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Questions tagged [sugar]

Questions about sugar or substitutions for it for culinary purposes.

This tag covers all sorts of sugar (granulated, powdered, brown, cane, beet, etc) and substitutions for it (aspartame, saccharin, honey, etc); basically all kinds of sweeteners that can be used for preparing food.

Questions with this tag could be about the components (what is sugar made of), the chemistry (how does it react with which temperature), the proper usage, or differences between types of sugars and/or sweeteners.

Questions with this tag should not be about health-related issues like nutritional value nor location-related issues (why is brown sugar more expensive in Europe than in the US).

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Is it possible to make caramel that does not taste sweet?

Since sugar turns into caramel when heated, caramel is not sugar. I suppose then, that caramel still tastes sweet because of the uncaramelized sugar mixed in the caramel. Is it practically and/or theoretically possible to remove the sugar from the…
Albert Hendriks
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Does using powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar make cookie dough drier?

I was baking cookies last week using granulated sugar (white and brown) and they were great. The recipe says to put all 3 sugars into the molten butter and to stir for a while. Yesterday I thought it would be easier to grind the sugars into…
Minix
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How can I make these cookies less sweet without ruining the texture?

I've finally found a snickerdoodle recipe that results in cookies with that perfect "bite": a crispy outside -- not crunchy, but an almost-infinitesimal stiffness that resists your teeth just a little before "letting them in" -- leading to a…
Marti
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Is Dextrose the same as Atomized Glucose Powder?

I have been making some yummy sorbets and ice creams. Many recipes call for atomized glucose powder. However, 'atomized glucose powder' is not that readily available. 'Dextrose', however, is commonly available at local heath food stores here in…
drewk
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Does jaggery need to be soaked?

One of our TV chefs has done a show on India, and one of the ingredients he has used in a few recipes is jaggery, a sugar made from palms. In the show, it appears to be soft, like soft brown sugar. However,the jaggery I have found at the…
ElendilTheTall
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Historical recipe for cake before refined sugar

What ingredients were used in cake before the invention of any factory produced or processed foods such as refined sugars? Does anyone know where I could find historical recipes for such things?
Clarkie Cat
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Is Ciao Bella's "Rosemary and Olive Oil Gelato" savory?

I am about to make ice cream (for dessert) from The Ciao Bella book for Gelato and Sorbetto and was thinking about trying the Rosemary and Olive Oil Gelato. It says something about being savory, but it has the same amount of sugar as most of the…
bob
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What is caster/castor sugar?

I've got a Meringue recipe that calls for castor sugar. Is that different than powdered sugar?
yhw42
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difference between glucose syrup and sugar syrup?

I am not talking about the chemical difference (sugar is chemically a molecule formed by two monosaccarides: glucose and fructose). I am wondering about the difference from the cooking point of view in using pure glucose syrup vs. a syrup made of…
Stefano Borini
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How much do I reduce the sugar when using a sweeter fruit in a pie filling?

I've got a surplus of Bing cherries at the moment, since they're in season and therefore on sale everywhere. I have a handful of made-from-scratch cherry pie filling, but most call for tart cherries (and a relatively large amount of sugar, 1/2 to 1…
Erica
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What is the difference between granulated cane sugar and granulated sugar?

I see two types of sugar in the baking aisle that I can't differentiate: "granulated sugar" and "granulated cane sugar". The latter is considerably more expensive. So, what is the difference between granulated cane sugar and this (unspecified)…
Austin D
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Difference between brown sugar and white sugar?

While visiting a coffee shop with coffee I was offered these two kind of sugar. But don't know about differences between them. And why does brown sugar absorb moisture quickly compared to white one? And can we use brown sugar instead of white sugar…
The Hungry Dictator
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Does adding sugar to tomato type sauces affect acidity?

Many(most?) tomato based pasta sauces have added sugar, it is generally a very small amount. I have always heard this was done to reduce the acidity. My main question: Does this little bit of sugar increase the pH enough to be noticeable? Or, is…
Debbie M.
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What islands use a cooking technique that starts with sugar and hot sauce in the pan?

I had a roommate many years ago that was from a Caribbean island, but I don't remember which one. His general technique for cooking almost anything was to start with a hot saute pan, add oil, a good amount of sugar, and a homemade hot sauce that had…
Michael Natkin
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How to tint powdered sugar (icing sugar)?

I'm looking for a way to tint powdered sugar without wetting it. I know that there are powdered food colors but I think that part of what activates the color is the fact that they get wet when you add them to an icing or batter. I'm also afraid that…
Catija
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