Process Food by Sugar Concentration
The word “sugar” brings to mind the white crystals that make our lives
sweeter. However, sugars are not only used as sweeteners but have important
technological functions in foods, providing texture, bulk, color and acting as
preservative agents.
Sugar is an organic compound in the form of carbohydrate
Sugar has a very long history in food preparation - Sugar has been used extensively in the preservation of fruits such as
apples and pears and in the production of a wide range of products such as jams and jellies, fruit juice and sweetened
products such as condensed milk.
What are the common types of sugar came from?
Glucose (a.k.a. carbohydrates sugar)
Fructose (a.k.a. fruit sugar)
Sucrose (a.k.a. table sugar)
Lactose (a.k.a. dairy sugar)
Origin of sugar
Sugars are naturally present in fruits and vegetables (sucrose, glucose and fructose), honey (fructose and
glucose), as well as in milk and dairy products (lactose and galactose) and to a lesser extent in cereals (maltose). The
main sugar used in our kitchens is sucrose (table sugar), which is composed of the two sugars, glucose and fructose.
Sucrose is extracted with water from sugar cane and sugar beet, where it is present in large quantities. The resulting
sugar juice is purified, filtered and concentrated to syrup, from which sucrose is crystallized, dried and cooled. The
residual dark syrupy material is molasses. The ‘white sugar’ thus isolated is neither chemically altered nor bleached.
White sugar is available in different types of granulated sugar. Brown sugar retains some of the molasses, which imparts
characteristic flavors and colors
Food preservation
Sugars are also important in food preservation. Marmalades, syrupy fruit desserts, candied fruits and other
delicacies were born out of the historical need to preserve fresh produce. The high sugar content prevents microbial
growth and spoilage by increasing the osmotic pressure, which limits microbial growth and makes these foods last
longer.
Alcoholic beverages
Sugars are also at the heart of alcoholic fermentation, i.e. the conversion of sugars to ethanol (alcohol) by
yeasts, which is used to make alcoholic beverages. Sugars contained in grapes, grains, honey and fruits are used in the
production of wine, beer and whisky, mead and ciders respectively.
Examples of sugar concentrated products
Jams, marmalades, preserves and conserves are fruit products preserved by sugar.
These products differ in gel consistency, ingredients and how the fruit is prepared.
Jams are made from crushed or ground fruit and usually have a thick consistency due
to high pectin content.
Marmalade is a jelly with pieces of fruit suspended in it. Citrus peel and juice are frequently the basis of
marmalade.
Preserves contain whole fruit or small pieces of fruit in thick sugar syrup.
Conserves are jams made from a mixture of fruits. They usually contain citrus fruit, nuts and raisins.
It exists primarily in plant cell walls and helps bind cells together. Some fruits and vegetables are more
pectin-rich than others. For example, apples, carrots, oranges, grapefruits, and lemons contain more pectin
than cherries, grapes, and other small berries with citrus fruits containing the most pectin.
Ingredients and their roles
Fruit gives the product its special flavor and provides pectin for thickening.
Pectin provides thickening or gel formation.
All fruits contain some pectin.
Apples, crabapples, gooseberries, some plums, high bush cranberries and citrus peel contain large amounts
of pectin.
Fruits like blueberries, strawberries, cherries or huckleberries contain little pectin. You can make thicker
products with these fruits by combining them with fruit rich in pectin or with powdered or liquid pectin.
Acid must be present to form gel in marmalades and thickening in jams, preserves and conserves.
For fruits lacking in natural acid, like strawberries, recipes call for lemon juice or other citrus fruit.
Commercial pectin products contain organic acids that increase the acid content of fruits.
Sugar aids in gel formation, develops flavor by adding sweetness, and acts as a preservative.
Corn syrup or honey can replace half of the sugar in a recipe.
Use light colored, mild-flavored honey; too much honey can overpower the fruit flavor.
How sugar is used as preservatives?
Sugar helps preserve the color, texture and flavor of the food. The sugar in jams and
jellies helps the gel to form, and increases the flavor. When large amounts of sugar are used
in a recipe, the sugar also acts as a preservative by inhibiting microbial activity ; thus, recipes
should not be modified or adapted.
Types of Sugar
1. Granulated sugar - Granulated sugar is the sugar you more than likely recognize as the common “white” or “table”
sugar. Further known as the “everyday” sugar, granulated sugar is vastly used in commercial products and recipes.
2. Caster sugar - Similar to granulated sugar, caster sugar shares the same composition yet with a much finer texture.
Being small in size, caster sugar dissolve quickly, making it best for baking into dessert products.
3. Confectioners’ sugar - also known as powdered sugar or icing sugar, confectioners’ sugar is an extremely fine sugar.
Among all sugars, it is the finest and smallest in size.
4. Brown sugar - brown sugar is essentially white sugar with molasses, a sugar by-product that has been boiled down
into thick, dark syrup. Though it comes in both refined and unrefined forms, both display the properties the molasses
provides – a moist texture and rich taste.
5. Cane sugar - the identification of cane sugar is suggestive to its origin, sucrose extracted from sugarcane. Sugarcane is
a tropical plant naturally containing a highly-concentrated, sweet substance.
6. Fruit sugar - While less commonly used in the food supply, fruit sugar (also known as fructose) resembles common
table sugar.
Direction: Enumeration.
1-6 Types of Sugar
7-10 Sugar Concentrated Products
Direction: Choose the correct answer inside the box.
Sugarcane Jams Brown Sugar
Sugar Marmalade Sugar Cane
Carbohydrate Granulated Sugar Corn syrup or honey
Confectioner’s sugar Preservers Pectin
Sucrose (table sugar) Conserves Fruit
____________________ 1. Brings to mind the white crystals that make our lives sweeter.
____________________ 2. Also known as powdered sugar or icing sugar.
____________________ 3. Sugar is an organic compound in the form of _____.
____________________ 4. Composed of the two sugars, glucose and fructose.
___________________ 5. Provides thickening or gel formation.
_____________________6. Gives the product its special flavor and provides pectin for thickening.
____________________7.A tropical plant naturally containing a highly-concentrated, sweet substance.
_____________________8. Can replace half of the sugar in a recipe.
____________________9. Made from crushed or ground fruit and usually have a thick consistency due to high
pectin content.
_____________________10. A jelly with pieces of fruit suspended in it. Citrus peel and juice are frequently basis.