What is granulated sugar, production technology. Chemical composition and useful properties. Caution when using. Sweet recipes, interesting facts and everyday uses.
Granulated sugar is the trade name for crystallized sucrose, a food product. In most cases, it is made from sugar beet or cane. The color can be either white, translucent, or light yellow, with various shades, crystal sizes - from 0, 2-2, 5 mm. Allowed moisture content up to 0, 15%. It is mainly used in the food industry, but also in the medical and chemical industries.
Features of the manufacture of granulated sugar
The cooking technology has not changed for the last 300 years, but the technological lines are constantly being modernized.
The production of granulated sugar is as follows
- Sugar beets are raked into rolls, collected in special bunkers, and then washed under running water.
- Cut, place in baths and fill with lime solution. Thus, bacteriological cleaning is carried out.
- The lime solution is removed, the raw materials are washed and crushed.
- The raw material is treated with chemicals to isolate the sugar syrup.
- Sugar syrup for filtration is passed through perlite deposited on a porous partition.
- Evaporation is then carried out to remove excess liquid.
- Crystallization is carried out in a vacuum, resulting in the formation of sucrose and molasses (dark-colored molasses with a pungent sweet odor, which is a by-product of production and is used in the agricultural industry).
- The resulting mass is sent to a centrifuge to separate the granulated sugar.
The pre-sale preparation includes drying and packaging of the product. If refining is required, multiple pressing is performed after the centrifuge.
Composition and calorie content of granulated sugar
Due to the fact that the product contains pure sucrose, its nutritional value is quite high.
Calorie content of granulated sugar - 399 kcal per 100 g, of which
- Carbohydrates - 99.8 g;
- Ash - 0.1 g;
- Water - 0.1 g.
Macronutrients per 100 g
- Potassium, K - 3 mg;
- Calcium, Ca - 3 mg;
- Sodium, Na - 1 mg.
Among the trace elements iron is contained - 0.3 mg per 100 g
Thanks to its beneficial composition, granulated sugar plays a huge role in the human diet. Carbohydrates are absorbed as quickly as possible and replenish the energy reserve.
In cooking, the product is used so often that housewives, in order not to be mistaken with the proportions of the recipe, have long measured the quantity using improvised means. In a faceted glass there are 200 g of sugar, and in a thin-walled glass - 250 g. 1 g of sugar by volume is equal to 1 ml of pure water.
Useful properties of granulated sugar
Despite the fact that many nutritionists and gastroenterologists insist on the complete exclusion of this product from the diet and call it the "white death", it is not recommended to completely remove it from the diet, even with second degree diabetes.
The benefits of granulated sugar
- Stimulates the production of serotonin - the "hormone of happiness", helps prevent depression, improves mood.
- Stimulates blood circulation in the central nervous system, activates the activity of the brain and spinal cord.
- Prevents the formation of blood clots.
- Normalizes the work of the urinary system and increases the performance of the spleen.
An additional component in a bulk product made from sugar cane is group B vitamins. They help to stabilize heart contractions and improve impulse conduction.
Antiseptic and antibacterial action is manifested when applied topically. If you put sugar on a fresh wound, then the blood will stop faster, and secondary infection will not occur. The same properties allow the product to be used in home cosmetics - it is introduced as an ingredient in creams, peels, masks and scrubs - to stimulate the regeneration of the surface epithelium.
Contraindications and harm of granulated sugar
Despite the abundance of useful properties, the use of sweets should be limited. If you eat too much of it, early sclerotic changes may appear - the level of cholesterol rises, the lumen of the blood vessels narrows.
With the abuse of granulated sugar, the following harm occurs
- Obesity develops, fatty layer is quickly formed.
- Diabetes mellitus may appear.
- Teeth begin to deteriorate, caries occurs.
- Protein-lipid metabolism is impaired, the excretion of calcium from the body increases, the risk of osteoporosis increases.
It has been officially established that those with a sweet tooth develop an addiction resembling drug withdrawal, although the symptoms are limited to irritability and nervousness. Sometimes there is a headache.
Note! To minimize the danger to the body, the daily dose of granulated sugar should be limited to 50-60 g.
Granulated Sugar Recipes
It seems that there is no such dish for the preparation of which this product would not be used. It is the basis for desserts, it is used for cooking fish and meat.
Granulated Sugar Recipes:
- Broccoli salad … Raisins are soaked in boiling water for at least 30 minutes. Seeds or almonds are fried. Broccoli is divided into inflorescences and finely chopped. Do the same with red onions. All ingredients are mixed, sprinkled with sugar, and added. The salad is seasoned with unsweetened yogurt.
- Spicy chicken … Mix the marinade: 2 tbsp. l. fish sauce and 2 tbsp. l. sunflower oil, a little black pepper and salt, crushed garlic. Rub 4 chicken thighs, after removing the skin. The remnants of the marinade are divided into 2 parts, one is set aside - in the future, they will make a sauce from it. Pieces of chicken are placed in a bowl, poured with marinade, covered with cling film instead of a lid, and left in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Chicken thighs are fried on both sides in a pan or grill until golden brown. The marinade is mixed with lime juice and granulated sugar for a sour caramel flavor. Spread chicken thighs on plates, sprinkle with sauce, sprinkle with toasted cashews. To taste it goes well with a salad of cucumbers and tomatoes, sprinkled with fresh herbs - dill and parsley.
