[Sca-cooks] ground powder sugar

[Terry Decker]

> My stainless steel grinder (which I use for the sugar) does get coated
> easily when I am grinding down.  I like to use beet sugar, and maybe that
> is where the coating comes from.  It isn't always a white product like 
> cane
> sugar.  And the odor too.  I have to take it apart and put it in the
> dishwashera between powderings.  :-))
>
> Aldyth

The primary difference between beet and cane sugar is that beets convert 
carbon dioxide to sucrose using a three carbon molecule while cane uses a 
four carbon molecule.  The two sugars can be differentiated at the isotopic 
level, but that should not cause any problems.

Powdering pure sucrose should result in a white product, so color and odor 
makes me wonder.  It may be that you are using a beet sugar that retains 
some of the "molasses" and that powdering it releases that into your 
powdered sugar.  Humans do not like the taste of beet "molasses" which is 
why it is commonly used in producing animal fodder.  If the beet sugar is 
releasing a minute amount of "molasses," then that might explain the 
problems you are encountering.

Bear