I was looking up if I should add wet ingredients to dry or dry
ingredients to wet and found out more than I ever knew about sugar
from this Yahoo answer. I thought I'd share this with you, because it
cleared up the fundamental difference between cane and beet sugar.

"When sugar is added to wet ingredients, it is so the sugar can
dissolve a bit before combining with all the other ingredients. When
added to dry ingredients it to add to the texture and structure of the
finished baked product. This is one of the reasons if you have ever
tried to substitute a sugar substitute (Splenda) for pure granulated
sugar, the finished product is dense and quite flat. A little tip:
when baking, and your recipe calls for granulated sugar, be certain
the product you are using is Pure Cane Sugar, not just granulated
sugar. Some supermarket store brands of granulated sugar contain beet
sugar which contains additional moisture and can alter the final baked
product. This is especially true when you are making cut-out cookies.
The cookies shape will spread too much if pure cane sugar isn't used.
Hope this helps.

Source: I'm a professional baker."


--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

sf wrote:
>
> I was looking up if I should add wet ingredients to dry or dry
> ingredients to wet and found out more than I ever knew about sugar
> from this Yahoo answer. I thought I'd share this with you, because it
> cleared up the fundamental difference between cane and beet sugar.
>
> "When sugar is added to wet ingredients, it is so the sugar can
> dissolve a bit before combining with all the other ingredients. When
> added to dry ingredients it to add to the texture and structure of the
> finished baked product. This is one of the reasons if you have ever
> tried to substitute a sugar substitute (Splenda) for pure granulated
> sugar, the finished product is dense and quite flat. A little tip:
> when baking, and your recipe calls for granulated sugar, be certain
> the product you are using is Pure Cane Sugar, not just granulated
> sugar. Some supermarket store brands of granulated sugar contain beet
> sugar which contains additional moisture and can alter the final baked
> product. This is especially true when you are making cut-out cookies.
> The cookies shape will spread too much if pure cane sugar isn't used.
> Hope this helps.
>
> Source: I'm a professional baker."

Misinformation.

Whether derived from sugar cane or sugar beets, the end result is
crystallized sucrose. There is no functional difference between the two
products. Sugar substitutes are a different matter.

On Feb 28, 10:23*am, sf > wrote:

good info.

Stay away from Spenda....that stuff is poison.

On Feb 28, 2:25*pm, ImStillMags > wrote:
> On Feb 28, 10:23*am, sf > wrote:
>
> good info.
>
> Stay away from Spenda....that stuff is poison.

I don't bake, so I usually use Sweet-n-Low.

Cindy Hamilton

"Pete C." wrote:
>
> Misinformation.
>
> Whether derived from sugar cane or sugar beets, the end result is
> crystallized sucrose. There is no functional difference between the two
> products. Sugar substitutes are a different matter.

Agreed. It's just sucrose. If it were as simple as
determining water content to differentiate cane from
beet sugar, the EU wouldn't be using isotope analysis
to distinguish between the two.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucrose#Cane_versus_beet

On 2011-02-28, Mark Thorson > wrote:

> Agreed. It's just sucrose. If it were as simple as
> determining water content to differentiate cane from
> beet sugar, the EU wouldn't be using isotope analysis
> to distinguish between the two.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucrose#Cane_versus_beet

Also, some sugars are just better quality than others. I bought a
cheap house brand of brown sugar. Damn stuff turn rock solid within
three months without even opening the package (plastic). I later
bought some C&H cane brown sugar. Two and half mos later, half a pkg
is still nice and soft. I have to assume some significant difference.

nb

On Feb 28, 4:28*pm, notbob > wrote:
> On 2011-02-28, Mark Thorson > wrote:
>
> > Agreed. *It's just sucrose. *If it were as simple as
> > determining water content to differentiate cane from
> > beet sugar, the EU wouldn't be using isotope analysis
> > to distinguish between the two.
>
> >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucrose#Cane_versus_beet
>
> Also, some sugars are just better quality than others. *I bought a
> cheap house brand of brown sugar. *Damn stuff turn rock solid within
> three months without even opening the package (plastic). *I later
> bought some C&H cane brown sugar. *Two and half mos later, half a pkg
> is still nice and soft. *I have to assume some significant difference.
>
> nb


You can make your own brown sugar by taking white sugar and adding a
little molasses to it. You'll have to sort of squish it together with
your fingers to mix it (spoon mixing won't work), but that's all brown
sugar is anyway.

