How and from what is sorghum sugar made? Nutritional value and useful properties. Potential harm when added to the diet. Recipes and interesting facts.
Sorghum sugar is the name of sucrose extracted from the stems of cereal plants of the bluegrass family, lat. the name "poaceae". The culture is grown in South and North America, Asia, Africa and Australia. Unlike other types of sugar, sorghum is offered to the consumer in the form of a thick syrup. Evaporation is not performed, since this process is expensive, which is explained by the presence in the juice of a large amount of soluble starch and gum (resinous substances), which prevent crystallization. The product is produced on a limited scale due to low profitability, it is used in the food and distillery industries.
Features of the manufacture of sorghum sugar
Sorghum of a special sugar variety is cut with a machete at the root, washed, laid out to dry. Then the stems are crushed and squeezed.
The juice is separated using a special installation, heated in boilers and filtered through fine mesh. Activated carbon or other chemicals are not used for cleaning.
Cooled to a temperature of 23-27 ° C. They are bottled in bottles of a dark transparent material (usually glass, but sometimes in plastic) of 0, 5 and 1 liter.
Sorghum syrup is considered an environmentally friendly product precisely because of the absence of extraneous additives.
It is mainly used in distillation, but it is also often acquired by supporters of a healthy lifestyle and those who monitor their own weight.
The final product yield when using ordinary sorghum is no more than 20%. From special varieties it is possible to obtain 25-35% of thick refined molasses.
Composition and calorie content of sorghum sugar
Compared to other types of sweeteners, sorghum product can be called dietary. Massecuite, that is, sugar gruel, which is obtained by partial crystallization of molasses, contains the following substances:
- Sucrose and glucose - 53.5%;
- Invert sugars - 13.6%;
- Organic matter - 5.1%;
- Ash - 4, 7%;
- Water - 23.1%.
The calorie content of sorghum sugar is 280 calories per 100 g, of which:
- Proteins - 10.6 g;
- Fats - 4, 12 g;
- Carbohydrates - 59.6 g;
- Pectin substances - 0.6 g.
As part of sorghum sugar:
- Calcium is a building block of bone and cartilage tissue.
- Iron is the basis of hemoglobin, a substance without which red blood cells, erythrocytes, cannot be produced.
- Magnesium - increases insulin secretion and improves penetration into all cells.
- Phosphorus - distributes energy throughout the body and supports healthy life.
- Potassium - stabilizes the heart rate and the work of the cardiovascular system.
- Sodium - retains fluid in the body and prevents blood clots.
- Zinc - accelerates healing in case of violation of the integrity of the skin.
- Copper - normalizes blood pressure and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
- Manganese - has an antioxidant and hepatoprotective effect.
- Selenium - increases stress resistance and stops the growth of atypical cells.
- Gum - lowers blood cholesterol levels.
Not surprisingly, healthy lifestyles prefer sorghum sugar. It not only improves the taste of dishes, but also saturates the body with useful substances, reduces the likelihood of the formation of a fat layer.
Useful properties of sorghum sugar
In terms of its effect on the body, the sweet product is more like honey. It includes biologically active additives and a complex of minerals.
Benefits of sorghum sugar:
- Accelerates peristalsis, facilitates the removal of toxins and toxins from the body.
- Prevents the development of vitamin deficiency and anemia.
- Normalizes the work of the nervous system.
- Stimulates the production of serotonin - the hormone of joy, helps to cope with depression, improves sleep, accelerates recovery after exhausting physical and emotional stress, serious illness.
- Reduces the likelihood of erosive gastritis and peptic ulcer disease.
- Improves memory function and stops the development of multiple sclerosis by dissolving cholesterol plaques that form on the walls of blood vessels.
- Increases blood clotting.
- It is a source of complex carbohydrates and replenishes organic reserves.
Sugar from sorghum is introduced into baby food as a preservative; it can be consumed, albeit in small quantities, by patients suffering from grade 2 diabetes mellitus.
The product is most useful for women entering the period of menopause. It helps to cope with depression, supports the hormonal system, reduces the number of hot flashes and reduces their severity.
The beneficial properties of the liquid sweetener are so pronounced that it is called "eco-sugar". If the recommended daily dose of regular sugar is 40 g for women and 60 g for men, then the amount of sorghum can be increased by 20-30 g.
Those with a sweet tooth who have to control their weight will be able to enjoy the delicious taste without fear of gaining weight.
There is another plus in switching to sorghum sweetness. When growing crops, pesticides are not used, which means that the accumulation of harmful substances does not occur.
Contraindications and harm of sorghum sugar
With individual intolerance to sorghum, the sweetness obtained from it can provoke an allergic reaction. Symptoms of intolerance: sore throat, digestive disorders - nausea, increased flatulence, diarrhea, skin rashes like urticaria. Severe manifestations, angioedema or giant urticaria were not diagnosed.
Sorghum sugar can be harmful if abused. Children are likely to develop atopic dermatitis or diathesis. Signs of adverse effects - itching, redness of the skin. In adults, the work of the pancreas is disrupted, and in the elderly, it is possible to develop diabetes mellitus and increase blood clotting.
To minimize harm when eating a sweet product, you need to move more. In old age, this is problematic.
