SouthernUtahFoodStorage

Cane sugar is made from juice pressed from sugar cane stalks. The juice is first clarified with sulfur and lime, and then it is centrifuged, percolated through charcoal, and heated at 63 deg. F. until concentrated enough for a certain percentage of sugar to crystallize out. This is called “first” sugar. The drained of liquid containing considerable sugar is called “first” or light molasses. Part of the “first” molasses is added to fresh cane juice and reworked like first batch of juice to obtain a “second” sugar. The liquid left is called “second” or dark molasses. Part of the “second” molasses is diluted with water, reboiled to obtain a “third” sugar. The liquid left is called “third or black strap molasses.

All extracted sugar are washed, dried, then screened to separate into crystals of extra fine, fine, medium and standard granulations. These sugars are run into barrels, bags and boxes for distribution. Granulated sugar is pure carbohydrate with only caloric value.

Molasses remaining at the end of the three sugar extractions contain considerable calcium and iron. Research shows black strap molasses contains more than three times the iron of light molasses. However, iron in black strap is only 54 % usable, while in light molasses 97% usable. Since light molasses has a milder flavor than the dark, most people eat more light and obtain as much iron as eating less of the dark.

Beet Sugar is made from juice pressed from sugar beets. The process of purification and crystallization is similar but less elaborate than that of making cane sugar. The composition of beet and cane sugar is the same. They sweeten identically and may be used interchangeably in cooking, baking and making candies and jellies.

Brown or soft sugars are made from syrups left after different extractions of granulated sugar. These syrups are evaporated at a low temperature to make fine crystals with syrup adhering to them. Dark-brown sugar has a more clinging syrup than the light-brown sugar. These sugars add distinctive flavor to cooked and baked foods and contain small amounts of calcium and iron depending on the percentage of syrup clinging to crystals.

Corn sugar is made by evaporating corn syrup to the point of crystallization. It is 3/5 as sweet as cane sugar, yellowish in color, and is sold in both lump and granular forms. It is used commercially in baking bread and making ice cream. In the household it is used for preparing food for special diets.

Corn syrup is made by cooking cornstarch under high pressure in the presence of acid (hydrolyzing), which turns the starch to a liquid. Up to 10 percent refiners molasses is added to make white corn syrup and up to 10 percent refined molasses is added to make dark corn syrup. A maple-flavored corn syrup is also on the market. Double-sweetness corn syrup is made from refined cornstarch through the action of enzymes or by the use of lime. It tastes sweeter than other corn syrup since it contains a chemically different sugar.

Domino or cube sugar are made by pressing moist granulated sugar crystals into slabs. After slabs dry, they are sawed and clipped into dominoes, cubes or other shapes. Special machines also press the moist crystals into desired forms. Dominoes and cubes are convenient for sweetening beverages.

Honey is syrup condensed by bees from flower nectar. Its color, flavor and aroma depend on the kinds of flowers visited. Recognized wild flower honeys are goldenrod, and aster. Fruit tree blossoms and field crops also contribute their flavor. White clover, alfalfa, buckwheat and basswood honeys are famous for their distinctive flavors. With occasional exceptions the lighter colored honeys are of a higher grade than the dark. Honey is sold in the comb, strained, and in a homogenized form especially for table use. It serves as a spread and contributes its unusual flavors to cooked and baked dishes and in sauces and dressings. Honey naturally granulates but can be restored to liquid form by placing container in hot (not boiling) water.
Maple sugar contributes a delicate flavor to custards, candies, icings and other confections. Maple sugar is made by filtering maple sap and evaporating it to a concentration of 64 per cent sugar. Such syrup weighs 11 lbs. per gallon. Maple-sugar syrup is made by dissolving maple sugar in water. Both syrups have fine characteristic maple flavor. As a rule maple syrup is sweeter and milder than maple-sugar syrup.

Pulverized sugar may be either powdered of confectioners’. Both are made by grinding ordinary granulated sugar and sifting it through bolting cloths of different degrees of fineness. Powdered sugar is coarser than confectioner’s, and is used to bake fine textured cakes, to make icings, and to sift over desserts, strawberries, grapefruit, and other fresh fruit. Very fine confectioners’ sugar, XXXX to XXXXXX may be pure sugar or sugar mixed with three percent cornstarch to keep from caking. It is used to make butter icings, quick candies, and to sift over cakes, cookies, candies and chewing gum.
Sorghum is made of the juice pressed from fresh green stalks of sorghum cane, a relative of sugar cane, grown in the middle-western and southern states. This juice is usually evaporated in open pans and cooked down to the consistency of molasses. The color of sorghum varies from a beautiful amber color to a dark reddish tan, depending upon the quality of the cane and the uniformity of the slow cooking process. Sorghum adds a characteristic flavor to cake, candy, cookies, etc., and is used as a table syrup