Brown Sugar vs Sugar that is brown

[medtran49]

Mod Edit: posts on brown sugar vs sugar that is brown moved out of competition thread to tidy it up. (One or two posts are duplicated, not moved to make more sense).


You can make your own brown sugar from granulated white by mixing 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 Tbsp molasses for light brown or 2 Tbsp molasses for dark brown. It's probably best to mix with your fingers.

There are brown sugars of various names worldwide. As long as the color of the sugar is golden brown to dark brown, you are good.

Obviously, brown sugar can be used in sweets, but there are lots and lots of recipes using beef, poultry, seafood, vegan/vegetarian options. In fact, I found an Asian recipe using ground beef while browsing that I intend to try very soon.

 

[caseydog]

Does rock sugar / gula djawa /palm sugar count?
They are generally quite dark.

I believed those are just unrefined sugars. I'm pretty sure the brown sugar medtran59 is referring to is a mixture of sugar and molasses. Of course, she is the judge, so she decides. Is brown sugar not easily available there?

CD

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

brown sugar medtran59 is referring to is a mixture of sugar and molasses

That will be a problem because I think it's only the USA/Americas that that's the case for. Brown sugar isn't typically dyed white sugar in most countries I've travelled to or lived in.

Certainly UK and Aus and I think most of Europe, brown sugar is from sugar cane and is less refined than white sugar. White sugar can be from sugar cane or from beet.

I had assumed that ...

• soft light/dark brown sugar
• Molasses sugar (dark brown crystals, not the syrup)
• Turbinado
• Golden granulated
• golden caster
• Raw sugar
• Demerara
• Light or Dark Muscovado
• rapadura
• panela
• kokuto
• Piloncillo
• Jaggery
• Okinawa Sugar
• Black Sugar
• (Plus quite a few others)

...would all apply to the definition of "brown sugar". To be honest I hadn't even considered the white sugar added to molasses/treacle syrup option. I was unaware of it as existing!

I had however assumed that coconut sugar wasn't on that list, though honestly I don't know why and it makes no sense if palm sugar is an option (Jaggery etc).

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Is brown sugar not easily available there?

No.

All sugar produced in Australia is sugar cane sugar. There is no beet sugar in Australian brands of sugar (beet sugar is not normally vegetarian or vegan, it is clarified/ made white over charred animal bones which isn't permitted in Australia). It doesn't mean they're isn't beet sugar available. It can be imported from say American companies producing it, but I haven't seen any. The only imported sugar I've seen is Billingtons, a UK make that's also sugar cane.

 

[caseydog]

That will be a problem because I think it's only the USA/Americas that that's the case for. Brown sugar isn't typically dyed white sugar in most countries I've travelled to or lived in.

Certainly UK and Aus and I think most of Europe, brown sugar is from sugar cane and is less refined than white sugar. White sugar can be from sugar cane or from beet.

I had assumed that ...

• soft light/dark brown sugar
• Molasses sugar (dark brown crystals, not the syrup)
• Turbinado
• Golden granulated
• golden caster
• Raw sugar
• Demerara
• Light or Dark Muscovado
• rapadura
• panela
• kokuto
• Piloncillo
• Jaggery
• Okinawa Sugar
• Black Sugar
• (Plus quite a few others)

...would all apply to the definition of "brown sugar". To be honest I hadn't even considered the white sugar added to molasses/treacle syrup option. I was unaware of it as existing!

I had however assumed that coconut sugar wasn't on that list, though honestly I don't know why and it makes no sense if palm sugar is an option (Jaggery etc).

I didn't say it was "dyed" brown. It is just cane sugar with molasses in it, either naturally, or commercially blended.

There is also turbinado sugar, which is minimally processed cane sugar. That has a light brown color. The only processing it gets is to remove dirt and other impurities. It does have some residual molasses in it, but not as much as brown sugar -- or at least what we call brown sugar. That may be what you are referring to as brown sugar in the UK and Australia.

CD

 

[medtran49]

That will be a problem because I think it's only the USA/Americas that that's the case for. Brown sugar isn't typically dyed white sugar in most countries I've travelled to or lived in.

Brown sugar, light or dark, in the U.S. isn't dyed. It's mixed with molasses and has a totally different texture and taste than granulated white sugar alone.

 

[TastyReuben]

Brown sugar, light or dark, in the U.S. isn't dyed. It's mixed with molasses and has a torally different texture and taste than granulated white sugar alone.

Yep, that’s why in American recipes that call for brown sugar, it’ll usually specify whether it should be measured loose or packed, as in “1/4 cup packed brown sugar,” because it’s somewhat sticky and holds together like wet sand, so a 1/4 cup just dumped or scoop will not be the same as a 1/4 cup packed.

