Kinds of sugar

White sugar is purified sucrose. It is obtained from sugar cane or beets that have been made into a juice, clarified, and converted into a dark syrup. The sucrose is later crystallized and centrifuged to remove impurities (molasses). Table sugar is around 99.85% pure sucrose. The differences in white sugars are attributed mostly to size and purity. Standard granulated table sugar has an approximate length of 0.3 to 0.5 mm.

Large grain sugars, such as coarse and sanding, measure 1 - 2 mm. These sugars are exceptionally pure batches of sucrose. They have been further washed with alcohol to remove impurities and sucrose dust to give them their characteristic sparkle and crystalline appearance.

Extra fine sugars like English caster sugars and baker's special are smaller than table sugar, measuring 0.1 to 0.3 mm. These sugars provide crystalline surfaces that can be used to introduce air into fat during the creaming stage of cake-making.

Powdered sugars offer no roughness to the tongue and measure 0.01 to 0.1 mm. These sugars contain 3% starch to absorb moisture and prevent caking.

Brown sugar is soft and clingy due to hygroscopic glucose and fructose molecules found in its molasses film. It contains a significant amount of water so keep in airtight container. At the same time, it traps air between groups of adhering crystals, so it is important to  pack it down before its volume is measured. When exposed to air, brown sugar dries and becomes hard. To resoften, place a moistened cloth or an apple inside its container. The sugar absorbs the moisture from the cloth or fruit.

Brown sugars are divided into two subgroups:

Factory brown sugars are produced during the initial processing of the cane juice into unrefined sugar. These include demerara, turbinado and muscovado. These sugars retain a coating of the syrup from which they were crystalized.

Refinery brown sugars are produced at the refinery using raw sugar as the starting material, not the cane juice. Ordinary brown sugar is made this way. Some are dissolved and recrystalized, while others are made into white sugar and coated with a thin film of syrup or molasses.

Whole sugars are crystalline sugars still enveloped in the cooked cane juice. These sugars are usually found in international markets. Examples are jaggery (Indian) or piloncillo (Mexican/Latin America).

Molasses, also known as treacle (UK), is the syrup left over after the sugar cane sucrose has been removed. Most molasses today are blends of molasses and syrups obtained at various stages of sugar-making. The darker the molasses, the more its sugars have been caramelized by browning reactions. Therefore, the darker the molasses, the more bitter and less sweet. Their pH is unpredictable, usually between 5 and 7. It can sometimes react with baking soda and produce a leavening effect in baked goods. Molasses also help retain moisture and have antioxidant capacities. Unsulfured molasses refer to molasses that are dark in color and have not been treated with sulfur dioxide.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup is produced by adding enzymes to plain corn or potato syrups to convert some of the glucose sugars into fructose. The ratio then becomes 53% glucose and 42% fructose, with the same sweetness of table sugar. Its acidic pH (3.5 to 5.5) allows it to react with baking soda to produce carbon dioxide and act as a leavening tool. High-fructose corn syrup has long carbohydrate molecules that become tangled and result in a thicker consistency than any other sucrose syrup. This prevents crystallization and moisture loss. It also prolongs storage life.