Fruit sugar, also known as fructose, accumulates naturally in a variety of plants, including apples, pears, cherries, agave, sweet potatoes, carrots, corn, wheat and sugar cane. Commercial manufacturers of fructose sweeteners have high-tech systems of extraction. The home cook, however, can employ simpler methods for pulling the natural sugars from plants. Use homemade fructose extract as a natural sweetener in a variety of drink, dessert and other food recipes.
Step 1
Macerate the plant material to make pulp. Optional methods of macerating include finely mincing with a knife, grating and processing in a blender or food processor.
Step 2
Pour the pulp into a glass container. Add an equal amount of tepid water to the container. Stir the pulp and water for several minutes with a metal stir stick.
Step 3
Line a different glass container with a paper filter. Place the pulp and water mixture in the filter. Filter the juice into the second container. Squeeze the filter firmly.
Step 4
Scrape the pulp from the filter, and mix it with more warm water, as you did previously. Filter the resulting juice in the same manner using a new paper filter. Repeat the process of extracting the juice from the pulp at least one more time.
Step 5
Put the juice in a pot on a stove. Turn the stove burner on low-medium heat, and bring the juice to a simmer. Heat the juice for several minutes until its water portion cooks off and a syrup develops.