FACTOID # 158: 84% of people in Finland feel that they are at a low risk of experiencing a burglary - but just look at how many burglaries they have!
 
 Home   Encyclopedia   Statistics   Countries A-Z   Flags   Maps   Education   Forum   FAQ   About 
 
WHAT'S NEW
RECENT ARTICLES
More Recent Articles »
 

SEARCH ALL

FACTS & STATISTICS    Advanced view

Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 

 

(* = Graphable)

 

 


Encyclopedia > Brown Sugar
Brown sugar typical of that bought in Western supermarkets

Brown sugar is a sucrose sugar product with a distinctive brown color due to the presence of molasses. It is either an unrefined or partially refined soft sugar consisting of sugar crystals with some residual molasses content or produced by the addition of molasses to refined white sugar. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1860 KB)Granules of brown sugar, photographed by DONeil. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1860 KB)Granules of brown sugar, photographed by DONeil. ... Sucrose (common name: table sugar, also called saccharose) is a disaccharide (glucose + fructose) with the molecular formula C12H22O11. ... Magnification of grains of sugar, showing their monoclinic hemihedral crystalline structure. ... Molasses or treacle is a thick syrup by-product from the processing of the sugarcane or sugar beet into sugar. ... Magnification of grains of sugar, showing their monoclinic hemihedral crystalline structure. ... Quartz crystal Synthetic bismuth hopper crystal Insulin crystals Gallium, a metal that easily forms large single crystals A huge monocrystal of potassium dihydrogen phosphate grown from solution by Saint-Gobain for the megajoule laser of CEA. In chemistry and mineralogy, a crystal is a solid in which the constituent atoms... Molasses or treacle is a thick syrup by-product from the processing of the sugarcane or sugar beet into sugar. ... This article deals with sugar as food and as an important, widely traded commodity; the word also has other uses; see Sugar (disambiguation) A sugar is a form of carbohydrate; the most commonly used sugar is a white crystalline solid, sucrose; used to alter the flavor and properties (mouthfeel, perservation...


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." The product may undergo processing to give a product that flows better for industrial handling. The addition of dyes and/or other chemicals may be permitted in some areas or for industrial products. Molasses or treacle is a thick syrup by-product from the processing of the sugarcane or sugar beet into sugar. ... Molasses or treacle is a thick syrup by-product from the processing of the sugarcane or sugar beet into sugar. ...


Particle size is variable but generally less than granulated white sugar, products for industrial use e.g. as an ingredient for industrial production of cakes may be based on caster sugar (crystals of approximately 0.35 mm). This article deals with sugar as food and as an important, widely traded commodity; the word also has other uses; see Sugar (disambiguation) A sugar is a form of carbohydrate; the most commonly used sugar is a white crystalline solid, sucrose; used to alter the flavor and properties (mouthfeel, perservation...

Contents

Manufacture

Many brown sugar producers produce brown sugar by adding cane molasses to completely refined white sugar crystals in order to more carefully control the ratio of molasses to sugar crystals and to reduce manufacturing costs. This also allows the production of brown sugars based predominantly on sugar obtained from beet. Brown sugar prepared in this manner is often much coarser than its unrefined equivalent and its molasses may be easily separated from the crystals by simple washing to reveal the underlying white sugar crystals; with unrefined brown there is inclusion of molasses within the crystal which will appear off-white if washed. This is mainly done for inventory control and convenience.


The molasses usually used is that obtained from sugar cane, because the flavor is generally preferred over beet sugar molasses. Although in some areas, especially in the Netherlands, sugar beet molasses is used. The white sugar used can be from either beet or cane as odour and color differences will be covered by the molasses. Species Ref: ITIS 42058 as of 2004-05-05 Sugarcane is one of six species of a tall tropical southeast Asian grass (Family Poaceae) having stout fibrous jointed stalks whose sap at one time was the primary source of sugar. ... Molasses or treacle is a thick syrup by-product from the processing of the sugarcane or sugar beet into sugar. ... Two sugar beets - the one on the left has been cultivated to be smoother than the traditional beet, so that it traps less soil. ...