On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:01:37 -0800 (PST), Christopher Helms
> wrote:

> You can make your own brown sugar by taking white sugar and adding a
> little molasses to it. You'll have to sort of squish it together with
> your fingers to mix it (spoon mixing won't work), but that's all brown
> sugar is anyway.

Have you ever tried doing it?

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On 2/28/2011 4:07 PM, sf wrote:
> On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:01:37 -0800 (PST), Christopher Helms
> > wrote:
>
>> You can make your own brown sugar by taking white sugar and adding a
>> little molasses to it. You'll have to sort of squish it together with
>> your fingers to mix it (spoon mixing won't work), but that's all brown
>> sugar is anyway.
>
> Have you ever tried doing it?
>

I've done this before - it tastes pretty much how you'd imagine. Like
sugar mixed with molasses. Most folks would be able to tell right off
that something was not right it you tried to pass it off as brown sugar.

On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:45:59 -0600, "Pete C." >
wrote:

>
> sf wrote:
> >
> > On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:01:37 -0800 (PST), Christopher Helms
> > > wrote:
> >
> > > You can make your own brown sugar by taking white sugar and adding a
> > > little molasses to it. You'll have to sort of squish it together with
> > > your fingers to mix it (spoon mixing won't work), but that's all brown
> > > sugar is anyway.
> >
> > Have you ever tried doing it?
>
> I generally buy factory made brown sugar, but it is indeed made by
> blending a measured amount of molasses into refined white sugar. It's
> not practical to centrifuge the molasses out of the crystallized sugar
> to a consistent level, so they centrifuge all of it out and then reblend
> to the correct darkness.

I know. I was just wondering if he'd ever done it without melting the
sugar. I can only visualize a sticky mess.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:18:46 -1000, dsi1 > wrote:

> On 2/28/2011 4:07 PM, sf wrote:
> > On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:01:37 -0800 (PST), Christopher Helms
> > > wrote:
> >
> >> You can make your own brown sugar by taking white sugar and adding a
> >> little molasses to it. You'll have to sort of squish it together with
> >> your fingers to mix it (spoon mixing won't work), but that's all brown
> >> sugar is anyway.
> >
> > Have you ever tried doing it?
> >
>
> I've done this before - it tastes pretty much how you'd imagine. Like
> sugar mixed with molasses. Most folks would be able to tell right off
> that something was not right it you tried to pass it off as brown sugar.

I don't doubt it!

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Feb 28, 8:07*pm, sf > wrote:
> On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:01:37 -0800 (PST), Christopher Helms
>
> > wrote:
> > You can make your own brown sugar by taking white sugar and adding a
> > little molasses to it. You'll have to sort of squish it together with
> > your fingers to mix it (spoon mixing won't work), but that's all brown
> > sugar is anyway.
>
> Have you ever tried doing it?


Yeah, of course. It tastes just like brown sugar because that's all
brown sugar is, white sugar with a little molasses added to it.
There's nothing mysterious about it.

On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:08:21 -0800 (PST), Christopher Helms
> wrote:

> On Feb 28, 8:07*pm, sf > wrote:
> > On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:01:37 -0800 (PST), Christopher Helms
> >
> > > wrote:
> > > You can make your own brown sugar by taking white sugar and adding a
> > > little molasses to it. You'll have to sort of squish it together with
> > > your fingers to mix it (spoon mixing won't work), but that's all brown
> > > sugar is anyway.
> >
> > Have you ever tried doing it?
>
>
> Yeah, of course. It tastes just like brown sugar because that's all
> brown sugar is, white sugar with a little molasses added to it.
> There's nothing mysterious about it.

And you didn't end up with a big mess? What were the proportions?

