Features of refined sugar and manufacturing method. Calorie content and chemical composition of the purified product, the benefits and harms when introduced into the diet. Recipes for dishes, how not to make a mistake when choosing.
Refined sugar is a hard sugar that has undergone additional purification, as a result of which its composition is as close as possible to pure sucrose. The raw material for its production is sugar beet or cane. The color depends on the type of raw material. When making a product from sugar beets, it will be white or bluish, from cane it will be light brown. The taste of different types of product is practically the same. The consumer is offered refined sugar in the form of a dispersed powder with crystals of different sizes (sand and powder), pressed layers and cubes. The main application is cooking. Additional - medical and chemical industries.
How is refined sugar made?
The manufacturing process begins with the collection of raw materials. If they are beets, they are raked into rolls and then shipped to the factory, where they are washed and distributed to cleaning bins, filled with lime mortar. The production of refined sugar at the first stage is carried out according to the same algorithm as for the unrefined product.
After bacteriological cleaning, the raw materials are washed, crushed, sugar syrup is extracted in special installations, and then primary filtration is carried out, passing through a porous partition with perlite. The liquid is evaporated, crystallization is carried out in a vacuum unit. The resulting mixture is represented by sucrose with molasses (molasses). It is placed in a centrifuge for fractionation.
How refined sugar is made from unrefined raw sugar:
- Carry out clearing - dissolve in water heated to a temperature of + 85 ° C, and boil a syrup of 73% concentration. Re-filter with mineral fillers - gravel or perlite.
- The purified substance is sent to adsorption units. At the first stage of cleaning, the syrup is discolored, and at the second, the sugar-containing rinse is separated. The chemical raw material used during the process is activated carbon. It is separated by repeated cleansing.
- The purified syrup is concentrated in vacuum installations. Crystallization temperature - + 78 ° С, process duration - 70–85 min.
- Intermediate raw materials (massecuite) are sent to crystallizers equipped with stirrers, then transferred to centrifuges.
If it is planned to manufacture granulated sugar, the refined gruel is dried to a moisture content of 0.1% and sent for pre-sale preparation - packaging.
If necessary, pressing the massecuite is whitened and sent to the carousel installations, where briquettes are obtained. They are dried to the required moisture content - 0, 2-0, 3%, then split or cut into pieces of the required size.
Refined sugar is released in the form of compressed instant sugar. The quality of the final product depends on the degree of pressing.
Note! Refined cane sugar is produced according to the same algorithm. Features - the clarification process is excluded.
When making powdered sugar at home, ordinary refined sugar is ground in a coffee grinder or using a blender. In the factory, refined powder is obtained not from granulated sugar, but from waste during pressing and cutting of briquettes. Crystals are ground in a mill, starch is added - more often potato starch (3% of the total). If this is not done, the product cakes during storage and crystallizes. The moisture content of the powder is 0.2%. The difference between refined powder and sand is its increased nutritional value.
Composition and calorie content of refined sugar
Despite the absence of fats, a large amount of this type of sweetness in the diet against the background of low vitality leads to weight gain.
The calorie content of refined sugar from sugar beet is 400 kcal per 100 g, of which:
- Proteins - 0 g;
- Fat - 0 g;
- Carbohydrates - 99.9 g;
- Water - 0.1 g.
The nutritional value of a product made from sugar cane is 397-399 kcal per 100 g
When compiling a daily diet, this difference can be ignored. The higher price is explained not by the increased content of nutrients, but by the delivery costs - sugar cane is not grown on an industrial scale in the territory of the former CIS.
Despite the two-stage purification, a small amount of vitamins and minerals remains in the refined sugar. There are a little more of them in a product made from cane:
- Retinol equivalent - Supports visual function and has antioxidant effects.
- Biotin - stimulates the activity of B vitamins, prevents early gray hair, improves the quality of nails and hair.
- Tocopherol equivalent - increases immunity, reduces the likelihood of malignancy of neoplasms in the excretory systems.
- Phosphorus - distributes energy throughout the body, strengthens bone and muscle tissue and helps the absorption of iodine and zinc.
