Kinds of Sugars

Sugar is an ingredient in anything that has a sweet flavor, from fresh fruit to candy. It also exists in fruits, vegetables and in many processed foods that aren't sweet. Sugar brings out the flavor of food and acts as a preservative. Although all types of sugar can add a sweet flavor to food, the different types of sugar have functional differences. Some are better for cooking and baking, while others are more suited for adding later. Does this Spark an idea?

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Granulated Sugar
- This is the type of sugar most commonly found in kitchens across the United States. It is used in baking and cooking and for adding to drinks and dishes at the table. It generally comes in bags at the grocery store and should be transferred to an airtight container after opening.
Powdered Sugar and Superfine Sugar
- Powdered sugar is granulated sugar that has been ground into a fine powder and combined with cornstarch. This type of sugar is used for icing cakes and cookies. Easy to dissolve, superfine sugar is ground down to small-size crystals. It isn't as fine as powdered sugar.
Brown Sugar and Raw Sugar
- This type of sugar is mixed with molasses in varying amounts, depending on the depth of brownness you want. It has a moist consistency, and when it gets dry, it becomes very hard. Raw sugar is not as processed as granulated sugar. It contains some molasses but not as much as brown sugar.
Coarse Sugar
- Each granule of this type of sugar is larger in size than regular granulated sugar and is used primarily for decorating. Sometimes it can be found with food coloring in it.
Glucose
- This type of sugar is also in fruits and some vegetables. When consumed, it causes a quick rise in blood sugar.
Honey and Fructose
- Naturally produced by bees, honey varies in flavor, depending on the pollination of the bees. Honey naturally contains glucose, sucrose and water. Fructose is fruit sugar, and it is naturally found in fruit and honey. It is very sweet and is absorbed more slowly than other types of sugar; therefore, it doesn't cause a sugar spike in the system.
Artificial Sweeteners
- Most artificial sweeteners contain very little or no sugar. These include saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, stevia and Splenda (made from sugar).

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