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Feb 28, 7:41*pm, " > wrote:
> On Feb 28, 2:10*pm, "Pete C." > wrote:
>
>
>
> > sf wrote:
>
> > > I was looking up if I should add wet ingredients to dry or dry
> > > ingredients to wet and found out more than I ever knew about sugar
> > > from this Yahoo answer. *I thought I'd share this with you, because it
> > > cleared up the fundamental difference between cane and beet sugar.
>
> > > "When sugar is added to wet ingredients, it is so the sugar can
> > > dissolve a bit before combining with all the other ingredients. When
> > > added to dry ingredients it to add to the texture and structure of the
> > > finished baked product. This is one of the reasons if you have ever
> > > tried to substitute a sugar substitute (Splenda) for pure granulated
> > > sugar, the finished product is dense and quite flat. A little tip:
> > > when baking, and your recipe calls for granulated sugar, be certain
> > > the product you are using is Pure Cane Sugar, not just granulated
> > > sugar. Some supermarket store brands of granulated sugar contain beet
> > > sugar which contains additional moisture and can alter the final baked
> > > product. This is especially true when you are making cut-out cookies.
> > > The cookies shape will spread too much if pure cane sugar isn't used.
> > > Hope this helps.
>
> > > Source: I'm a professional baker."
>
> > Misinformation.
>
> > Whether derived from sugar cane or sugar beets, the end result is
> > crystallized sucrose. There is no functional difference between the two
> > products. Sugar substitutes are a different matter.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> There is too a difference between cane sugar and beet sugar. *If both
> were 100% sucrose there would be no difference, but they're not. *Both
> contain impurities that effect how they taste and how they behave when
> used for baking or cooking. *Sucrose is a molecule of glucose linked
> with a molecule of fructose. Both cane sugar and beet sugar, however,
> contain leftover fructose molecules in them. *The difference between
> cane sugar and beet sugar though is *cane sugar contains more of these
> leftover fructose molecules. *So you could say that cane sugar is high
> fructose sugar.There are also other impurities in minute quantities
> that make cane sugar and beet sugar different from each other. *The
> first time I accidentally used beet sugar I knew right away. *There is
> a definite difference in the taste.

==
For 95% of the population there is NO difference in taste. Imagination
is such a wonderful thing.
==

On Feb 28, 11:40*pm, sf > wrote:
> On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:08:21 -0800 (PST), Christopher Helms
>
>
>
>
>
> > wrote:
> > On Feb 28, 8:07 pm, sf > wrote:
> > > On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:01:37 -0800 (PST), Christopher Helms
>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > You can make your own brown sugar by taking white sugar and adding a
> > > > little molasses to it. You'll have to sort of squish it together with
> > > > your fingers to mix it (spoon mixing won't work), but that's all brown
> > > > sugar is anyway.
>
> > > Have you ever tried doing it?
>
> > Yeah, of course. It tastes just like brown sugar because that's all
> > brown sugar is, white sugar with a little molasses added to it.
> > There's nothing mysterious about it.
>
> And you didn't end up with a big mess? *What were the proportions?


Depends on what is called for. If I need a half cup of brown sugar for
something, I put a half cup of white sugar into a bowl, add about
three quarters of a tablespoon of molasses and blend it together with
my fingers. If it seems too light I add a little more molasses. My
fingers get messy but there's no big mess, unless I accidently spill
it.

sf wrote:
>
> On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:45:59 -0600, "Pete C." >
> wrote:
>
> >
> > sf wrote:
> > >
> > > On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:01:37 -0800 (PST), Christopher Helms
> > > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > You can make your own brown sugar by taking white sugar and adding a
> > > > little molasses to it. You'll have to sort of squish it together with
> > > > your fingers to mix it (spoon mixing won't work), but that's all brown
> > > > sugar is anyway.
> > >
> > > Have you ever tried doing it?
> >
> > I generally buy factory made brown sugar, but it is indeed made by
> > blending a measured amount of molasses into refined white sugar. It's
> > not practical to centrifuge the molasses out of the crystallized sugar
> > to a consistent level, so they centrifuge all of it out and then reblend
> > to the correct darkness.
>
> I know. I was just wondering if he'd ever done it without melting the
> sugar. I can only visualize a sticky mess.

I expect tumbling a large quantity of sugar while spraying on hot
molasses is the proper method.