BHG

 

[medtran49]

All sugar produced in Australia is sugar cane sugar. There is no beet sugar in Australian brands of sugar (beet sugar is not normally vegetarian or vegan, it is clarified/ made white over charred animal bones which isn't permitted in Australia). It doesn't mean they're isn't beet sugar available. It can be imported from say American companies producing it, but I haven't seen any. The only imported sugar I've seen is Billingtons, a UK make that's also sugar cane.

Why are you assuming that all brown sugar is made from beet sugar? It may be, though I've not seen any, but commercial brown sugar is usually made with cane sugar mixed with molasses.


‐--------------------------------------------

To all:

The ONLY reason I gave the recipe to make brown sugar was to make it easy for someone who didn't have it in their pantry or maybe didn't have it or another type of brown sugar available. Most of the members here have white granulated sugar and have access to molasses or treacle or something along the same lines. I was  trying to make this as challenge as easy, affordable and accessible as possible by giving the recipe and making the statement of :

There are brown sugars of various names worldwide. As long as the color of the sugar is golden brown to dark brown, you are good.

 

[karadekoolaid]

I was  trying to make this as challenge as easy, affordable and accessible as possible by giving the recipe and making the statement of :

There are brown sugars of various names worldwide. As long as the color of the sugar is golden brown to dark brown, you are good.

And you did perfectly well. I understood the challenge as a colour thing. Brown vs White!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Why are you assuming that all brown sugar is made from beet sugar? It may be, though I've not seen any, but commercial brown sugar is usually made with cane sugar mixed with molasses

No. Quite the opposite. Beet sugar is what colder climates grow because cane sugar needs tropical conditions. And going by American sugar websites, a lot of American brown sugar is a mix of white cane sugar and white beet sugar coloured brown with molasses.

The word dyed is simply referring to taking white sugar and adding something brown to it to get a brown sugar. That is the technical term for changing its colour.

To me, at least, brown sugar has never been white and then something added to it to make it brown again.

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

Just wondering out loud: couldn't Golden Syrup be added to white sugar to make "Brown Sugar"?
Just thinking that if where you are there isn't any Brown Sugar or even Molasses, I understood that Golden Syrup is similar?

 

[medtran49]

Just wondering out loud: couldn't Golden Syrup be added to white sugar to make "Brown Sugar"?
Just thinking that if where you are there isn't any Brown Sugar or even Molasses, I understood that Golden Syrup is similar?

Depends on the golden syrup. Some of them are very, very light colored and would barely color the sugar, while others are as dark as molasses/treacle. Remember, it needs to be at least golden brown.

 

[caseydog]

No. Quite the opposite. Beet sugar is what colder climates grow because cane sugar needs tropical conditions. And going by American sugar websites, a lot of American brown sugar is a mix of white cane sugar and white beet sugar coloured brown with molasses.

The word dyed is simply referring to taking white sugar and adding something brown to it to get a brown sugar. That is the technical term for changing its colour.

To me, at least, brown sugar has never been white and then something added to it to make it brown again.

You do realize, I hope, that the purpose of adding molasses to white sugar is not to change the color/colour, but to change the flavor/flavour. The change in color just happens because molasses is brown.

As for beet sugar, it is a sweetener, but if you buy sugar in the grocery store, it will clearly say on the label what it is, and it is normally pure cane sugar. I buy Imperial brand Pure Cane Sugar. It is a Texas brand. SE Texas and Southern Louisiana grows a lot of sugar cane -- well over 50-percent of the sugar cane grown in the US.

CD

 

[caseydog]

And you did perfectly well. I understood the challenge as a colour thing. Brown vs White!

But, it is actually much more than a color thing. Brown sugars have a different flavor profile.

CD

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

You do realize, I hope, that the purpose of adding molasses to white sugar is not to change the color/colour, but to change the flavor/flavour. The change in color just happens because molasses is brown.

Perhaps I just fail to understand why they refine sugar cane to the point of white sugar then add a component back in. It makes far more sense to only partially refine it.

But I can see that you won't see it my way and I'm certainly not going to see it the way you do, and i certainly won't be using it without checking it out thoroughly because the likelihood is that the white sugar has been bleached using charred animal bones to get out to the white stage. Partially refined brown sugar hasn't been via a non-vegetarian bleaching stage.

Thankfully all sugar bleaching in Australia was changed back in the 1990's away from using charred animal bones, over to using activated charcoal obtained from coal instead, so provided I stay with Australian sugar brands (and anything containing sugar from an Australian source), I can stay clear of the use of charred animal bones.