How do I know which is the best for me
There are only two sources commercially available sugar: sugar cane and sugar beets. Sugar cane is a tropical plant native to Southeast Asia, but now grown around the world. Sugar beets grow in temperate climates, including Europe and across the middle of North American.
How the cane or beets are processed determines what kind of sugar is produced.
Agave
Often referred to as agave syrup, agave nectar is made from the agave plant which is native to Southern United State and Latin America. Traditionally, agave was known to have healing properties, however, commercial agave sold today has very few beneficial nutrition. Today the refining and process of it makes it 1.5 times sweeter than regular tale sugar and is an unhealthy syrup, so do not use it.
Brown sugar:
Brown sugar retains some of the surface molasses syrup, which adds to the flavour.
Dark brown sugar has a stronger molasses flavour and makes good gingerbread, mincemeat, and other full flavour foods
Lighter brown is generally used in baking and making butterscotch, condiments, and glaze.
Cane Sugar:
This is sugar that is extracted directly from sugar cane. Unlike white sugar, cane sugar still contains some of the vitamins and minerals originally present in the sugarcane plant juice, however, relatively small. As it still retains some of the molasses and moisture from the plant, it has a blonde to light brown colour
Caster sugar:
Superfine sugar or very finely granulated sugar which allows it to dissolve almost instantly.
Coconut sugar:
Is made from the sap of coconut trees by a natural 2 step process: sap is collected from the flower buds of the coconut tree, the sap is then boiled to evaporate its water content, and the final product is coconut sugar, that is very similar to white sugar as 70% of coconut sugar is sucrose. It is often said to be a good source of minerals, the amount per one or two teaspoon serving is minimal and its high sugar content outweighs any potential benefits
Coarse sugar – Pearl or decorating sugar:
The crystals are larger than that of regular sugar. Coarse sugar is recovered when molasses-rich, sugar syrups high in sucrose are allowed to crystallize. The crystals are highly resistant to colour change or breakdown to fructose and glucose at cooking and baking temperatures. It is important for fondants, confections and liquors
Date sugar:
Date sugar is more a food than a sweetener. It is ground up from dehydrated dates and is high in fibre. Its does not dissolve when added to liquids
Demerara sugar:
Popular in England, it is a light brown sugar with large golden crystals which are slightly sticky from the adhering molasses. Often used in tea, coffee.
Muscovado or Barbados sugar – mainly used in UK and is very dark brown and has a particularly strong molasses flavour. Originally produced in Guyana.
Icing Sugar or powdered sugar or in France Sucre glace:
This sugar is granulated sugar ground to a smooth powder and then sifted. It contains about 3% corn-starch to prevent caking. There are three different degrees of fineness. Instead of icing a cake or slice, I melt dark chocolate and pour it over.
Muscovado:
Partially refined cane sugar that retains much of its natural molasses. it is very moist. India is the top producers of this kind of sugar and Mauritius is known for making the worlds best. this extra rich sugar isn’t well-known in the Western world. This less refined, more nutrient-dense sugar is good for the health conscious consumers. its exceptional for all things chocolate or savary glazes and sauces.
Maple Syrup:
Pure maple syrup is made by concentrating the sap from the maple trees to produce a thick syrup. Unlike refined white sugar, maple syrup contains many traces mineral including manganese, zinc and iron. Beware there are many fake maple syrups available on the grocery stores shelves and these do not provide the same health benefits, so make sure you are getting the pure maple syrup. This has one of the fewer calories of sugar and is my favourite go to.
Molasses:
This thick, dark syrup that forms during the sugar making process is thicker and darker than treacle with a sweeter more intense flavour. It is used in sweet and savoury recipes, including gingerbread biscuits, molasses bread, barbecue sauce, beers, bake beans, and chillis. Manufacturers also add it to white cane sugar to produce brown sugar these days. There are 3 different types, light, dark and bootstrap. The light is light and sweet, the dark is dark and bitter and Blackstrap is the darkest and most bitter. It can come sulphured or unsulfured which is referring to the addition of sulphur dioxide as a preservative. Molasses undergoes a longer boiling time than Treacle and therefore becomes thick and slow. S good for savoury recipes such as sauces, marinades, stews and glazes.
Raw Sugar:
It is the product at the point before the molasses is removed. Popular types of raw sugar are demerara sugar from Guyana and Barbados sugar, a moist fine texture sugar.
Turbinado sugar is a raw sugar that has been steam cleaned to remove contaminates, leaving a light molasses flavour, tan colour sugar
Treacle – Golden syrup:
A by product of sugar cane. Treacle is an uncrystallized syrup that forms during the sugar-making process. Commonly known as the British version of molasses treacle is thick and dark with a sweet mild bitterness. It is used in baking, including ginger cakes, frit cakes, sticky toffee pudding and treacle tarts. There are several grades available in the grocery stores, ranging from light treacle (golden syrup) which is the lightest and sweetest, to dark treacle or black treacle, darker and more bitter. Treacle undergoes a shorter boiling time, and it retains more of its liquid and stays thinner
Turbinado sugar:
This is a raw sugar which has been partially processed, where only the surface molasses has been washed off. Blond in colour and mild brown sugar flavour. Often used in tea and other beverages
Unfortunately, today Turbinado and demerara sugars are typically produced by adding molasses to white sugar, rather than the traditional method.
White sugar – granulated sugar or sometimes called table sugar:
The most used in every home’s food preparation. It has paper-white colour find crystals. It is refined sugar and during this process, moisture, minerals an compounds that give sugars their colour are removed. The by product containing the removed compounds during sugar refining is known as molasses.
Tips and Tricks
Brown sugar becomes hard when exposed to the air. I put an apple in it for a few days – just remember it is there and don’t leave it to rot.!! Another option to soften hard brown sugar is to place an open bag of sugar in the microwave with a cup of water next to it. (Not in it) and microwave on high for 2 – 3 minutes. Stop and keep turning it. Any unused sugar will dry up again.
You can substitute Treacle for Molasses or Maple syrup or even honey.