Brownsugarexporter.com
- Brown sugar gets
its brown color and aroma from the presence of molasses. The distinctive
moistness of brown sugar can also be attributed to the molasses, which is
hygroscopic (can absorb water from the environment) in nature.
How
Brown Sugar Production
Brown
sugar can be produced in two ways:
- Cane molasses can be added to refined white sugar crystals, so the sugar is actually coated with molasses, imparting the brown color and soft texture. The product that results is Refined Brown Sugar
- Molasses is present during sugar crystals formation (which happens in late stage sugar refinement), causing inclusion of the molasses within the sugar crystal itself.
The
product that results is Unrefined Brown Sugar.
Note: Unrefined brown
sugar can be coated with more molasses as desired.
The
majority of brown sugar produced is Refined Brown Sugar from beet sugar. The
ability to manage the ratio of molasses to sugar makes this method convenient
for manufacturers. In addition, this method facilitates color uniformity within
and between batches of Brown Sugar. Furthermore, beet sugar crops require less
water than sugarcane, so less water expense is incurred.
Colors of Brown Sugar
It
seems obvious that the darker the brown sugar, the more molasses is present. Light
brown sugar contains about 3.5% molasses. Darker brown sugars can contain
upwards of 6.5% molasses. Recipes that call for brown sugar are usually
referring to light brown sugar. This is especially important for recipes that
are affected by water, like cakes and cookies. Also, because of the presence of
water (from the molasses), brown sugar is actually packs more densely than
granulated sugar, and as a result, will have more calories by volume.
Choosing Brown Sugar
Since
we've been sweet on brown sugar for decades, we know all about it. No matter
which variety of brown sugar your company needs, we can help you make sure you
get the best sugar at the best price. (BD)