Sugars

[Leblais]

I have seen most recipes use sugar in the raw! Why not table suger? Is there a big difference?
Thanx again

I know im asking a ton of questions...

[Hippie]

There is not alot of difference in 2, besides color and grain size.

[jojo]

Is sugar in the raw synonymous with turbinado sugar?

[Hippie]

Yes, I believe it is the same.

[muscadine]

Raw cane sugar is brown just like the brown sugar you get in the stores. It's the high molasses content that makes it brown.

[Hippie]

It is brown just because it is unrefined. Brown sugar (light and dark) does contain molasses. Molasses comes from Sorghum, a different plant.

Someone google it!

[muscadine]

It is brown just because it is unrefined. Brown sugar (light and dark) does contain molasses. Molasses comes from Sorghum, a different plant.

Someone google it!

Beg to differ. Sugar refineries around here remove as much molasses as they can in the refining process. What's left is raw sugar that you can't tell it has not come out of a box of brown sugar.
Molasses extracted in the refining process in sold to grain mills to be mixed for live stock feed. This molasses has had so much of the sugar removed from it that it tastes bitter and is only fit for livestock.

[Hippie]

Are you saying sorghum and sugar cane are the same plant?

[muscadine]

Absolutely not and if you'd like to come out of the hills of Arkansas to the marsh land of La. I'd be most happy to arrange a tour through a cane sugar refinery to prove my point. I haven't Googled molasses and don't intend to. If the people running the refineries around here call the stuff molasses it's good enough for me.

[Hippie]

LOL...Got any muscadine wine I can bring home with me?

[jlsherman55]

I agree with both. I don't want to look up molases, but plants make sugars, and some plants are better producers then others.

It would be a waste if the sugar plants just threw away the by products.
Also I seen it on a TV show, because I was interested In growing sugar beets.
They Use the whole sugar beet nothing gets thrown away.

Ok Off to Tap, A virginia creeper --vine,and A grape vine (www.pfaf.org)

[fleming_jim]

It's interesting in the fact that brown sugar costs somewhat more than white sugar... White has had more things done to it, than the brown stuff has... You'd think it'd be less...

It is brown just because it is unrefined. Brown sugar (light and dark) does contain molasses. Molasses comes from Sorghum, a different plant.

[Hippie]

Muscadine is way more right than I. This is pretty good reading:



Questions Most Frequently Asked About Sugar



1. What is Sugar?

Sugar, or sucrose, is a carbohydrate that occurs naturally in every fruit and vegetable in the plant kingdom. It is the major product of photosynthesis, the process by which plants transform the sugar energy into food. Sugar occurs in greatest quantities in sugar cane and sugar beets from which it is separated for commercial use.

2. Is there a difference between sugar produced from sugar beets and sugar produced from sugar cane?

There is no difference in the sugar produced from either cane or beet. Sugar cane, a giant grass, thrives in a warm, moist climate, storing sugar in its stalk. The sugar beet grows best in a temperate climate and stores its sugar in its white root. Sugar from both sources is produced by nature in the same fashion as all green plants produce sugar-as a means of storing the sun's energy.

3. How is sugar produced?

During the refining process, the natural sugar that is stored in the cane stalk or beet root is separated from the rest of the plant material. For sugar cane, this is accomplished by a) grinding the cane to extract the juice,- b) boiling the juice until the syrup thickens and crystallizes- c) spinning the crystals in a centrifuge to produce raw sugar; d) shipping the raw sugar to a refinery where it is; e) washed and filtered to remove the last remaining plant materials and color; and f) crystallized, dried and packaged. Beet sugar processing is normally accomplished in one continuous process without the raw sugar stage. The sugar beets are washed, sliced and soaked in hot water to remove the sugar-containing juice. The juice is purified, filtered, concentrated and dried in a series of steps similar to sugar cane processing.

4. What nutrients are present in sugar?

Sugar is pure carbohydrate, an important nutrient that supplies energy to the body. Vitamins and minerals are sometimes present, but in trace amounts. Sugar and other nutritive sweeteners play an important role in making other foods taste better and, through their many uses in cooking, increasing the variety of foods available.

5. Why is sugar found in many processed foods?

Sugar is prized for its sweet taste and has many other functions in cooking and baking. It contributes texture and color to baked goods. It is needed for the fermentation by yeast, which causes bread to rise. Sugar acts as a bulking agent (ice cream, baked goods) and preservative (jams, fruits), and it imparts a satisfying body or "mouth-feel" to beverages. In non-sweet foods - salad dressings, sauces, condiments sugar enhances flavor and balances acid content in tomato and vinegar-based products.

6. How much sugar do Americans eat?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates in 2002 Americans consumed about 45 pounds of sugar per person, about 45 pounds of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) per person and about 2 pounds of honey and syrup per person.

7. What is raw sugar?

Raw sugar is a tan to brown, co**** granulated solid obtained on evaporation of clarified sugar cane juice. Raw sugar is processed from the cane at a sugar mill and then shipped to a refinery. It is about 98% sucrose. Raw sugar is not sold to consumers. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration notes raw sugar is "unfit for direct use as food or as a food ingredient because of the impurities it ordinarily contains."

8. What is turbinado sugar?

Turbinado sugar is raw sugar that has been refined to a light tan color by washing in a centrifuge under sanitary conditions. Surface molasses is removed in the washing process. In total sugar content turbinado is closer to refined sugar than to raw sugar. It can be purchased in many health food stores and some supermarkets.

9. What is brown sugar?

Brown sugar consists of sugar crystals contained in a molasses syrup with natural flavor and color components. Many sugar refiners produce brown sugar by preparing and boiling a special syrup containing these components until brown sugar crystals form. In the final processing the crystals are spun dry in a centrifuge; some of the syrup remains giving the sugar its characteristic brown color. Other refiners produce brown sugar by blending a special molasses syrup with white sugar crystals.

10. How can brown sugar be stored to prevent hardening?

Store brown sugar in a way that allows the product to retain its natural moisture-in its original plastic bag (closed tightly) or in a moisture-proof container. If the sugar hardens, let it stand overnight in a sealed jar with a damp paper towel or apple slice. For a quick fix, heat the needed amount in a 250 oven for a few minutes, or microwave on low for 1-2 minutes per cup. Use immediately

11. What is the difference between light and dark brown sugar?

Selection of one or the other is a matter of personal preference. Dark brown sugar has a stronger molasses flavor. Lighter types are used in baking, butterscotch and glazes for ham. Richer-flavored dark brown sugar is desirable for gingerbread, baked beans, plum pudding and other full-flavored foods.

12. Can confectioners (powdered) sugar be substituted for granulated sugar in a recipe?

These products usually are not interchangeable. Confectioners sugar is made up of much finer particles than granulated sugar and it contains corn starch (to prevent caking).