SC - Sugar is sweet and so are you...

[Jeanne Stapleton]

> > 2. Dextrose is used in modern sausage-making because it tastes
> > less sweet than other sugars.  To be period don't use refined
> > sugars.  Use a touch of honey or leave it out entirely.
> 
> Given that cane sugar is period, what sugar-alternate can we use
> instead of using honey?  Could we use brown sugar instead?
> 
My housemate and I were discussing this sugar question the other day.
She wondered whether beet sugar was period, and I had to confess I 
did not know.  Her question arose because she lived in several 
countries in the Middle East while married to her former husband, and 
sugar beets are a huge crop inTurkey.

> While honey is a popular SCA-alternate for sugar in recipes, I am
> beginning to doubt how much it really was used in period recipes. 
> Can anyone shed some light on this?
> 
I've seen both honey and sugar in Middle Eastern recipes; Cariadoc 
probably knows much more about producers of honey in period times 
than I do, but honey was used in ancient Egyptian times (there are 
allusions in poetry as well as archeological finds of honey residue) 
and mentioned in the Bible.

I've seen sugar mentioned in period recipes *a lot*, but not honey.  
I'd be curious to hear other people's knowledge on these questions.

I tend to use raw sugar instead of refined white sugars when I cook.

Also, we were talking about bleaching flour earlier.  My 
understanding is that much modern bleached flour comes about because 
of chemical bleaching, not storage methods.  I have also been going 
for the unbleached white flour, which is still fine and white, and 
using that in my SCA cooking attempts.  Any thoughts on this?

Berengaria

jstaplet at adm.law.du.edu
University of Denver
College of Law
Ext. 6288