Sorghum sugar recipes
The product is used as a preservative, food additives are made from it, desserts - artificial honey, jam and marshmallow, jelly and marmalade, are introduced into alcoholic beverages.
Sorghum sugar recipes:
- Cake without baking … Use a food processor to grind 160 g of almonds, 90 g of hazelnuts and 95 g of dates. Cover the detachable form with foil, pour the resulting mixture there. Change the nozzle and beat 3 bananas with 1 vanilla pod, pour in 300 ml of almond and 400 ml of coconut milk, 100 g of liquid sorghum sugar, 1 tbsp each. l. cocoa powder and lemon juice. Pour 50 g of sweet milk mixture, add 4 tsp. agar-agar in the form of granules, dissolve. Return the jelly solution to the bowl of the combine, stir at high speed, pour into a metal dish and heat for 3-4 minutes without boiling. Pour the resulting mass into a layer of nuts, cool at room temperature and refrigerate for 2 hours. The frozen cake is poured over with bitter chocolate, after having melted the bar with a cocoa content of at least 75-82%. Garnished with almonds.
- Fruit icecream … Ripe bananas, 2 pieces, break into pieces and sprinkle with lemon juice, otherwise they will darken and the appearance of the final product will be unappetizing. The banana chunks are placed in a plastic container. A large orange, disassembled into slices, is added to them. Remove bones and films. Half a sweet apple, cut into pieces, without a core and peel, is also sprinkled with lemon juice. Sprinkle lemon zest over the fruit slices. Close the container and put it in the freezer overnight. In the morning, mix 2 tbsp. l. sorghum sugar with the same amount of lemon juice, grind the fruit separately in a blender or food processor without defrosting. Pour in syrup, mix, freeze. Beat the frozen fruit mixture again, freeze again and repeat the process. They are laid out in tins, cooled again, no longer freezing. Decorate the finished ice cream with nuts or pour over with liquid chocolate.
- Carrot cake … Preheat the oven to 160 ° C, cover the baking sheet with parchment. Combine in a deep bowl two types of sifted flour 125 g each - pancake and wheat. 1/2 tsp is poured there. nutmeg, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 2 tsp. cinnamon, mixed. Separately, whisk a glass of refined sunflower oil with 185 g of cane granulated sugar, 4 chicken eggs, 175 g of sorghum sugar in syrup. Combine with flour, bring to a homogeneous structure. 60 g of walnuts and 400 g of grated carrots are also spread there. Grease the mold with butter and transfer the carrot dough. Bake for at least 1, 5 hours. While there is free time, they do glaze. Mix 175 g of mascarpone, 60 g of butter with 185 g of icing sugar and a packet of vanilla sugar. Pour in 2 tsp. lemon juice and beat vigorously. If you do this with a mixer, the glaze will turn out to be more delicate. They take the pie out of the oven, allow it to cool and only then transfer it to the dish. Smear a completely cooled cake with icing.
- Semolina … Pour 300 ml of milk into a metal ladle, pour 1/2 tsp. ginger and on the tip of a spoonful of cinnamon, 0.5 tbsp. l. sorghum sugar, bring to a boil and pour 3 tbsp. l. semolina. Cook until thickened, put on plates. Add to each portion a small piece of butter and a handful of raisins, previously soaked in boiling water.
- Sweet salad … First, make a sweet dressing by combining a third of a cup of ready-made barbecue sauce, 3 tbsp. l. apple cider vinegar and 2 tsp. sorghum sugar. 400 g of canned red beans are discarded in a colander to remove the liquid. Chop tomatoes finely, 2-3 pieces, mix with beans, sprinkle with sliced green onions. Season, pepper, pour to taste with Tabasco sauce.
Interesting facts about sorghum sugar
The first to extract sweet juice from sorghum stalks were learned in ancient China in the 4th century BC. In this country, production continues to this day.
After the Civil War of 1861-1865, they began to build similar factories in the United States, but the expectations of the manufacturers when using such raw materials did not come true. Disappointment befell the British too. This is due to the fact that the yield of crystalline sugar is only 5%, and consumers are not used to purchasing sucrose in the form of a syrup.
During the Second World War, trade routes for sugar beets in the United States were blocked and the production of sorghum sugar resumed. But when the raw materials began to be supplied smoothly again, the breeders returned to cane and beet sugar. However, they did not completely abandon the use of sorghum - a healthy lifestyle was already actively promoted, and the demand for the product increased.
As a crop for the production of sweetness, sorghum still retains its economic potential. It can be grown in dry areas, in low-fertile soils. No special equipment is required for collection and processing. The machines used for the production of corn silage are enough. Collecting the stems is carried out during flowering - they contain more sugar substances. Sorghum sugar is an alternative to beet sugar; it is possible to ensure the production of 2.8 tons of product per hectare.
In China, sugar sorghum is considered the best biofuel; it is specially planted in ecologically polluted areas. This is due to the fact that the culture draws toxic substances and salts from the soil in 2-3 years. True, the stems of such plants are not used for molasses production - they are left as fuel.
Sorghum sugar is now used to make dietary supplements, satiety weight loss drugs, and high-quality alcohol.
Unfortunately, on the territory of Russia and Ukraine, it is problematic to purchase such a sweet, but if there are acquaintances in China, you can make an order. If it is possible to replace sucrose from sugar cane with sorghum molasses, you should not refuse.
