Eight Sugar Varieties

When you think of sugar, the first thing that you are likely to think of is the white table sugar you add to a cup of coffee. However, there are many different kinds of this sweet additive, although many are only used within the commercial baking and confection industry. Here are eight types of sugar and a little information on their uses.

1. White Sugar (Regular Table Sugar) Commonly used to sweeten beverages and foods and in many baked foods, this is the most widely known sugar variety. All white sugar is finely ground, but some varieties are more so than others (extra fine white sugar).

2. Fruit Sugar This sugar variety is derived from honey and ripe fruit and has a finer texture than white sugar. It is commonly used in sweetened store-bought powdered beverages, pudding and gelatin mixes. The fine grains of fruit sugar are uniform in size, which makes it easier to dissolve in drinks and liquids.

3. ‘Baker’s Special’ Sugar This superfine, quick-dissolving sugar variety is perfect for sprinkling on the top of cookies, cakes and the like. You can buy it in most large supermarkets and grocery stores.

4. Super, Ultrafine or Bar Sugar Known as castor sugar in Britain, this sugar variety is specifically intended for use in baking delicacies such as meringues, and for making sweet fruit desserts. As the name indicates, it has an extremely fine texture.

5. Course Sugar Commonly used by bakers, this is the perfect sugar for fondants, liquors and confections. The crystal size is large and it comes from the crystallization of sugar syrups. The crystals have a high molasses content and a rich flavor.

6. Sanding Sugar Sanding sugar is another large-grained sugar variety. It does not dissolve easily and is mainly used to decorate desserts because its large crystals catch the light and ‘sparkle’. Sanding sugar is sometimes called ‘decorating sugar’ or ‘pearl sugar’.

7. Brown Sugar There are several types of brown sugar; light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, Turbinado brown sugar, Demerara brown sugar …). Brown sugar is almost always made from sugar cane and has a higher molasses content than other sugars. Used in the baking of certain desserts as well as to sweeten herbal teas.

8. Confectioner’s Sugar Commonly called “powdered sugar,” this sugar variety is used to make cake icing, whipped cream, candies and other delicate sweet confections. Confectioner’s sugar is made by grinding regular white sugar until it is very fine and adding about 3% cornstarch to the sugar powder, to prevent caking. While all confectioner’s sugars have a fine powdery texture, some types are a little coarser than others. The confectioner’s sugar commonly sold in grocery stores is the one with the finest texture.

While most people only use two or three of the above sugars in their regular cooking and baking, you might want to experiment with some of the others. The flavors are a little different, as are the textures. You may find that one of the less common types will suit your baking and cooking needs better than that teaspoon of your regular table sugar!

Competent contributing article author Anya really loves providing her wealth of inspiring tips and hints about home baking. Not to mention her number one top-secret happens to be her place for finding edible toppers and edible Christian motifs.