On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:18:46 -1000, dsi1 >
arranged random neurons and said:

>On 2/28/2011 4:07 PM, sf wrote:
>> On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:01:37 -0800 (PST), Christopher Helms
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> You can make your own brown sugar by taking white sugar and adding a
>>> little molasses to it. You'll have to sort of squish it together with
>>> your fingers to mix it (spoon mixing won't work), but that's all brown
>>> sugar is anyway.
>>
>> Have you ever tried doing it?
>>
>
>I've done this before - it tastes pretty much how you'd imagine. Like
>sugar mixed with molasses. Most folks would be able to tell right off
>that something was not right it you tried to pass it off as brown sugar.

I tried mixing molasses with Splenda in a desperate stab at a sugar
free dessert for Bill. Does. Not. Work.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd

--

To reply, remove "spambot" and replace it with "cox"

On Mar 1, 10:27*am, "Pete C." > wrote:
> sf wrote:
>
> > On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:45:59 -0600, "Pete C." >
> > wrote:
>
> > > sf wrote:
>
> > > > On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:01:37 -0800 (PST), Christopher Helms
> > > > > wrote:
>
> > > > > You can make your own brown sugar by taking white sugar and adding a
> > > > > little molasses to it. You'll have to sort of squish it together with
> > > > > your fingers to mix it (spoon mixing won't work), but that's all brown
> > > > > sugar is anyway.
>
> > > > Have you ever tried doing it?
>
> > > I generally buy factory made brown sugar, but it is indeed made by
> > > blending a measured amount of molasses into refined white sugar. It's
> > > not practical to centrifuge the molasses out of the crystallized sugar
> > > to a consistent level, so they centrifuge all of it out and then reblend
> > > to the correct darkness.
>
> > I know. *I was just wondering if he'd ever done it without melting the
> > sugar. *I can only visualize a sticky mess.
>
> I expect tumbling a large quantity of sugar while spraying on hot
> molasses is the proper method.


If you have the means to do it. If you only need half a cup though...

Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
>
> On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:18:46 -1000, dsi1 >
> arranged random neurons and said:
>
> >On 2/28/2011 4:07 PM, sf wrote:
> >> On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:01:37 -0800 (PST), Christopher Helms
> >> > wrote:
> >>
> >>> You can make your own brown sugar by taking white sugar and adding a
> >>> little molasses to it. You'll have to sort of squish it together with
> >>> your fingers to mix it (spoon mixing won't work), but that's all brown
> >>> sugar is anyway.
> >>
> >> Have you ever tried doing it?
> >>
> >
> >I've done this before - it tastes pretty much how you'd imagine. Like
> >sugar mixed with molasses. Most folks would be able to tell right off
> >that something was not right it you tried to pass it off as brown sugar.
>
> I tried mixing molasses with Splenda in a desperate stab at a sugar
> free dessert for Bill. Does. Not. Work.

Why would you expect it to work with fake sugar? Mixing molasses with
refined sucrose is what works.

On 3/1/2011 11:50 AM, Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
> On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:18:46 -1000, >
> arranged random neurons and said:
>
>> On 2/28/2011 4:07 PM, sf wrote:
>>> On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:01:37 -0800 (PST), Christopher Helms
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> You can make your own brown sugar by taking white sugar and adding a
>>>> little molasses to it. You'll have to sort of squish it together with
>>>> your fingers to mix it (spoon mixing won't work), but that's all brown
>>>> sugar is anyway.
>>>
>>> Have you ever tried doing it?
>>>
>>
>> I've done this before - it tastes pretty much how you'd imagine. Like
>> sugar mixed with molasses. Most folks would be able to tell right off
>> that something was not right it you tried to pass it off as brown sugar.
>
> I tried mixing molasses with Splenda in a desperate stab at a sugar
> free dessert for Bill. Does. Not. Work.
>
Molasses is mainly sugar anyway, isn't it?
--


James Silverton, Potomac

"Not": obvious change in "Reply To"

On Tue, 1 Mar 2011 05:53:23 -0800 (PST), Christopher Helms
> wrote:

> Depends on what is called for. If I need a half cup of brown sugar for
> something, I put a half cup of white sugar into a bowl, add about
> three quarters of a tablespoon of molasses and blend it together with
> my fingers. If it seems too light I add a little more molasses. My
> fingers get messy but there's no big mess, unless I accidently spill
> it.

