Question about refined and unrefined sugars, sweeteners, etc...

[Tracy in Ky]

Am I correct in understanding that unrefined sugar includes honey and pure maple syrup? Are there any other unrefined sweeteners that I am missing?

I am assuming that 'natural sugar' is refined. Is that right?

Thanks:)

[BarbaraL in OK]

You've got it, pretty much. I think sugar can get complicated, because there are various ways they can be less refined. I approach it this way: I try to find sugar that has left the brown/dark in, rather than taking it out and putting it back in. I think rapadura sugar is what I end up with. Organic is the really tricky thing; it is much better for the environment and the workers, and the full cost is right there in the price.

The other sweeteners I try are local honey and sorghum syrup (not sweet enough for me!), and, from far away, darker agave syrup and sometime grade B maple syrup (less refined & more flavor). All of these have more nutrients because they're less refined, and I think they have less of a sugar impact on your system.

[Sue G in PA]

we buy organic sugar, the brown colored sugar (our brand is called Sugar in the Raw) and products that use "evaporated cane juice" instead of sugar. That is better than refined sugar. Stevia is another good choice for sweetening tea, coffee, etc. although to me it tastes too much like Sweet n Low. Stevia IS 100% natural, though. My all time fave is raw, unstrained, unheated honey. The Really Raw Honey Co. has a great raw honey and it's based in Baltimore (very close to us!). They also sell on the internet.

[Tracy in Ky]

Thanks to you both!!

I hadn't considered sorghum--but it makes sense that it would be healthier than others. I'm not even sure of the difference between it and molasses. Maybe there is no difference.

I've never even heard of grade B Maple syrup.

Thanks for the help :)

[BarbaraL in OK]

Sorghum syrup is made from sorghum stalks, in a process similar to maple syruping: the stalks are crushed, and the resulting liquid is boiled down to a syrup. It used to be the most common sweetener in the USA!

Molasses is a by-product of refining sugar cane and sugar beets into sugar, and is added back in to create brown sugar. The least refined form of molasses is black-strop (strap?) molasses, which has a very strong flavor and lots of nutrients.

Grade A maple syrup is more refined, more expensive, and has less yummy maple flavor than Grade B maple syrup :)

I've been trying to find the most local, best tasting, least processed way to have sweetener in my coffee and tea! I did forget to mention stevia, which you can actually grow (the leaves, dried, are something like 1,000 times sweeter than sugar); if you don't need your drink too sweet, you can't (I can't) taste the stevia.

[Amy in MD]

as a replacement to sugar at 1/4 to 1/2 of the amount of sugar needed. (1/4 - 1/2 cup honey to 1 cup sugar).

The Breadbeckers cookbook also addressed maple syprup. They said that the heating process to get the proper consistency destroys much of it's nutritional value. They recommend using it in moderation. I don't know if they are the sugar experts or not, but it was an interesting thought.

I have tried the honey replacement for muffins and it worked well for the recipe I used.

Good question!
Amy

[susie in tx]

My nutritionist recommends dark brown molasses sugar over many of the others including sucanat and turbinado sugar. She says that it has more minerals in it than the others. I use it when I need sugar, but most of the time I use agave nectar.

[8FillTheHeart]

I bake with only honey or sucanat. Sucanat is unrefined. A technical definition is "(a contraction of "Sugar Cane Natural") is non-refined cane sugar. Unlike refined and processed white sugar, Sucanat retains its molasses content; it is essentially pure dried sugar cane juice."

I use honey when I want a more "authentic" white sugar taste. I use sucanat for all brown sugar. I have also weaned my kids further from the sweet taste toward more of the sucanat taste. (however, I still bake all my bread with honey.)

Another alternative is to add mashed sweet potatoes. I add them to muffins and cookies and cut the sucanat in 1/2 to 3/4 of the original recipe and reduce the oil called for.

HTH

[8FillTheHeart]

I wonder why?? Succanat is simply dried cane juice. Turbinado on the other hand is basically no different than refined sugar (with the color, hint of molasses added back in) Sucanat retains its entire molasses content.

[Alison in KY]

it's sucanant with honey. I don't really know where it ranks, but it's a bit less strong than sucanant. i know breadbeckers sells it. i use the sucanant for some brown sugar replacements and the sucanant with honey for some white sugar replacements.

alison in ky

[susie in tx]

I wonder why?? Succanat is simply dried cane juice. Turbinado on the other hand is basically no different than refined sugar (with the color, hint of molasses added back in) Sucanat retains its entire molasses content.

Were you referring to why my nutritionist recommended dark brown molasses sugar over the sucanat? I think it was her opinion that the sucanat was more refined. But, I honestly don't recall exactly. All of my notes from that conversation were lost in the great email debacle wherein I lost my password and couldn't retrieve it.