White refined sugar has become the most common form of sugar in North America as well as in Europe. Refined sugar can be made by dissolving raw sugar and purifying it with a phosphoric acid method similar to that used for blanco directo, a carbonatation process involving calcium hydroxide and carbon dioxide, or by various filtration strategies. It is then further purified by filtration through a bed of activated carbon or bone char depending on where the processing takes place. Beet sugar refineries produce refined white sugar directly without an intermediate raw stage.
White refined sugar is typically sold as granulated sugar, which has been dried to prevent clumping. Granulated sugar comes in various crystal sizes - for home and industrial use - depending on the application:
* coarse-grained sugars, such as sanding sugar (pearl sugar/decorating sugar/nibbed sugar/sugar nibs) adds "sparkle" and flavor for decorating to baked goods, candies, cookies/biscuits and other desserts. The sparkling effect occurs because the sugar forms large crystals which reflect light. Sanding sugar, a large-crystal sugar, serves for making edible decorations. It has larger granules that sparkle when sprinkled on baked goods and candies and will not dissolve when subjected to heat.
* normal granulated sugars for table use: typically they have a grain size about 0.5 mm across.
* finer grades result from selectively sieving the granulated sugar
White refined sugar is typically sold as granulated sugar, which has been dried to prevent clumping. Granulated sugar comes in various crystal sizes - for home and industrial use - depending on the application:
* coarse-grained sugars, such as sanding sugar (pearl sugar/decorating sugar/nibbed sugar/sugar nibs) adds "sparkle" and flavor for decorating to baked goods, candies, cookies/biscuits and other desserts. The sparkling effect occurs because the sugar forms large crystals which reflect light. Sanding sugar, a large-crystal sugar, serves for making edible decorations. It has larger granules that sparkle when sprinkled on baked goods and candies and will not dissolve when subjected to heat.
* normal granulated sugars for table use: typically they have a grain size about 0.5 mm across.
* finer grades result from selectively sieving the granulated sugar
- caster/castor (0.355 mm), commonly used in baking
- superfine sugar, also called baker's sugar, berry sugar or bar sugar - favored for sweetening drinks or for preparing meringue
* finest grades
- powdered sugar, 10x sugar, confectioner's sugar (0.060 mm) or icing sugar (0.024 mm), produced by grinding sugar to a fine powder. The manufacturer may add a small amount of anticaking agent to prevent clumping - either cornstarch (1-3%) or tri-calcium phospate.
Brown sugars come from the late stages of sugar refining, when sugar forms fine crystals with significant molasses content, or from coating white refined sugar with a cane molasses syrup. Their color and taste become stronger with increasing molasses content, as do their moisture-retaining properties. Brown sugars also tend to harden if exposed to the atmosphere, although proper handling can reverse this.
Brown sugar contains from 3.5% molasses (light brown sugar) to 6.5% molasses (dark brown sugar). The product is naturally moist from the hygroscopic nature of the molasses and is often labelled as "soft".
Natural brown sugar is a name for raw sugar which is a brown sugar produced from the first crystallisation of the sugar cane. As such "natural brown sugar" is free of additional dyes and chemicals. There is more molasses in brown sugar, giving it a higher mineral content. Some natural brown sugars have particular names and characteristics, and are sold as Demerara or Muscovado.
Muscovado also known as "Barbados sugar" or "moist sugar", it is very dark brown, and slightly coarser and stickier than most brown sugars. Unlike most other brown sugars, which are made by adding molasses to refined white sugar, muscovado takes its flavor and color from its source, sugarcane juice. It offers good resistance to hight temperatures and has a reasonably long shelf life. It is commonly used in baking recipes and making whiskey.
Source: wikipedia
Brown sugar contains from 3.5% molasses (light brown sugar) to 6.5% molasses (dark brown sugar). The product is naturally moist from the hygroscopic nature of the molasses and is often labelled as "soft".
Natural brown sugar is a name for raw sugar which is a brown sugar produced from the first crystallisation of the sugar cane. As such "natural brown sugar" is free of additional dyes and chemicals. There is more molasses in brown sugar, giving it a higher mineral content. Some natural brown sugars have particular names and characteristics, and are sold as Demerara or Muscovado.
Muscovado also known as "Barbados sugar" or "moist sugar", it is very dark brown, and slightly coarser and stickier than most brown sugars. Unlike most other brown sugars, which are made by adding molasses to refined white sugar, muscovado takes its flavor and color from its source, sugarcane juice. It offers good resistance to hight temperatures and has a reasonably long shelf life. It is commonly used in baking recipes and making whiskey.
Source: wikipedia
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