Huh. I imagined the sugar would melt and everything would be the
consistency of molasses. Thanks for your input.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On 3/1/2011 6:50 AM, Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
> On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:18:46 -1000, >
> arranged random neurons and said:
>
>> On 2/28/2011 4:07 PM, sf wrote:
>>> On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:01:37 -0800 (PST), Christopher Helms
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> You can make your own brown sugar by taking white sugar and adding a
>>>> little molasses to it. You'll have to sort of squish it together with
>>>> your fingers to mix it (spoon mixing won't work), but that's all brown
>>>> sugar is anyway.
>>>
>>> Have you ever tried doing it?
>>>
>>
>> I've done this before - it tastes pretty much how you'd imagine. Like
>> sugar mixed with molasses. Most folks would be able to tell right off
>> that something was not right it you tried to pass it off as brown sugar.
>
> I tried mixing molasses with Splenda in a desperate stab at a sugar
> free dessert for Bill. Does. Not. Work.
>
> Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd

You'd get a Splenda sweetened syrup I'd have a hard time finding a use
for and wouldn't be sugar-free anyway.

There's a Splenda brand brown sugar blend that's a good product with
about a third less sugar which I guess won't be much help for you but
might be for others. I don't think it will be on the market for long.

>
> --
>
> To reply, remove "spambot" and replace it with "cox"

In article
>,
Christopher Helms > wrote:

> > > On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:45:59 -0600, "Pete C." >
> > > wrote:

> > > > > On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:01:37 -0800 (PST), Christopher Helms
> > > > > > wrote:
> >
> > > > > > You can make your own brown sugar by taking white sugar and adding
> > > > > > a
> > > > > > little molasses to it. You'll have to sort of squish it together
> > > > > > with
> > > > > > your fingers to mix it (spoon mixing won't work), but that's all
> > > > > > brown
> > > > > > sugar is anyway.

> > > > I generally buy factory made brown sugar, but it is indeed made by
> > > > blending a measured amount of molasses into refined white sugar. It's
> > > > not practical to centrifuge the molasses out of the crystallized sugar
> > > > to a consistent level, so they centrifuge all of it out and then
> > > > reblend
> > > > to the correct darkness.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_sugar

"Brown sugar is a sucrose sugar product with a distinctive brown color
due to the presence of molasses. It is either an unrefined or partially
refined soft sugar consisting of sugar crystals with some residual
molasses content, or it is produced by the addition of molasses to
refined white sugar."

> If you have the means to do it. If you only need half a cup though...

[from same cite]

"Brown sugar can be made at home by mixing white granulated sugar with
molasses, using one tablespoon of molasses for every cup of white sugar
(one-sixteenth or 6.25% of the total volume). Thorough blending will
yield dark brown sugar; for light brown sugar, between one and two
teaspoons of molasses per cup should be used instead. It is, however,
simpler to substitute molasses for an equal portion of white sugar while
cooking, without mixing them separately."

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

On Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:45:48 -0600, "Pete C." >
arranged random neurons and said:

>
>Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:

>> I tried mixing molasses with Splenda in a desperate stab at a sugar
>> free dessert for Bill. Does. Not. Work.
>
>Why would you expect it to work with fake sugar? Mixing molasses with
>refined sucrose is what works.

Thought I'd give it a shot. Mixed in the molasses with the wet
ingredients. Thought it might affect the taste. Not.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd

--

To reply, remove "spambot" and replace it with "cox"

I've been using Stevia for a few years now. It tastes identical to
cane sugar and you use WAY less of it. I buy the powered version of
it, but intend to grow my own Stevia plants and make some to see if
its worth the bother.

Every other type of sweetener I've used EXCEPT Stevia has jacked up my
blood-sugar readings. Splenda measured out on the meter as if it were
sugar. I had to find something I could use to sweeten with that left
my blood-sugar alone. Stevia is it! I tested it many times and it does
absolutely NOTHING to my blood-sugar.

For those foods that sugar caused a thickening to, Stevia won't work
for that. It doesn't thicken anything and you have to use so little
that its almost not even there.

But for the sweetness, I swear, I cannot taste a bit a difference
between Stevia and sugar in anything it's used for as a sweetener.

Just thought you other diabetics may want to know that.

