Cane sugar – properties and application

Proven content

Cane sugar was unanimously hailed as a healthier product than white or even brown sugar. It comes from sugar cane. It is a known sweetener used in beverages, foods, and bakery products. How is cane sugar obtained? Is it actually healthier than white sugar? What are the properties? Cane and white sugar – are there any differences?

Sugar cane – what is it?

Sugar cane is grown in warm or tropical regions of the world, with Brazil, India, Thailand, China and Australia being the leading producers. Each sugarcane plantation has many fields – all at different stages of cane production. From planting reeds to harvesting, this process can take up to 18 months.

The preparation of the reeds before planting is crucial. The leaves are taken from the cane stick and then cut into 20 cm sections. Then a field row is prepared, making incisions in the field approximately 15-20 cm wide. The stick is then placed horizontally in the hole and allowed to rise. Successful sugar production starts with healthy soil. This is done with the addition of nutrients and plenty of water.

Sugar cane maturation takes about 12-18 months. During this time, it is important that the cane is treated with pesticides and fertilizers to obtain a healthy and high-yielding sugarcane.

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Sugar cane – how is it harvested to obtain sugar?

There are two ways to harvest sugarcane – manually and mechanically. The manual harvesting process begins with setting fire to the sugar cane fields. This will remove all leaves so that the reed can be hand chopped on the ground by a team of farmers. After being harvested by hand, the reeds are manually placed on a truck and transported to the mill.

An alternative way to harvest sugarcane – mechanized harvesting – is that the machine lifts the sugarcane as it moves across the field. Mechanized harvesting is seen as the future of sugar cane harvesting. This is primarily because it is not only better for the environment and wildlife, but also a more efficient operation of transferring the reed to the mill.

Mechanized harvesting cuts the average harvest time by up to three-quarters, from 24-36 hours to just 6-12 hours. This increase in harvesting efficiency means higher yields of sucrose and higher profits for the plantation.

Read: Sugar – a silent killer

Sugar cane – how is sugar made from it?

After the cane is sorted, it is washed to remove any impurities before being processed. Cleaning the cane can be wet or dry. Dry cleaning is the preferred method as it is more environmentally friendly.

After drying, the reed is chopped and then crushed in large roller mills. This process removes sugarcane juice. Juice is a valuable extract because it is used to make sugar and ethanol.

The sugarcane juice is then sent for clarification. The juice is treated to remove sediment by coagulation and sedimentation. The process removes sand, clay and other substances from the juice. Almost 90% of the weight of sugar cane is juice, which contains up to 17% of sucrose (regular sugar) and small amounts of dextrose and fructose.

To avoid sucrose breakdown, the juice goes through a pH adjustment process. After this is done, the juice mainly consists of water, mineral salts and sugars.

The juice boils during which the moisture evaporates. During the boiling and evaporation process, about 75% of the water is removed, resulting in a thicker syrup concentrate. The syrup is then cooked to allow the sucrose to crystallize and recover. The syrup is then placed in large vessels where it is turned slowly, allowing it to cool evenly.

Seeding is then performed in which small seed crystals are added to the syrup to catalyze the crystallization process. The molasses is separated from the crystals and the liquid is ready for the next step.

Centrifugation takes place to complete the process. During this process, the crystallized syrup is separated from the sugar and dried by placing it in a centrifuge. This creates raw sugar, separating the sugar crystals from the surrounding molasses.

Organic rose sugar, which consists of cane sugar and rose petals, can be purchased at Medonet Market.

See: Potatoes, molasses, and coffee help maintain weight

Cane sugar – properties

Cane sugar has a characteristic caramel flavor as well as an aroma. It is available on the food market in various forms: as brown sugar, white sugar and in the form of crystals. There are also several types of cane sugar.

1. Demerara cane sugar – it has larger crystals, yellow in color, also has a thick, sticky consistency,
2. non-centrifuged cane sugar – it is cane sugar in cubes, it contains not only molasses, but also sucrose, this type of sugar has a characteristic color from dark brown to almost black,
3. non-crystalline cane sugar – containing about 50% of sucrose, has a thick consistency and a dark, almost brown color,
4. Muscovado cane sugar – in the form of small, brown crystals, it has a thick consistency.

Cane sugar is mostly sucrose, or disaccharide, which consists of fructose and glucose. Its 100 g is about 387 kcal, while a small teaspoon is about 16 g.

Cane sugar does not contain any vitamins, but it contains trace amounts of minerals: selenium, calcium, potassium, and fluorine. These are not the amounts that can meet the daily requirement of an adult’s body for these minerals.

Refined cane sugar is pure energy for the body without vitamins, while unrefined sugar means a smaller amount of sucrose and a different consistency, more viscous, different smell and taste.

Of course, cane sugar, although it is less caloric than white or brown sugar, eaten in large amounts every day can cause not only excess weight, but also tooth decay, uncontrolled hunger, and even disturbance in the sphere of concentration and memory.

According to research and the opinion of specialists, cane sugar consumed in excessive amounts may also increase the risk of fatty liver disease, insulin resistance, increase the risk of depression in adults, type II diabetes, may cause erection problems or increase pain in joint inflammation.

Cane sugar – application

Cane sugar is an important ingredient that plays a vital role in the production of certain products. Producers try to replace, for example, white sugar with cane sugar without losing the organoleptic characteristics of the product, which are important for the buyer.

Other advantages and applications of the product include giving color to products that have undergone the caramelization process. Cane sugar provides color to baked products, for example fruit. It also has a decorative function, as it can impart shine, it is used to produce the so-called glaze used for decoration in confectionery. Other functions that cane sugar can perform include:

1. masking the bitter taste,
2. an acidity regulator,
3. is a foaming agent,
4. minimizes food drying out,
5. stabilizes gels,
6. delays protein coagulation.

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