SC - Sugar Questions

[Decker, Terry D.]

> Magritte asks:
	<deleted>
> > comment on another entry of mine, saying "Brown sugar is not period- the
> > raw sugar would be great." I'd like opinions from the list.
> > 
> Ah, the great sugar myth! :)
	<deleted>
	 Modern storebought brwon sugar is white
> sugar that has molasses added. In theory, I suppose it could be period,
> but
> I know of no recipes that call for its use. and of no "shopping lists"
> that
> call for its purchase. Raw sugar (ie white sguar that is not quite as
> refined) as I understand it is the same stuff, without the molasses added,
> so I dont understand why one would be period and one not...both are from
> cane sugar, which was readily available in period.
> 
	<deleted>
> hope this helps,
> --AM, who is puzzled why people seem to think that medieval people had no
> access to decent ingredients....the same people who insist on using coarse
> wheat flour to make it "more medieval", I guess.
> 
Molasses is the draining of crude unrefined sugar.  Natural brown sugar will
settle out of molasses, so brown sugar has been available since sugar
refining got started.  It was probably not used outside of the sugar growing
regions of Europe.  An equal weight of refined sugar would bring a higher
price and would therefore be more valuable to the trade.

Molasses is the product of crushing, steeping and cooking the cane.  As I
understand the process, further cooking of the molasses and skimming off the
impurities produces raw sugar and treacle.  The sugar can be further refined
by cooking and skimming.  

Bear

  
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