Oh yeah, if you eat a leaf of it or just chew it up in your mouth, it
will show you that is is an incredibily effective laxative when
consumed in that manner. Be careful....

After taking the leaves and boiling them, you simply reduce the water/
Stevia solution to about 5%-10% and then use it as a liquid with an
eye-dropper. It's STRONG stuff when made that way.

On Tue, 01 Mar 2011 08:50:58 -0800, Terry Pulliam Burd
> wrote:

> I tried mixing molasses with Splenda in a desperate stab at a sugar
> free dessert for Bill. Does. Not. Work.

Just curious... was brown sugar intended as an ingredient in something
like chocolate chip cookies or did you want to use it by itself, as in
strawberries dipped in sour cream and brown sugar?

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:55:05 -0800, Terry Pulliam Burd
> wrote:

> On Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:45:48 -0600, "Pete C." >
> arranged random neurons and said:
>
> >
> >Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
>
> >> I tried mixing molasses with Splenda in a desperate stab at a sugar
> >> free dessert for Bill. Does. Not. Work.
> >
> >Why would you expect it to work with fake sugar? Mixing molasses with
> >refined sucrose is what works.
>
> Thought I'd give it a shot. Mixed in the molasses with the wet
> ingredients. Thought it might affect the taste. Not.
>
Don't feel bad, I would have tried it too. Seems like it would work
if they were part of a bigger picture.


--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Tue, 1 Mar 2011 11:03:17 -0800 (PST), Alfie >
wrote:

> But for the sweetness, I swear, I cannot taste a bit a difference
> between Stevia and sugar in anything it's used for as a sweetener.

Thanks for all your insights and comments, but I don't have to watch
my sugar intake. I'm curious though, how do you bake with it? Do
they have a website with recipes?

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
> dsi1 > said:
>
>>I've done this before - it tastes pretty much how you'd imagine. Like
>>sugar mixed with molasses. Most folks would be able to tell right off
>>that something was not right it you tried to pass it off as brown sugar.
>
> I tried mixing molasses with Splenda in a desperate stab at a sugar
> free dessert for Bill. Does. Not. Work.

Be cautioned that powdered splenda is already sugar. It's puffy to make
it far less sugar by volume than regular sugar and it has sucralose
added to make it as sweet by volume as sugar. But by weight it's at
least 90% sugar. It's puffy to make it weigh less by volume. You still
need to count the carb grams.

I think it would work okay to mix molases into DaVinci sugar free simle
syrup with splenda. It will be thin and no more sugar free but the
texture should be close enough for baking. I think DaVinci has a sugar
alcohol in it as a thickner or is that a different brand. Sweet Freez
is all splenda in diluted liquid form.

Christopher Helms wrote:
>
> Yeah, of course. It tastes just like brown sugar because that's all
> brown sugar is, white sugar with a little molasses added to it.
> There's nothing mysterious about it.

That's only true of beet sugar. Brown sugar
from sugar cane is not made into white sugar
before becoming brown sugar.

Quoting from _Beet-Sugar_Technology_ (2nd ed.)
edited by R.A. McGinnis (Beet Sugar Development
Foundation, 1971), page 494:

"Brown or Soft Sugars"

"This class of sugar products consists of fine sugars mixed
with brown-colored, pleasantly-flavored syrups. The crystal
size of the sugar is approximately that of Bakers Special.
The term 'soft sugar' really describes the feel of this
product, which is heightened by the presence of the syrup.
It is desirable that the syrup on the sugar base be stable
and not supersaturated, so that on aging there will be no
crystallization."

"There are two basic methods in the manufacture of soft
sugars: the first is to boil from a selected syrup a
massecuite, which on separation in the centrifugal, will
yield a desirable soft sugar without further treatment.
This method, described as the 'in and in method of boiling,'
gets the full range of colors and flavors desired and is
of necessity a product of a cane-sugar refinery."

"The second is to add to a pure, white sugar a treated
syrup, usually of cane origin, in the proper amount to give
a flavor, texture, and color desired by the manufacturer.
Excepting in beet-sugar factories equipped with the ion
exchange process, this method, generally called 'painting,'
appears to be the logical choice for the beet-sugar
manufacturer."

