Table Sugar

Introduction *Table sugar is the white crystalline sweetener that comes mainly from sugar cane. Table sugar is also produced from sugar beet in some countries. *Chemically it is sucrose, a disaccharide of glucose and fructose units. *It is used in the preparation of a variety of foods in baking, fruit juices, soft drinks, cordials, sweets, snacks and many more. *The sugar canes are crushed and mashed to extract the juice. This juice is then boiled to evaporate and concentrate when sugar is crystallized. The remaining liquid is called molasses. It is again boiled to crystallize the sugar. The sugar thus obtained is light brown or yellow in color and is called raw sugar. *This raw sugar is treated with chemical to refine and make it white. *This refined sugar is available in different forms – 1. Coarse grained sugar – Also called sanding sugar or pearl sugar, it is used for decorating the baked products. 2. Granulated sugar – The granules are smaller than the coarse grained variety but larger than caster sugar, and is commonly used for table use. 3. Caster (or Castor) sugar – Very fine sugar, commonly used in baking as it dissolves easily. 4. Powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar or icing sugar – This is produced by grinding sugar to a fine powder and mixing in a small amount of anti-caking agent to prevent clumping. It is used in the preparation of icing on cakes. 5. Sugar cubes – This produced by mixing powdered sugar with sugar syrup and making into cubes for easier consumption. *Buying and storage: Select good quality sugar and store it in airtight containers. Exposing to air and humidity can make sugar clumpy. Is it raw? No, White sugar or granulated sugar is refined using chemicals. Make sure you read the label. Health Benefits 1. Chemically, table sugar is sucrose, a disaccharide of glucose and fructose. 2. It may cause sudden spike of blood sugar levels, so diabetics have to be cautious and use this in moderation. 3. High consumption of sugar can lead to tooth decay, diabetes, obesity, and other related conditions. 4. As with any other foods, moderation is the key.

Nutritional Information per Serving:   Serving Size 100 g of Granulated sugar   % Daily Requirements   Total Calories 387 19% Calories from carbohydrate 387     Total fat 0 g 0% Saturated fat 0 g 0% Trans fat 0 g   Cholesterol 0 g 0%   Total carbohydrate 100 g 33% Dietary fiber 0 g 0% Sugars 99.9 g     Protein 0 g 0%   Minerals   Calcium 0 mg 0% Iron 0 mg 0% Magnesium 0 mg 0% Phosphorus 0 mg 0% Potassium 0 mg 0% Sodium 0 mg 0% Zinc 0 mg 0% Copper 0 mg 0% Manganese 0 mg 0% Selenium 0.6 cmg 1%   Vitamins   Thiamine 0 mg 0% Riboflavin 0 mg 0% Niacin 0 mg 0% Vitamin B6 0 mg 0% Folic acid 0 mcg 0% Vitamin A 0 IU 0% Vitamin C 0 mg 0% Vitamin D 0 mg 0% Vitamin E 0 mg 0% Vitamin K 0 mcg 0%

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Agave Syrup: *Agave syrup, also called Agave nectar, is a natural sweetener produced from several species of the genus Agave, native to South America and Mexico.

Barley Malt Syrup: *Barley malt syrup is a natural sweetener produced from the sprouted barley.

Brown Rice Syrup: *Brown rice syrup is a natural sweetener produced from fermented cooked rice by treating it naturally with enzymes from sprouted barley.

High Fructose Corn Syrup: *Corn syrup is a syrupy sweetener made using cornstarch as a feedstock.

Light Corn Syrup: *Corn syrup is a syrupy sweetener made using cornstarch as a feedstock.

Date Sugar: *Date sugar is a natural sweetener produced by powdering or grinding the chopped and dried dates. It is not processed.

Dried Cane Juice: *Dried cane juice is a natural sweetener produced by sugar cane juice. It is unprocessed or very minimally processed.

Grenadine Syrup: *Grenadine syrup is a strong red syrup traditionally prepared from pomegranate seeds and honey (or sugar). The word ‘Grenadine' is derived from the French word ‘grenade' meaning pomegranate.

Honey: *Honey is a sweet, viscous, amber colored, natural liquid sweetener produced by the honey bees from the nectar of the flowers.

Jaggery: *Jaggery is a wholesome natural sweetener produced from the sugarcanes, most common in Southeast Asia.

Maple Sugar: *Maple sugar is a natural sweetener made from the sap of maple trees, mainly Acer saccharum (sugar maple) and Acer nigrum (black maple), mostly produced in northeastern North America and Canada.

Maple Syrup: *Maple syrup is amber colored, and is available in different grades – Extra light (AA), Light (A), Medium (B), Amber (C), and Dark (D).

Molasses: *There are three grades of molasses –

(1) Mild – Also called first molasses. It is light amber colored, very sweet, as not much sugar is removed.

(2) Dark – Also called second molasses. It is dark amber colored, sweet with a slightly bitter streak to it.

(3) Black strap – This is the left over liquid after most of the sugar has been extracted. It is dark colored, has a bittersweet taste, and a good amount minerals in it.