to use enough of it to actually sweeten it. EM will give a mix a fuller mouth feel, some say. I have tried it once, maybe twice and never saw its appeal.
YMMV.
eta. If you have purchased a cotton candy type of flavor, then you already have it. Its all em.
If you are looking for a sweetener go with CAP super sweet. Careful a little goes a long way. It is super sweet
Usually Cotton Cady flavoring is made of Ethyl Maltol.
I have cotton candy and use it sparingly in SOME mixes. My go to sweetener though is FA Super Sweet, it's sucralose and at a fairly high percentage so yes, a few drops go a long way. I am a reluctant sweetener, and generally only use a couple drops maximum though I do like layering in some sweetness at times by using flavors like marshmallow, cotton candy and merengue. Some of those give a nice depth to the sweetness.
But if I'm using a sweetener individually, it will always be Super Sweet. I've used sucralose for a long time as my artificial sweetener, it doesn't mess with me like some, and I trust it as I know how it works...
Anna
But if I'm using a sweetener individually, it will always be Super Sweet. I've used sucralose for a long time as my artificial sweetener, it doesn't mess with me like some, and I trust it as I know how it works...
Anna
I wouldn't consider EM (or methyl maltol, which is generally just listed as Maltol in MSDSs, etc.) a sweetener in the same sense that sucralose is. No matter how much you use it will never give you "sugar lips," nor will it give you the the extreme sweetness of much commercial juice.
That said, it does add a sweet note to flavors, and many flavors you use probably already contain a great deal of it, for that reason. There are other compounds like that- vanillin and related compounds also add an impression of sweetness.
I don't think EM is best used as a sweetener, especially because it seems to mute other flavors. It can be used effectively for just that quality though, to round out the rough edges of certain harsh flavors.
You actually need to be a bit careful about adding EM to juice because so many flavors are already loaded with it, and it has odd effects at high percentages. In my experience you can easily wind up with too much EM without actually adding any as an additive, if you stack too many high EM flavors in one recipe. Adding more EM would just make that worse.
That said, it does add a sweet note to flavors, and many flavors you use probably already contain a great deal of it, for that reason. There are other compounds like that- vanillin and related compounds also add an impression of sweetness.
I don't think EM is best used as a sweetener, especially because it seems to mute other flavors. It can be used effectively for just that quality though, to round out the rough edges of certain harsh flavors.
You actually need to be a bit careful about adding EM to juice because so many flavors are already loaded with it, and it has odd effects at high percentages. In my experience you can easily wind up with too much EM without actually adding any as an additive, if you stack too many high EM flavors in one recipe. Adding more EM would just make that worse.
Thanks for your insight!! I ended up ordering a small amount because several of the recipes I’m going to use call for it but I may lower the amount of EM. I can always add more if needed.
Ethyl Maltol isn't really a sweetner unless you add a lot of it to the juice, then it will ruin the taste of the juice. A tiny amount around 1/2 percent or less can add a good mouth feel and blend some flavors. It can also take the tartness out of some fruit flavors. You mostly don't need it.
Put a couple of drops in my tank with some tobacco just now to round out the harsh notes.
I initially bought it to add to my strawberry.
I initially bought it to add to my strawberry.
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When I am mixing someone else's recipe, and it calls for EM; I leave it out for my initial trial. Then, and only "if" I feel like something is missing (or just kind of "not right"), will I begin adding EM. Often I can do just fine without. Other times it can help (some recipes more; other recipes less). And then there are the times it just makes matters worse.
It’s definitely worth having. A bit of EM really improves some recipes. But also something to be a bit cautious with, IMHO. I tend to go pretty light on the pure additives though, for the most part. YMMV.
I don't use it or sweetener. So far a touch of meringue, marshmallow, or pear works well for me. I have broke down and ordered a custard to use at low percentages for added mouth feel.
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