remarkably stupid question about sugar.

jerber160
jerber160 Posts: 2,607 Member
edited November 5 in Food and Nutrition
I just had the thought that what's the difference between white and brown sugar? do I bake with the same amounts? should I be putting brown sugar on cereal instead of white? will they taste the same? I saw a friend post something about 'the darker the better' and that made me think. why do I use brown sugar in chocolate chip cookies? now I'm confused and obviously stupid. thanks

Replies

  • kdt8810
    kdt8810 Posts: 38 Member
    Not a stupid question at all. Yes, there is difference in taste. White sugar is a bit more refined that brown sugar. Most sugar sold I the US is beet sugar - not cane sugar. Lots of brown sugar sold here is simply white sugar sprayed with molasses. If you buy brown cane sugar - it simply is cane sugar that has not been as processed as much as white cane sugar. Molasses is what you get from refining the cane completely. They go into great detail about the process in the book "What Einstein told his cook". Hope that helps.
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,607 Member
    thank you.. I just cut up an apple and nuked it with some brown sugar and cinnamon. very very nice. thanks
  • johngordon14
    johngordon14 Posts: 9
    Definitely get the unrefined stuff.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,093 Member
    Not a stupid question at all. Yes, there is difference in taste. White sugar is a bit more refined that brown sugar. Most sugar sold I the US is beet sugar - not cane sugar. Lots of brown sugar sold here is simply white sugar sprayed with molasses. If you buy brown cane sugar - it simply is cane sugar that has not been as processed as much as white cane sugar. Molasses is what you get from refining the cane completely. They go into great detail about the process in the book "What Einstein told his cook". Hope that helps.

    It seems kind of odd to say that "molasses is what you get from refining the cane completely." It's what's left over after the refining process to create sugar. If traditional brown case sugar is less refined than white sugar, because it still has some molasses left in it, then it seems odd to describe the thing (molasses) that makes the brown sugar less refined as being "what you get from refining the cane completely." It would be like calling wheat germ and wheat bran "what you get from refining the wheat completely" (into white flour). I supposed it's true in a technical sense, but it's not what most people think of when they talk about refined foods.

    Anyway, for the OP, you could switch them in baking in terms of getting a product that cooks in essentially the same way, but the taste will definitely be different. I don't know whether you "should" be putting it on cereal instead of white sugar; the brown sugar should have a slightly higher content of some micronutrients (minerals) that your body needs, but unless you're using an awful lot of sugar, it doesn't seem like it should make that much of a difference (because there's not _that much_ molasses in the brown sugar). I prefer the taste of brown sugar on oatmeal and other whole grain cereals if I'm using sugar, and I don't put sugar on cold cereal.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    When cooking you can interchange white and brown sugar. Brown sugar does not dissolve like what and the items will be sweeter but if you must do it by weight....not by cup to cup conversion. AS well the texture will be different etc. I personally wouldn't do it.

    If eating whatever floats your boat...I personally use Xylitol instead of white for eating but cooking...
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,607 Member
    dead thread I know, but I recently gave up artificial sweeteners. now I really gotta get on this white/brown thing
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
    Another difference is moisture content, because of the molasses in the brown sugar, it's going to require less moisture in a recipe than white sugar.

    Although with modern processing, 'natural brown sugar' is sugar that has only been partially processed so some molasses remains. 'Commercial brown sugar,' though, the kind most of us usually buy? It's actually white sugar with molasses added back in, bizarrely. Kind of like a lot of milk we buy is actually skim milk that they then add fat back into in order to make 2% or whole milk.

    ...modern food processing is seriously messed up, when you start looking into it. Guess it's easier (or cheaper) to fully process something and put in additions than it is to have different levels of processing.
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,607 Member
    right now, since I quit artificial sweeteners, I need things to flavor tea and coffee. if it's a good Jamaican coffee, one teaspoonful of granulated (all I have in the house right now-but I have to shop later today)is fine. otherwise, I like 2 tsps and that started to raise calories when you drink as much coffee as I do. Tea is the same. a squirt of lemon juice plus 1 tsp helps... 2 is better. I'm also putting it in almond milk, but I'm thinking of going back to regular milk...or the 60 cal almond milk and cutting it with water.
  • farberry
    farberry Posts: 71 Member
    They just taste different. Also brown sugar is what makes cookies and brownies soft and chewy. Generally white sugar is used in cakes as it's lighter and drier, meaning your sponge will rise higher and be fluffier instead of a dense brownie-like cake.
  • PearlAng
    PearlAng Posts: 681 Member
    Everyone else pretty much covered it, and neither is really better than the other. I guess at that point it really comes down to preference, as one has molasses and one does not. Calorie-wise they are about the same too
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,607 Member
    I bought sugar in the raw
  • Katgan
    Katgan Posts: 22 Member
    The less refined brown sugar actually has some nutritional value.
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