Turbinado sugar is a golden-brown sugar, which is minimally processed and can be used for more than just sweetening your coffee! Also known as raw sugar, it is an ingredient you may have only seen at your local cafe’s condiment bar, ready to be dusted over your morning oatmeal or stirred into a latte.
It is a type of “raw sugar” made from cane sugar extracted during the first pressing of the cane, allowing the natural molasses to remain in the crystals. The crystals are then steam-cleaned to remove any contaminants while retaining their slightly light brown color.
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How do they look like?
It is coarser than refined white sugar, irregular and thicker than regular sugar crystals.
This ingredient is darker than regular granulated sugar, making it distinct from the standard. But those distinctions are all the more reasons to start using this sugar in your baking.
Nutritional Value of Turbinado Sugar
Nutritional Value per 100 gm:
- Calories – 380 gm
- Total Fat – 0 g
- Saturated fat – 0 g
- Polyunsaturated fat – 0 g
- Monounsaturated fat – 0 g
- Cholesterol – 0 mg
- Sodium – 28 mg
- Potassium – 133 mg
- Total Carbohydrate – 98 g
- Dietary fiber – 0 g
- Sugar – 97 g
- Protein – 0.1 gm
Is Turbinado Sugar Healthy?
Although it is less refined and considered to be raw, one can’t claim it to be healthy. Being raw sugar, it must taint with impurities, hence, unfit for human consumption. As a result, raw sugar must be refined further before it can be consumed. As a result, this sugar is not entirely raw, but rather minimally processed.
Is Turbinado sugar nutritionally similar to white sugar?
It has the same caloric and carbohydrate content as white sugar. The small amounts of minerals and antioxidants it provides are negligible. It, like other types of sugar, should be used sparingly.
It contains trace amounts of calcium and iron, but won’t find traces of RDA.
It also contains antioxidants from the molasses left over after processing, though the amounts are small.
As a result, consider it to be a flavor enhancer to be used sparingly rather than a source of nutrition.
Can Turbinado sugar use instead of white sugar?
Yes, you can. Because it is coarser, you may require more for the same amount of sugar. Unless you’re dusting, you may need less. It is entirely dependent on the recipe whichever you are preparing.
It also doesn’t dissolve well, so you might get a little crunch from switching it out.
Is turbinado sugar equivalent to brown sugar?
No, it is sugar cane processed that has been processed minimally, whereas brown sugar is white sugar that has been processed with molasses. They are the same color, but they differ in flavor, texture (brown sugar is moist), and granule size.
Difference between Brown sugar, Muscovado, and Demerara sugar:
First of all, brown sugar is made through the process of pressing sugarcane juice, which is then boiled in large steam evaporators to form crystals and spun in a turbine to remove liquid molasses.
Whereas white sugar has almost all of the molasses removed and is further refined to remove traces of color, turbinado sugar crystals have only the molasses on the surface removed.
Brown sugar, on the other hand, is typically made by adding molasses in precise amounts to white sugar.
Muscovado and demerara brown sugars are both minimally retained and refined some of the original molasses.
Demerara sugar has larger, lighter-colored crystals than turbinado sugar. It typically contains 1–2% molasses.
Muscovado sugar is a dark brown sugar with fine, soft, sticky crystals. It contains 8–10% molasses, which gives it a stronger flavor.
There is variation in terms of processing, crystal size, molasses content between brown sugars, such as turbinado, demerara, muscovado, and light and dark brown sugar.
How to include turbinado sugar in recipes?
You can include it in various dishes and use them as substitutes too.
It can be used for general sweetening, but it is especially useful as a topping for foods because the large crystals hold up well under heat.
It could be useful for:
- Sprinkling on whole-wheat muffins, scones, or quick bread.
- Filling a graham cracker pie crust with the mixture.
- Combining with cinnamon and serve with whole-grain toast.
- Topping it on hot cereals, such as oatmeal and cream of wheat.
- Incorporating a dry spice rub for smoking or grilling meat or poultry.
- Candied nuts, such as pecans and almonds, can be made with it.
- Baked fruit, such as pear, apple, or peach halves, can be dressed up.
- Decorating the pies, apple crisp, and creme brulee tops.
- Sprinkling on top of the whole-wheat sugar cookies.
- Sweetening coffee, tea, or other hot beverages with agave nectar.
How else can you benefit from turbinado?
All of this is to say that it is most commonly and effectively used as a crunchy topping on muffins, quick breads, and even some cookies. As it doesn’t melt or dissolve in the batter like brown and granulated sugar, it adds a unique texture to baked goods. But, it isn’t ideal for smooth applications like whipped cream or mousse due to its coarseness, but it’s ideal for spice rubs and fruit desserts like crumbles or crisps.
It has no specific health benefits, especially if consumed in moderate amounts. However, if consumed in large quantities, it may contain some minerals.
Despite its lack of health benefits, it can be used in cooking. Its moist texture and flavor complement desserts well.
How Turbinado sugar is produced?
It is first heated up on pressing of juice from sugar cane to get the water wipeout of it. As a result, it crystallizes and is later spun in turbines or centrifuges to complete the drying process. White sugar, on the other hand, is frequently much more heavily processed and is typically made white by removing its natural color with a decolorizing filter such as bone char. Similarly, much brown sugar is white sugar with molasses added back in to color it.
Where Can I Get Turbinado Sugar?
It is widely available in local supermarkets throughout the state. However, if you shop online, you can find a wide variety of high-quality turbinado sugars.
This sugar is organic and USDA Organic certified.
Health benefits of Turbinado sugar
Turbinado sugar is thought to be a healthier alternative to other sweeteners because it is less processed and thus retains more of the nutrients found in sugar cane juice. Furthermore, because no animal by-products are used in its production, it is suitable for vegans.
Products similar to Turbinado sugar:
Demerara and Muscovado sugar are two products that are similar to Turbinado sugar. Both are unrefined and lightly processed, but demerara is much lighter in color and slightly less moist than muscovado. All three can be used interchangeably in recipes, though muscovado has a lot of moisture and a very strong flavor, so it can sometimes be used in smaller amounts to achieve the desired effect.
Substitution of Turbinado Sugar:
While preparing a recipe, there are certain times when you could run out of sugar, then you can follow some of the below tips:
- You can replace it with white sugar if you want flawless, smooth texture and white pristine color.
- You can replace it by combining half brown sugar with half white sugar.
- You can also use honey, to substitute turbinado sugar for brown sugar. Honey will add some moisture to the recipe which would be quite helpful for the substitution.
Conclusion:
As considered raw, some that people think that Turbinado might be their ideal option to include it in their diet. People think that with its help they would be able to lose some of those pounds, but they are sadly mistaken. Sugar, is after all sugar, doesn’t matter whether it is raw or processed or refined.