Brown sugar can be made at home by mixing white granulated sugar with molasses, using one tablespoon of molasses for every cup of white sugar (one-sixteenth or 6.25% of the total volume). Thorough blending will yield dark brown sugar; for light brown sugar, between one and two teaspoons of molasses per cup should be used instead. It is, however, simpler to substitute molasses for an equal portion of white sugar while cooking, without mixing them separately. This tablespoon has a capacity of about 1 tbsp. ... ... The volume of a solid object is the three-dimensional concept of how much space it occupies, often quantified numerically. ...


When a recipe calls for "brown sugar" it is usually referring to dark brown sugar, light brown sugar should only be used when specified.[citation needed]


Nutritional value

Brown sugar has a slightly lower caloric value by weight than white sugar due to the presence of water. One hundred grams of brown sugar contains 373 calories, as opposed to 396 calories in white sugar. [1] However, brown sugar packs more densely than white sugar due to the smaller crystal size and may have more calories when measured by volume. One tablespoon of brown sugar has 48 calories against 45 calories for white sugar[2] This tablespoon has a capacity of about 1 tbsp. ...


Brown sugar is reputed to have some value as a home remedy for menstrual cramps, though this is likely apocryphal. [3] In Judeo-Christian theologies, apocrypha refers to religious Sacred text that have questionable authenticity or are otherwise disputed. ...

History

In the late 1800s, the newly consolidated refined white sugar industry, which did not have full control over brown sugar production, mounted a smear campaign against brown sugar, reproducing microscopic photographs of harmless but repulsive-looking microbes living in brown sugar. The effort was so successful that by 1900, a best-selling cookbook warned that brown sugar was of inferior quality and was susceptible to infestation by "a minute insect"[4].


Natural brown sugar

Natural brown sugar is a name for raw sugar which is a brown sugar produced from the first crystallisation of cane. Raw sugar is more commonly used than processed white sugar. 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. Demerara is used as the generic name of a type of specialty raw cane sugar often used in home baking and in sweetening coffee. ... Muscovado is a type of unrefined sugar with a strong molasses flavour. ...


References

  1. ^ New Scientist. I'm Sweet Enough 21 January 2006
  2. ^ http://www.sugar.org/consumers/15_calories.asp
  3. ^ Shils, Olson, and Shike. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. Eighth edition. [1]
  4. ^ Levenstein, Harvey. Revolution at the Table Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003. 32-33

See also

Related sugar types

Demerara is used as the generic name of a type of specialty raw cane sugar often used in home baking and in sweetening coffee. ... Muscovado is a type of unrefined sugar with a strong molasses flavour. ... Sucanat (which is a concatination of Sugar Cane Natural) is non-refined cane sugar that has not had the molasses removed from it like refined white sugar. ... A block of Indian jaggery (gur) Cleaning of pans prior to manufacture of jaggery Preparation of jaggery Jaggery is the traditional unrefined sugar used in India. ...

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Brown sugar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (602 words)
It is either an unrefined or partially refined soft sugar consisting of sugar crystals with some residual molasses content or produced by the addition of molasses to refined white sugar.
Brown sugar prepared in this manner is often much coarser than its unrefined equivalent, and its molasses may be easily separated from the crystals to yield white sugar (which is not possible with unrefined sugar).
Brown sugar can be made at home by mixing white granulated sugar with molasses, using one tablespoon of molasses for every cup of white sugar (one-sixteenth or 6.25% of the total volume).
Brown Sugar - definition of Brown Sugar in Encyclopedia (2175 words)
A sugar is a form of carbohydrate; the most commonly used sugar is a white crystalline solid, sucrose; used to alter the flavor of beverages and food.
Palm sugar, or jaggery, is obtained from the sap of the palm tree and is used in southeast Asia.
Sugar mill construction is the missing link of the technological skills needed for the industrial revolution that is recognized as beginning in the first part of the 1600s.
  More results at FactBites »


 

COMMENTARY     


Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here
Your name
Your comments
Please enter the 5-letter protection code

Want to know more?
Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 


Lesson Plans | Student Area | Student FAQ | Reviews | Press Releases |  Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.