- Chlorine - normalizes digestion and water-electrolyte balance, prevents fluid loss.
- Sulfur - stimulates the production of bile and normalizes blood sugar levels.
In whatever form the refined sugar is produced - in pieces, sand or powder, the chemical composition is the same. This is achieved by thorough cleaning and removal of the molasses.
Useful properties of refined sugar
Despite the fact that nutritionists unanimously advise to abandon this type of product or prefer a less refined product, you should not completely eliminate it from the diet.
The benefits of refined sugar:
- Accelerated assimilation and rapid breakdown into components - fructose and glucose. To prevent a diabetic coma, it is enough to put a sweet cube under the tongue.
- Accelerates blood circulation in the brain and spinal cord, reduces the possibility of developing atherosclerosis.
- Reduces the risk of arthritis and rheumatic changes.
- Stimulates insulin production.
- Increases the synthesis of serotonin - the hormone of happiness.
- It stimulates the nervous system, improves visual and brain functions, and increases the ability to memorize.
The beneficial properties of refined sugar are officially confirmed. For patients with a history of functional disorders of the liver and spleen, a "sweet diet" is recommended. A slight increase in the product in the diet restores the filtration properties of organs. The daily dosage should be checked with a doctor.
If the kids are overly capricious, weakened during an illness, a cube of refined sugar will help to cope with the problem that has arisen. It is not worth offering such a supplement as a daily treat, but a single use will not cause harm. The product is much safer for young children than chocolate or modern candies. By the way, in Russia they knew about this and the kids were allowed to suck on pieces of sugar heads.
Moderate consumption of refined sugar does not have a negative effect on the body, stabilizes the general condition and helps to recover from exhausting emotional and physical stress.
For an adult healthy man, the annual rate is 34 kg, for a woman - 35 kg. This is due to the functional characteristics of the nervous system: in men, it is more stable, and less stimulant is required to prevent depression.
Contraindications and harm of refined sugar
Overuse of a highly refined product often causes high cholesterol levels and diabetes.
Refined sugar can harm children, people with an inactive lifestyle, with a history of obesity. The habit of gnawing sweet cubes leads to the destruction of tooth enamel, the formation of dental plaque, the development of caries, disruption of the pancreas and excessive release of insulin into the blood.
When drawing up a daily diet, in order not to provoke a deterioration in the condition, the use of fast carbohydrates should be taken into account. You need to pay attention to the labels of finished products with the percentage of sweet and count how many cubes or spoons of refined sugar are eaten during the day.
It is not recommended to introduce children to a new taste until the age of 3 years
Recipes for dishes and drinks with refined sugar
The grandparents treated the pressed sweet with some respect. We drank tea with him, treated the children. And for cooking, they used unrefined cheap sand.
Currently, refined sugar is preferred when kneading dough for delicate desserts and sauces from gourmet dishes. By the way, it should be used when preserving fruits and vegetables, since it contains a minimum amount of additional inclusions.
Recipes with refined sugar of dishes and drinks:
- Decorative decorations for desserts … 1/4 cup refined sand is poured into a plate and mixed with 1 tbsp. l. boiled water. Knead well until a dense consistency is obtained. It's easy to check - compact the mixture in a plate and smooth the surface. If the liquid does not separate, and the structure remains homogeneous, the sculpting material is ready. Stir in food coloring - it can be uneven, gain a sweet mass with a cookie cutter. The cut figures are allowed to dry and used for decoration.
- Summer dessert … Whisk 4 chilled squirrels with 150 g of refined sand or homemade powdered sugar. When persistent peaks are obtained, the effect is reinforced with cornstarch - 4 tsp is enough. The whipped egg whites should shine. Preheat the oven to 90 ° C, spread parchment or white paper on a baking sheet - preferably a Whatman paper, lay out the sugar mixture in an even circle with a diameter of 20 cm, leaving a small hole in the center. Bake for 2 hours. Take out no earlier than the oven has cooled down. If the preference is given to the meringue, which is soft and tender inside, and dried on top, then the dessert is baked at 130 ° C and after 15 minutes the heat is reduced to reduce the temperature to 90 ° C. Place in a bowl with high edges 250 g cream cheese without fillers, 1 tbsp. l. sour cream and 2 tbsp. l. icing sugar. Peaches or ripe pears are peeled and cut into thin slices. Spread the cream in the meringue hole, decorate with fruit slices and mint leaves, sprinkle with lemon juice.
