Sugars

Copyright 1997 Alan T. Hagan. All rights reserved.
Republished in part by express permission. Please note Disclaimer below.
Entire text also available as an ftp download.

There are a wide number of sugars to be found for purposes of sweetening foods. Fructose is the primary sugar in fruit and honey; maltose is one of the sugars in malted grains; pimentose are found in olives and sucrose is what we know as granulated or table sugar. Sucrose is a highly refined product made mostly from sugar cane though some may still be made from sugar beets. Modern table sugar is now so highly refined as to be virtually 100% pure and nearly indestructible if protected from moisture. Powdered sugar and brown sugar are simple variations on granulated sugar and share its long life.

Liquid sweeteners do not have quite the longevity of dry sugars. Honey, molasses, corn syrup and maple syrup may crystallize or mold during long storage. These syrups are chemically not as simple as table sugar and therefore lose flavor and otherwise break down over a long period of time.

Buying granulated sugar and its close cousins is really a very simple matter. Buy a brand you know you can trust and be certain the package is clean, dry and has no insect infestation. There's very little that can go wrong with it.

Granulated Sugar

Granulated sugar does not spoil, but if it gets damp it will likely cake up or get lumpy. If it does, it can simply be pulverized again until it regains its granulated texture.

Powdered Sugar and Confectioner's Sugar

Both names refer to the same kind of sugar, that is white granulated sugar very finely ground. For commercial use there is a range of textures from coarse to ultra-fine. For home consumption, what is generally found is either Very Fine (6X) or Ultra-Fine (10X). Not all manufacturers will indicate the grind on the package though. Sugar refiners usually add a small amount of corn starch to prevent caking.

 

Powdered sugar is as inert as granulated sugar, but it is even more hygroscopic and will absorb any moisture present. If it absorbs more than a little it may cake up and get hard. It's difficult to reclaim hardened powdered sugar, but it can still be used like granulated sugar.

Brown Sugar

In the United States brown sugar is basically just refined white sugar that has had a bit of molasses added to it. Dark brown sugar has more molasses which gives it a stronger flavor, a darker color and makes it damp. Light brown sugar has less molasses which gives it a milder flavor, a blonder color and is slightly dryer than the dark variety. For storage purposes you may want to just stock the dark variety. Light brown sugar can be made by combining one fourth to one third white sugar to the remainder dark brown sugar and blend thoroughly.

 

Both varieties need to be protected from drying out, or they will become very hard and difficult to deal with. Nor do you want to allow them to become damper than what they already are.

 

There are granulated and liquid brown sugars available, but they don't have the same cooking qualities as ordinary brown sugars. They also don't dry out and harden quite so readily either.

Raw, Natual or Turbinado Sugar

In recent years, sugar refiners have realized that there is a market for less refined forms of cane sugar here in the US and have begun to sell this kind of sugar under various names and packaging. None of it is really "raw" sugar since it is illegal to sell it in this country due to the high impurities level in truly raw sugar. All of it has been processed in some form or fashion to clean it, but it has not been subjected to the full refining and whitening processes of ordinary white table sugar. This leaves some of the natural color and a mild flavor in the sweetener. All of these less refined sugars should be stored and handled like brown sugar.

 

All granulated sugars have basically the same storage requirements. They need to be kept in air tight, insect and moisture proof containers. For powdered, granulated and raw sugar you might want to consider using some desiccant in the storage container if your local climate is damp. Since brown sugars are supposed to be moist, they do not need desiccants. Shelf life is indefinite if kept dry, but anything that you intend to eat really should be rotated over time. Time has a way of affecting even the most durable of foods.

 

I've used brown sugar that was six years old at the time it was removed from storage and other than the molasses settling somewhat towards the bottom it was just fine.

DISCLAIMER: Safe and effective food storage requires attention to detail and proper equipment and ingredients. The author makes no warranties and assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the text, or damages resulting from the use or misuse of information contained herein. Placement of or access to this work on this or any other site does not mean the author espouses or adopts any political, philosophical or meta-physical concepts that may also be expressed wherever this work appears.