Mark Thorson wrote:
>
> Christopher Helms wrote:
> >
> > Yeah, of course. It tastes just like brown sugar because that's all
> > brown sugar is, white sugar with a little molasses added to it.
> > There's nothing mysterious about it.
>
> That's only true of beet sugar. Brown sugar
> from sugar cane is not made into white sugar
> before becoming brown sugar.

Your reference only relates to beet sugar production. Brown sugar from
cane production is made by recombining the molasses with the refined
sugar in controlled amounts. Only perhaps the smallest and most backward
producers might try to stop the centrifuge at the correct level of
remaining molasses, any large producer knows that is inconsistent and
impractical.

"Pete C." wrote:
>
> Mark Thorson wrote:
> >
> > Christopher Helms wrote:
> > >
> > > Yeah, of course. It tastes just like brown sugar because that's all
> > > brown sugar is, white sugar with a little molasses added to it.
> > > There's nothing mysterious about it.
> >
> > That's only true of beet sugar. Brown sugar
> > from sugar cane is not made into white sugar
> > before becoming brown sugar.
>
> Your reference only relates to beet sugar production. Brown sugar from
> cane production is made by recombining the molasses with the refined
> sugar in controlled amounts. Only perhaps the smallest and most backward
> producers might try to stop the centrifuge at the correct level of
> remaining molasses, any large producer knows that is inconsistent and
> impractical.

My reference referred specifically to how brown sugar
is made in a "cane-sugar refinery". Do you have a
reference which contradicts this, or are you just
blowing smoke?

On Mar 1, 2:49*pm, sf > wrote:
> On Tue, 1 Mar 2011 11:03:17 -0800 (PST), Alfie >
> wrote:
>
> > But for the sweetness, I swear, I cannot taste a bit a difference
> > between Stevia and sugar in anything it's used for as a sweetener.
>
> Thanks for all your insights and comments, but I don't have to watch
> my sugar intake. *I'm curious though, how do you bake with it? *Do
> they have a website with recipes?

I don't do much baking. I make a loaf of bread in the bread machine
and use Stevia instead of sugar. I can't tell any difference in the
outcome. I also make cornbread with it with no difference. In basting
sauces, it's also interchangable with sugar. Nothing I've made tasted
a bit different than using cane sugar. I gave me the ability to make
things I'd given up on due to my diabetes.

I use a cheat-sheet for the amount. Most makers of it have the
comparisons right on the box it comes in. There are a bunch of
different companies making it now. I use Betterherbs.com for their
version called; "Premium Concentrate Stevia Spoonable". A tad
expensive, but well worth it to me for the health benefits and my
diabetes.

On Mar 1, 2:49*pm, sf > wrote:

> Do they have a website with recipes? <using Stevia>

I found a bunch of recipes by just doing a Google on "Stevia".

Here's one with a good spectrum of recipes:

http://cookingwithstevia.com/web/recipes.shtml

On 3/1/2011 9:03 AM, Alfie wrote:
> I've been using Stevia for a few years now. It tastes identical to
> cane sugar and you use WAY less of it. I buy the powered version of
> it, but intend to grow my own Stevia plants and make some to see if
> its worth the bother.

Thanks for the info, my reaction to Stevia was not good. I thought it
tasted weird. OTOH, I may have used too much of the stuff and will
investigate this. Thanks!

>
> Every other type of sweetener I've used EXCEPT Stevia has jacked up my
> blood-sugar readings. Splenda measured out on the meter as if it were
> sugar. I had to find something I could use to sweeten with that left
> my blood-sugar alone. Stevia is it! I tested it many times and it does
> absolutely NOTHING to my blood-sugar.
>
> For those foods that sugar caused a thickening to, Stevia won't work
> for that. It doesn't thicken anything and you have to use so little
> that its almost not even there.
>
> But for the sweetness, I swear, I cannot taste a bit a difference
> between Stevia and sugar in anything it's used for as a sweetener.
>
> Just thought you other diabetics may want to know that.
>
> Oh yeah, if you eat a leaf of it or just chew it up in your mouth, it
> will show you that is is an incredibily effective laxative when
> consumed in that manner. Be careful....
>
> After taking the leaves and boiling them, you simply reduce the water/
> Stevia solution to about 5%-10% and then use it as a liquid with an
> eye-dropper. It's STRONG stuff when made that way.
>
>