- Punch "Autumn" … 300 g of refined sugar cubes are rubbed with orange and lemon zest. Dissolve in very strong black tea, 3 l, and leave to infuse. At this time, 12 egg yolks are whipped white with the same amount - if you measure with tablespoons - of white refined granulated sugar. Separately squeeze juice from two oranges and one lemon, set aside. Pour in a little aromatic tea to the yolks, put on fire and, without ceasing to stir, pour in the remaining drink. Heat up to the first bubbles. Then remove the container from the stove, pour in a mixture of juices, add rum or cognac to taste. Drink hot from tall glasses. You can experiment not only with alcohol, but also with other ingredients.
- Effect drink … Prepared in the presence of those who are planned to be surprised. In a cup, or better in a bowl, so that it is better seen, pour 1 tbsp. l. grated bitter chocolate, on top - 1, 5 tsp. coffee, obligatory natural. Lay out 2 refined cubes on top. Poured over with alcohol, vodka or brandy, set on fire. When the sugar has burned out, boiling water is poured. Decorate with a lemon wedge.
Interesting facts about refined sugar
In addition to the usual types of sweets in the form of pressed irregular shaped heads, parallelepipeds and sand, refined waste is produced - crystals of different sizes. This powder, without the addition of starch, is used in champagne factories.
The standard sizes of the sides of the cubes are 11 and 22 mm. Permissible deviations ± 3 mm. Refined sugar is produced in accordance with GOST 22-94, deviations are regulated by GOST 12579-67. Sizes of sand crystals: fine - 0.2-0.8 mm, large - 1-2.5 mm. Lumps in the finished product are not allowed; dissolving in a small amount of water should result in an opalescent solution with a subtle bluish tint.
An increase in humidity during storage is unacceptable. If this happens, a fine-crystalline film forms on the surface and pathogenic microorganisms begin to develop rapidly.
Unscrupulous sellers can engage in falsification of goods, replacing refined granulated sugar with ordinary sugar. The difference between a higher quality product is a uniform color, increased reflective properties, large, almost uniform crystals
If you are planning a wholesale purchase, you need to dissolve a little refined sand in water. If a sediment appears, it means that foreign additives are present - chalk or crumbs of medical gypsum. Unfortunately, such methods of deceiving customers are still used today.
For the first time, refined cubes were made in the Czech Republic in 1883 at a sugar factory in Dacice. Inventor - Managing Director Rad Yakov Christoph. The production facilities have long been dismantled, but a snow-white cube was erected in their place - a monument to a new type of sugar.
Few people know that refined sugar can burn. But in order to do this trick, you first need to rub the cube with cigarette ash. It contains potassium salts (potash), without which it is impossible to activate the combustion of sucrose.
The abuse of refined sweetness causes addiction, which resembles a narcotic in manifestation. A person who regularly uses this particular type of product becomes overly irritable when refusing sweets, he may experience insomnia, joint pain, and nervous disorders. Interestingly, giving up regular granulated sugar is much easier. Experiments on rats have confirmed the changes caused by refined sugar at the cellular level. Autopsies showed pathological abnormalities similar to those of morphine or cocaine.
Watch a video about the benefits and dangers of refined sugar:
No fixed price is set for refined sugar. The cost depends on the form of the product, packaging, sugar beet yield and manufacturing costs. For example, a 500 g pack of pressed “Tsukor” is offered in Kiev for UAH 20, while in Moscow the same product can be purchased for RUB 50-70. Refined cane is one third more expensive. If the price on the cane sugar label is the same as on the beet sugar, the naturalness of the product is questionable and it is better to refuse the purchase.
