Cane sugar

iplogger1

Hope this isn't too odd a thread to start on food/sweets.
I thought of posting it to green issues or politics.. but it relates
to food and foodies are usually politically/agriculturally/economically
aware creatures too

Here goes:

With all respect to those who have (or are in the process of..) losing their jobs because of the ending of sugar beet production and processing in Ireland....

Are cane based sugars already available on the Irish market ? Or were they priced out so far by EU levys ? I guess now that Irish production is about to cease it will be cane based sugar here from now on (or.. is there still a large surplus of beet based sugar which is still in the EU which needs to be depleted before cane sugar starts making inroads into the Irish market)?
Economists/foodies, anyone?

What I'm wondering (and I'd be surprised if it were not the case) is whether can based refined white sugar or brown sugar might taste similar to the type of sugar our grannies and mothers and we have been purchasing in the white paper bags , etc over the last few generations on this Island. I'm guessing cane based sugar is the same as what you'd get out of a sachet in an American diner and I can't remember it tasting anything different (I guess the refining process probably neutralises any major differences in sugar taste between the two raw material types).

Can anyone shed any light ? Any folks from US who come to Ireland and find the granulated sugar to taste noticeably different. I'm guessing this is a moot point and probably a ridiculous thread but something that caused me 10 minutes of thought today so it's a silly burning question for me just now

~ipl

rubadub

iplogger1 wrote:

Are cane based sugars already available on the Irish market ?

yep tesco do a nice unrefined cane sugar. I can taste the difference. Most "brown sugar" here is molasses from cane sugar mixed with processed white sugar, i.e. crap. It is only due to economies of scale that processed sugar is cheaper.
Yes it is so highly refined that white sugars are hard to tell apart. If you look at brewing/distilling forums people would always choose cane over beet.
Real brown sugar has got to be cane, and unrefined. I think all the suicra stuff is fake brown. It is a pointless process when you think of it, it is like distilling a fine brandy, then pouring it back into the slops you made it from. Most molasses is pretty much waste product from refined sugar, then you add it back.
Sugar beet molasses is what they feed animals and is vile.

Most sugar in the states in foods is corn syrup.

iplogger1

Hey Rubadub

Thanks for the info -- very enlightening.
I'll take a look out for that Tesco unadulterated cane based brown sugar you mentioned out of curiosity.

Molasses - that's maple syrup correct ?

~ipl

iplogger1

OK, I checked wikipedia and I see molasses is what we'd call baking syrup or treacle

~ipl