Hi there!
There's an awful lot to learn and know about all kinds of sweeteners, but the basic stuff with
saccharin is that it is the most common sweetener in the US and I'm pretty sure the only one available in "brown sugar" in the US. Equal/aspartame is actually almost a newbie, the last 10-20 years or so, with Splenda only available a couple of years or so (legal for almost 4 now)
and ACE-K in use for a number of years, usually in combination.
Saccharin CAN have a bitter aftertaste, as can ALL the artificial sweeteners ... usually the first thing to check is the amount. Most recipes, I find, ask for too much sweetener, and that's when things get bitter with these
artificial sweeteners.
My experience is that, no matter what the sweetener, 2 rules apply:
- ALWAYS start with less than the recipe calls for and taste as you go; and
- USE TWO different sweeteners in combination and follow rule 1 (2 sweeteners seem to work in synergy so you get more sweetness for less total sweetener).
Hope this helps!
PS: see the orange menu bar above? Click on Tips and look for a really helpful article about sweeteners.