Cane juice

Health benefits

Evaporated cane juice retains more of the original sugar cane’s mineral content than refined white sugar, which is stripped of everything except sucrose during processing. While still a concentrated sugar (about 111 calories per ounce), it contains trace amounts of minerals absent from refined sugar. It should be used in moderation.

Description

Evaporated cane juice can substitute for sugar in sweetening foods, beverages, and cooking. It may also be known as dried cane juice, crystallized cane juice, milled cane sugar, or direct consumption sugar. In Europe it is called “unrefined sugar”.

Evaporated cane juice is available in several forms, all darker than refined white sugar:

- Milled Cane: small grained crystals with a golden color and subtle molasses flavor

- Demerara: coarser grained, slightly sticky crystals with a noticeable molasses flavor

- Muscovado: very fine crystal sugar with a pronounced molasses flavor

- Jaggery: unrefined cane sugar popular in India and Asia

Rapadura (also known as raspadura or panela) is a related product traditional to Latin America. It undergoes even simpler processing, with the cane juice simply boiled to remove water.

History

The history of evaporated cane juice parallels the history of sugar itself; modern refinement technology that produces white sugar is relatively recent. For most of recorded history, minimally processed cane sugar was the standard sweetener wherever sugarcane was cultivated.

Sugarcane domestication is ancient, originating in New Guinea about 10,000 years ago. The plant spread westward, becoming widely grown in India. The Moors, who learned cane processing techniques from Indian sources, introduced sugar production to Spain after their 8th-century conquest, beginning sugar’s expansion into Europe. Christopher Columbus is credited with introducing sugarcane to the New World, and European colonial powers quickly established plantations in South America and the Caribbean.

Sugar refineries emerged in the last few centuries, producing what was called “white gold.” Renewed interest in less-processed cane sugar has occurred in the United States, driven by growing attention to whole foods and nutritional awareness.

How to select and store

Choose the form of evaporated cane juice that suits the recipe; demerara and muscovado have deeper molasses flavor than milled cane juice.

Store in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place. It keeps indefinitely.

How to enjoy

A few quick serving ideas

Use evaporated cane juice in place of refined sugar in coffee or tea.

Muddle fresh mint, lime, and cane juice, then add sparkling water for a non-alcoholic mojito.

Substitute cane juice for refined sugar in baking.

Sprinkle over sliced grapefruit and broil.

Try it on whole wheat toast with cinnamon and flaxseed oil.

Individual concerns

Cane juice is not a commonly allergenic food and is not known to contain measurable amounts of oxalates or purines.

Nutritional profile

Cane juice is a good source of riboflavin.