On Tue, 11 May 2004 21:49:16 -0400
Jenn Ridley > wrote:

> (Fool) wrote:
>
> >I have never had much luck with sifting brown sugar. It's too wet.
> >Maybe that's because it's really just white sugar with molasses. The
> >best I can do is to push it through a seive with the back of a wooden
> >spoon. But it takes a long time and I can only do small amounts. Does
> >anyone have a better method?
>
> Why would you want to sift brown sugar?
>
> Yes, it is white sugar with molasses added. "True" brown sugar is
> cane sugar that doesn't have all the cane syrup removed. Molasses is
> cane syrup.


Finally, someone else understands.

Yes, cheap 'brown sugar' is granulated white sugar with molasses
added - often it's even granulated beet sugar, how about that?

The good stuff, e.g. C&H, is manufactured with this weird process
where heated whole-cane syrup is turned in a centrifuge until the sugar
forms small needly crystals which obviously have different physical
properties in their whole, undissolved state than granulated sugar mixed
with molasses does. Does it matter? Sometimes. A little.