Day 15: Procrastination Station

Day 15 of the 30-Day Challenge: Procrastination Station

Task:  To research information, regarding healthier sugars than the traditional granulated white sugar I currently use for cooking, and to purchase such sugar for use in my household.

Reason for Task:  In pursuit of a healthier sugar form than my current staple, I’ve become highly aware of other sweetening agents every time I walk down the baking isle in different stores.  There are so many options with no shortage of man-made sugar substitutes (which I steer clear of altogether) as well as natural sugar substitutes such as honey, maple syrup, and agave; traditional white and brown sugars; and more specifically turbinado and demerara sugars.  While the choices are manifold, it pays to invest time into determining the best option for my family’s consumption of an item that is frequently used throughout the homemade cooking my daughter and I perform on an almost-daily basis.  

Duration of Task:  1 day to conduct online research (there’s a plethora of resources about sugar, so I’ll pick a few to review) and to compare the findings between the resources.  Based on the results, I will either purchase the new sugar option today or tomorrow since my weekly shopping day tends to fluctuate between Sundays and Mondays.

Outcome:  I decided to focus my attention on turbinado sugar as the new staple I’ll be adding to my kitchen pantry.  Here are my findings from the research:

• Any sugar or sugar substitute (no matter how processed or natural), used excessively, will work against the human body.  In other words, sugar in all it’s forms should be used in moderation.
• There are slightly healthier sweetening agents than granulated white sugar.  For instance, you technically receive less sugar and calories per serving in turbinado sugar (a.k.a. “raw sugar”) than in white sugar.
• When comparing white, brown, turbinado, and demerara sugars, white sugar is the most chemically processed and refined.  Granulated white sugar is taken from sugar cane and processed down to a salt-like texture.
• Brown sugar is basically white sugar with molasses added to it.  It is found in both refined and unrefined forms.
• Turbinado sugar is minimally processed.  It is darker and less fine (larger crystal-like consistency) than granulated white sugar.  It comes from the first pressing of sugar cane and retains some of the natural molasses as well as a light caramel flavor.
• Turbinado sugar is a better substitute for white sugar than brown sugar.
• When using turbinado as a substitute for white sugar in a recipe, the following will need to be considered:  the additional moisture that the turbinado sugar will have compared to white sugar could adversely affect the outcome of the recipe, the texture of the turbinado crystals are more crumbly and crunchy and won’t dissolve as easily as white sugar, and the dry measurement of a certain amount of turbinado sugar isn’t exactly the same as the dry measurement of that same amount of white sugar.
• Brown sugar contains the most moisture, white sugar contains the least amount of moisture, and turbinado sugar is somewhere in between.  Baking items requiring brown sugar may turn out dryer or more crumbly if turbinado sugar is used as a substitute.
• Some baking items requiring white sugar may turn out okay if using turbinado sugar as a substitute, especially if they are items like brownies and cakes that can hold the additional moisture with no problem.  While other items like doughs may end up with an inedible consistency.

In conclusion, I’ve come up with this realistic solution for the initial introduction of turbinado sugar to my family’s diet.  I won’t be doing away with granulated white sugar altogether (not just yet anyway).  I will need to find out how to seamlessly incorporate it into recipes without drastically altering the taste and consistency in the final outcome.  The more skilled I become at this task, the more white sugar will be replaced with the turbinado.  Furthermore, I have noted that my family can immediately adopt turbinado sugar for use in such food items as spice rubs, toppings on oatmeal and baked pastries, and as crumbles in cobblers and crisps.

Quote of the Day (mine):  Some trial and error to get substitute equivalents in harmony with their counterparts will probably be needed.  Patience is the virtue needed here.