sugar question

15 years ago

So, Saturday Mom and Dad and I went to a new grocery/ethnic market near us where we found lots of produce, dried beans, flours, grains, and many ethnic/hispanic ingredients plus my ranch eggs and now they have fresh meat too! There were bags of "cane sugar" in the section for sweeteners.

Now is this "cane" sugar the same as "granulated" sugar? Is it better than granulated sugar? I have read that soft drinks sweetened with cane sugar instead of fructose syrup are supposed to taste better - but I don't drink enough of those to warrant a taste test.

Is labeling the bags with "cane" sugar just a marketing ploy? Or is that label directed to Hispanic customers who know that name better?

I need to know these things.....I think....

Thanks!

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Comments (11)

Marigene
15 years ago
It is regular sugar, meaning not made from sugar beets. Probably just another marketing pitch!
canarybird01
15 years ago
I've always seen granulated sugar in Canada described as "cane sugar". It simply means that it comes from sugar cane rather than sugar beets.

SharonCb
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grainlady_ks
15 years ago
Was it a large crystal (granular) sugar, light tan in color? It's not quite as refined as white sugar made from evaporated cane juice and maintains the flavor of natural cane juice.

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lindac
15 years ago
There is a bit of discussion about whether cane sugar or beet sugar gives better results in baking....some would swear that cane sugar is better. often beet sugar is cheaper...so labeling a product "cane sugar" is a marketing ploy, but reflects a real product.
you can pretty well bet that a product labeled just "sugar" is beet sugar.
Granulated sugar can be either from sugar cane or sugar beets, where cane sugar is only from sugar cane.
Linda C
teresa_nc7
Original Author
15 years ago
Ah ha! The lightbulb goes on thanks to all of you! I'm going to compare the price per pound and perhaps try some of the cane sugar for iced tea and summer drinks. And thanks, Linda, for giving the difference in terms I can easily grasp! I'm always on the look-out for better and different ingredients to try.

Teresa
annie1992
15 years ago
I agree with LindaC, beet sugar is cheaper here than cane sugar because Michigan grows a lot of sugar beets and processes them not too far from me.

Cane sugar has to come a longer way, and is more expensive here. I can't tell the difference in most drinks or baked goods but Grandma swore that her Jack Frost fudge could ONLY be made with cane sugar or it wasn't right. I never argued with her.....

Annie
Terri_PacNW
15 years ago
Teresa, you are talking about un'bleached' cane sugar. In my store it comes in small, I think 1lb bags, and certainly isn't cost effective.
Daisyduckworth
15 years ago
There was a discussion quite a while ago over at Harvest Forum which might be of interest to you.

Here is a link that might be useful: sugar - cane v. beet
teresa_nc7
Original Author
15 years ago
This cane sugar is white and looks like regular grocery store sugar, except that it says "CANE SUGAR" in big letters. There were several different sized bags, but I didn't look too close at them because I didn't need sugar.

I'll read the labels and check out the prices when I next go there. This is a low-tech store, bright orange-red stickers printed with the prices....except that someone didn't realize there was no more ink in the price gun.
kayskats
15 years ago
I think you'll find it geographic -- the further south you go (at least in the northern hemisphere) the more likely your sugar was cut from a cane field. Those poor folks up north have to dig it out of the ground.
The two brands I grew up with were Domino and Dixie Crystals... both of which proudly proclaim on their web site "pure cane"
beanthere_dunthat
15 years ago
I can tell the difference, especially in beverages. The cane sugar tastes better to me.