- Cherry soup … Pits are removed from 1 kg of ripe dark berries, 1 kg of granulated sugar is added, left for 1, 5 hours, preferably in a cool place. The mixture is put on medium heat, poured in 1 liter of cold water and brought to a boil, the flame is muffled, 2 whole cinnamon sticks are lowered, and left for 10 minutes. Then, using a slotted spoon, remove a third of the berries, take out the cinnamon sticks, beat the contents with an immersion blender. Bring to a boil again, add 1 tsp. cornstarch diluted with cold water. Leave to stand for another 1 minute. To make it tastier, it is recommended, after being removed from the heat, to pour in a glass of cherry liqueur or liqueur. Garnish with whipped cream at the time of serving.
- Milk sugar … Pour 3 cups of milk into a saucepan and add 1 cup of granulated sugar, boil until the consistency of syrup is obtained. It's easy to check: the drop is allowed to drain from the spoon onto the nail, if it does not spread, you can turn it off. The form is greased with butter, crushed nuts or raisins are poured into the thick milk syrup. Poured and put in the refrigerator on the shelf. If you plan to treat small children, it is better to do without filler.
- Fudge … In a dish with a non-stick coating, mix 2.5 cups of heavy cream - at least 33%, 2.5 cups of sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes over low heat, adding 1 tbsp. l. honey. Lubricate the silicone mold with butter, pour in the future fondant, allow it to harden. The finished dessert is cut into cubes and rolled in powdered sugar. You can also use fondant as an ingredient for more complex desserts. It is melted again and covered with cakes or pastries. The most vivid example of such use is the well-known Shkolnoye cake.
- Meringue … This delicious dessert made according to the classic recipe contains only 2 ingredients - granulated sugar and egg whites. It was later proposed to grind sugar into powder, add nuts, raisins, sprinkle everything with coconut crumbs. The eggs are cooled, the whites are carefully separated from the yolks. Whisk 3 egg whites with a glass of sugar until steep peaks using a conventional cooking whisk. A mixer can be used, but in this case it is necessary to check periodically so as not to “interrupt”. Pour in a few drops of lemon juice to make whipping easier. Line the baking sheet with parchment, use a spoon or a culinary bag to form slides of whipped protein. The future meringues are placed at a distance of at least 1 cm from each other - the cookies rise. Preheat the oven to 130 ° C, put a baking sheet in it for 7-10 minutes. Then the temperature is reduced to 100-110 ° C and the dessert is left to dry for 1-1.5 hours. Take it out of the oven only after turning it off, when the baking sheet has cooled down.
Interesting facts about granulated sugar
This is such a valuable product that quality standards have been developed at the state level to determine all quality characteristics (see table).
| Standard, GOST | Survey method |
| 12571-98 | For sucrose |
| 12572-93 | Color matching |
| 12573-67 | Determination of the amount of ferro-impurities |
| 12574-93 | By the amount of ash |
| 12575-2001 | By reducing impurities |
| 12576-89 | The purity of the product is determined based on the quality of the solution |
| 12579-67 | By the composition of the granules |
If GOST 33222-2015 is assigned to granulated sugar, there is no doubt that the packaging is a quality product.
The ancient Romans began to cultivate sugar cane, but later, when the Roman Empire turned out to be a "colossus with feet of clay," the cultivation of cultivation ceased.
The product owes its name "sand" to the Indian language, and the literal translation from Sanskrit means "grain of sand". In India, this product began to be produced 2300 years ago from sugar cane.
In Russia, sweet of this type began to be made only in the XI century, and only wealthy people could afford to introduce it into the diet for a long time. And the poor used honey or fruit candy to sweeten their food. They did not even think about the recipes for "oriental sweets", which occasionally fell on the table, because they were unfamiliar with the main ingredient. Manufacturing was debugged only at the end of the 19th century.
In Africa, granulated sugar is obtained from palm sap, in the USA - from maple sap, in China - from the perennial herb sorghum. The varieties almost do not differ in taste, but the color can be yellow, brown or reddish.
The product can be used at home
- To eliminate old unpleasant odors, a few tablespoons of sand are poured into spice jars, a coffee grinder, an old coffee maker, and a refrigerator. After that, it is enough to rinse the object with cool water.
- To remove food stains from things, you can wet the problem area with warm water while they are fresh, and then sprinkle with sand.
- For severe sugar stains, carpet can be cleaned.
You can buy granulated sugar at any store. Packaged is cheaper - it is offered at a wholesale price of 24, 50 rubles. per 1 kg, the "Extra" variety is more expensive - from 34 rubles. In Ukraine, for 1 kg of granulated sugar in a store, you will have to pay 13-15 hryvnia.
Watch a video about granulated sugar:
The shelf life of the product is 8 years. To prevent deterioration, it should be protected from moisture penetration and stored in an airtight container. It is best to pour the sugar into a glass jar, close it with a tight lid and put it in a dark place. And to use it daily, they pour a little into a sugar bowl, from where they scoop it up with a spoon. If moisture gets into the general container, the sand will turn into a monolith.
