Sugar is ... Making sugar at home

There are many sweets in the world, and a product such as sugar is almost indispensable in the preparation of various cakes, pastries, cookies and sweets. Many craftsmen try to make all the necessary ingredients at home to be sure of the naturalness of the product. Also at home you can make sugar yourself.

What is sugar?

Sugar is a food product that is obtained from reeds or beets of special varieties. It is used in all industries associated with the production of dessert treats. Also, sugar is used as a preservative and additive in the preparation of semi-finished products and various products.

Despite a number of useful properties, excessive use of this product can lead to diseases. One such is diabetes. Sugar preparation is a labor-intensive process and is carried out mainly in large enterprises, but craftsmen make a small amount of home-made produce.

Sugar industry

To produce the product in industrial conditions, sugar beets are used. Usually it is purchased from farmers in the fall, when it reaches the peak of maturity and gains enough essential microelements. Before starting the process, the raw material is viewed and the amount of sucrose contained is measured.

Then the beets are washed and cut into small blocks in special machines. To extract sugar from the product, the cut pieces are passed through water, the temperature of which is 70 degrees. The resulting solution is purified and evaporated, resulting in molasses. It, in turn, is crystallized in a special apparatus and transferred to a centrifuge, where the grains are separated from the residues of a thick syrup.

At the output, wet sugar is obtained, which must be dried. Further it is packed in sacks and sent to the warehouse.

Raw materials

To prepare home-made sugar, it is necessary to prepare raw materials. It is easiest to get sugar beet in regions of Russia and European countries. When buying it is necessary to inspect the root crop, it must be clean, without rot and deep damage. Beets are cleaned from the apical residual leaves and thoroughly washed.

In warm tropical countries, sugar is the same common product as in Russia and Europe. Get it from cane, which is also grown on an industrial scale.

Cooking at home

In the usual state sugar is sand or refined cubes. Such a structure can be obtained only in industrial conditions, when the crystallization process takes place in special machines. Sugar, home-cooked, most like molasses or thick syrup. It can be added to tea or any confectionery.

For the process, it is necessary to prepare two enameled pots, several cuts of gauze and a press. As the latter, you can use any container in which you can collect water for weight.

The first way

The washed and peeled beets are placed in a pot of boiling water. Cook the root vegetables for about 1 hour. After this period, the water is drained and the beetroot is allowed to cool. After that the skin is subtly removed, and the whole flesh is thinly sliced. The finished product is placed in a gauze fabric folded several times and placed in a container under a press. The resulting juice is poured into a separate bowl.

After a while, the remaining cake is again placed in a saucepan and poured with water. The volume of the liquid should be half the volume of the beet. Water should be heated. So insist the grated root crop should be within 45 minutes, then throw it back to the colander, above the container where the juice is going.

Beetroot is again placed in gauze and sent under the press. The newly isolated liquid is mixed with the already obtained liquid and filtered. Further, as in large production, it is necessary to evaporate excess moisture. To do this, a pot of juice is put on a fire and evaporated to a thick syrup. This recipe for sugar at home is the most common and simple.

The second way

Beetroot must be washed and cleaned from the upper peel. Next, the fruit is placed in a pressure cooker. There, the root crop under the pressure of 1.5 atmospheres should languish for about 60-80 minutes. After the beet has cooled, it must be crushed and placed in gauze under the press.

As a result, the resulting liquid is filtered and put on evaporation. The process lasts until the liquid acquires a consistency of honey. Such sugar can be poured into sterilized cans and rolled up for the winter. Use it, like a regular product, adding to teas and various products when cooking.

Properties

Sugar is the so-called sucrose, which is found in many vegetables and fruits. In small doses, this product has a beneficial effect on the human body, stimulating blood circulation in the brain and spinal cord. But do not forget that excessive consumption of sweets, such as cakes, sweets, chocolate and the like, can lead to illness.