11 Types of Sugar

   I am sure that when you think about sugar, the first thing coming to your mind is sweetness. I am also sure that you know that sugar has various uses, especially in baking. 

   When it comes to baking, sugar is one of the main ingredients we use. The most common and used sugar is white granulated sugar. But the more you experience baking, you will come across to more different types of sugar. Here is why I am presenting to you these 11 types of sugar.



      Sugar in baking

   First, let's see what is the role of sugar in baking. Sugar aerates baked goods, softens gluten, adds flavor, it works to make the dough tender and can have a really important role in the appearance of baked goods.
   You might be tempted, when baking something delicious, to add more sugar or put less than the recipe requires. This is a very common mistake, and it might ruin your delicious cake. Remember that you should always follow the recipe, and you shouldn't try to change the sugar type or the quantity,. By changing the type of sugar or the quantity of it, you can easily alter the chemistry of a baked good, and alter the outcome. 

   Let's see how sugar is made. The sugar products are derived from sugarcane and sugar beets (these are plants that naturally have a high amount of sugar in them). These plants undergo a special refining process, meant to remove impurities present in them.

   These are the 11 most common types of sugar:

Raw sugars: - Molasses
                      - Demerara
                      - Turbinado
                      - Muscovado

Brown sugars: - Light Brown Sugar
                          - Dark Brown Sugar

Refined sugar: - Standard Granulated
                          - Confectioners Sugar
                          - Castor
                          - Sanding
                          - Pearl 

      Raw Sugars

   Raw sugars are products that have not been completely refined, but they are actually perfectly fit for consumption. They have undergone some stages of the refining process in order to be edible.

   

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   Molasses sugar
   Molasses is the concentrated syrup resulted from the refining process and is one of the main impurities found in the raw sugar types. Molasses, as it is, is not fit for human consumption.



   Demerara sugar

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   Demerara sugar is a type of sugar that is minimally refined. This means that it hasn't had all the molasses refined out. It has an amber color, a subtle molasses flavor, and it is large grained and crunchy. It can be used to sweeten drinks, but also as a topping for delicious baked goods.

   Turbinado sugar

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   Turbinado sugar is also a minimally refined raw sugar. It has medium-brown crystals, and because of this, it is commonly mistaken with the brown sugars. This type of sugar has a special and delicate caramel flavor. It can be used to sweeten beverages. 

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   Muscovado Sugar
   Muscovado sugar, also called Barbados sugar, is a type of unrefined sugar in which the molasses isn't removed. It has a wet, sandy texture with a complex flavor. It is mostly used in marinades or savory dishes, but also in gingerbread and fudge.


      Brown sugars

   Brown sugar is basically white sugar that has had cane molasses added to it. These two types of sugar differ by the amount of molasses that they have.

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   Light brown sugar
   Light brown sugar has a small amount of molasses added. It has a delicate caramel flavor, and it's used most commonly in savory dishes.

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   Dark brown sugar
   Dark brown sugar has a higher amount of molasses added in it; which gives it a more intense flavor.




      Refined sugar

   Refined sugar is a processed type of sugar. This involves removing impurities and colored components.

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   Standard white granulated sugar
   Granulated sugar is a highly refined multi-purpose sugar. It is made from sugarcane and sugar beets. It's the most popular type of sugar used in everyday life. It can be used in all recipes that call for plain sugar.

    Confectioner Sugar

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   Confectioners sugar is also known as powdered sugar or icing sugar. It's a type of sugar that has been ground into a very fine powder and mixed with a small amount of cornstarch. It's usually used for making frostings and icing because it dissolves easily.


   Castor Sugar

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   This type of sugar is super fine granulated white sugar. It is ideal to use for making cocktails, syrups or smooth desserts because the crystals are very fine and they dissolve very quickly. It is also used for sweetening cold drinks because castor sugar doesn't need heat in order to dissolve.

   Sanding Sugar

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   Sanding sugar has large crystals, and it's used mainly for decorating delicious baked goods. It adds an extra crunch to cookies, and it is quite resistant to heat. You can find it in different colors.
   

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   Pearl Sugar
   The pearl sugar has a hard texture and an opaque color, which doesn't melt when it's exposed to high temperatures. It's commonly used in the Scandinavian baking for decorating pastries and cookies.



   These are the 11 types of sugar that are more common. Although it might feel like you just took a sugar class, everyone could use some more knowledge about such an important ingredient in baking as sugar.
  When doing the research for this article, I realized that trying to help you guys know more about sugar, it also helped me to find new and amazing information about these 11 types of sugar.
   Don't forget that you should never try and change the sugar type or the quantity in a recipe. And also, if you think that I missed someting important regarding sugar, or if you have any questions, make sure you let me know in the comments!
   Happy Baking, and don't forget to share/pin!