On Tue, 01 Mar 2011 13:07:10 -0800, Mark Thorson >
wrote:

>"Pete C." wrote:
>>
>> Mark Thorson wrote:
>> >
>> > Christopher Helms wrote:
>> > >
>> > > Yeah, of course. It tastes just like brown sugar because that's all
>> > > brown sugar is, white sugar with a little molasses added to it.
>> > > There's nothing mysterious about it.
>> >
>> > That's only true of beet sugar. Brown sugar
>> > from sugar cane is not made into white sugar
>> > before becoming brown sugar.
>>
>> Your reference only relates to beet sugar production. Brown sugar from
>> cane production is made by recombining the molasses with the refined
>> sugar in controlled amounts. Only perhaps the smallest and most backward
>> producers might try to stop the centrifuge at the correct level of
>> remaining molasses, any large producer knows that is inconsistent and
>> impractical.
>
>My reference referred specifically to how brown sugar
>is made in a "cane-sugar refinery". Do you have a
>reference which contradicts this, or are you just
>blowing smoke?

From my childhood...I know how raw/brown sugar is made in a mill. All
sugar juice is boiled in a vessel, and then they add "seed sugar"
which is finely ground powdered (not the kind with cornstarch) sugar,
which causes the liquid (boiled juice) to crystallize on the existing
powdered sugar and then becomes raw/brown sugar. Then that stuff is
put into a centrifugal machine and the molasses is drawn out and you
are left with raw/brown sugar.

Then it was sent to the mainland for processing by C&H Refinery and
you got white sugar and brown sugar. They added molasses back in, I
believe.

fwiw.

aloha,
Cea who's grand father and father ran sugar companies which had mills
on their company plantations, here in Hawaii.

"Pete C." > wrote in message
ster.com...

> Your reference only relates to beet sugar production. Brown sugar from
> cane production is made by recombining the molasses with the refined
> sugar in controlled amounts. Only perhaps the smallest and most backward
> producers might try to stop the centrifuge at the correct level of
> remaining molasses, any large producer knows that is inconsistent and
> impractical.

Not according to C&H:

http://www.chsugar.com/Consumer/dark_brown.html




Brian
--
Day 754 of the "no grouchy usenet posts" project
Current music playing: None.

Default User wrote:
>
> "Pete C." > wrote in message
> ster.com...
>
> > Your reference only relates to beet sugar production. Brown sugar from
> > cane production is made by recombining the molasses with the refined
> > sugar in controlled amounts. Only perhaps the smallest and most backward
> > producers might try to stop the centrifuge at the correct level of
> > remaining molasses, any large producer knows that is inconsistent and
> > impractical.
>
> Not according to C&H:
>
> http://www.chsugar.com/Consumer/dark_brown.html

That page actually doesn't confirm or deny what I said.

On Tue, 1 Mar 2011 20:24:35 +0000 (UTC), Doug Freyburger
> wrote:

> Be cautioned that powdered splenda is already sugar. It's puffy to make
> it far less sugar by volume than regular sugar and it has sucralose
> added to make it as sweet by volume as sugar. But by weight it's at
> least 90% sugar. It's puffy to make it weigh less by volume. You still
> need to count the carb grams.

I didn't know that! No wonder people are so crazy about Stevia.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Mar 1, 4:38*pm, dsi1 > wrote:
> On 3/1/2011 9:03 AM, Alfie wrote:
>
> > I've been using Stevia for a few years now. It tastes identical to
> > cane sugar and you use WAY less of it. I buy the powered version of
> > it, but intend to grow my own Stevia plants and make some to see if
> > its worth the bother.
>
> Thanks for the info, my reaction to Stevia was not good. I thought it
> tasted weird. OTOH, I may have used too much of the stuff and will
> investigate this. Thanks!

It is very strong. It's natural to think "this much" should be
right...with Stevia, it's a much lighter touch.

When you get your "favorite" amount down, it doesn't take much. Great
stuff. I taste no bitterness, just cane-sugar-sweetness.

And my blood/sugar meter doesn't go crazy. It doesn't seem to *see*
Stevia. I like that.