# Refined white sugar vs: evaporated cane juice



## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

I've been using evaporated cane juice for years, as it's less processed than refined white sugar and contains some nutrients from the sugar cane. But I recently purchased some of the cheap stuff for a science experiment (growing crystals ie: rock candy).

I was floored when I realized the difference in price: $3 for a 2 lb package vs. $1.99 for a 5 lb bag! Over the course of a month, I could probably save around $10 by buying cheaper sugar- and that difference could be used towards more nutrient-dense foods such as meats, nuts, or produce.

So what do you guys think? Is it worth the money for the less processed sugar, or is the food money better spent elsewhere? My initial plan with the evaporated cane juice was to encourage my kids to use less sugar overall, but it doesn't seem to have worked out that way.


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## Jeanne D'Arc (Apr 7, 2007)

I only cook with pure honey, molasses or syrup.

Just because i dont know how i feel about evaporated cane
juice.


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## tabitha (Sep 10, 2002)

i keep a bulk bucket of organic florida crystals type sugar, but i do more cooking with rapadura & honey. the crystallized sugar is for things like birthday cakes and frosting, or when i bake for other people, or for canning when i make a light syrup or the like.

i think it is worth the money, though i pay less than you do because i buy it in bulk. it isnt bleached, it isnt sprayed with shite, and it is yet another way to vote with your money.

however, we will probably not buy much of it after we start harvesting honey from our hives.


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

I think it's worth the money IF ONLY because if you're shelling out that much for sugar, you're not going to want to use it as much


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## cristeen (Jan 20, 2007)

Personally, I would rather spend more money on ECJ than less on white sugar. But I also severely limit ECJ use. My main sweetening comes from honey. Then maple. I use rapadura for baking (for other people, I don't eat it), and the ECJ is for delicate things that can't handle the molasses in rapadura (like pie crust or meringue).

The ECJ also contains more of the natural minerals than refined white sugar. But, you might want to think about removing it alltogether. Try getting your family to switch to rapadura (which has a LOT more minerals than even ECJ), or even honey. I can buy honey in bulk at the HFS or the local (beer) brew store (where it is cheaper). Yes, it winds up being more expensive than refined white, but it is healthier for your family. And in the long run, that's more important, IMO.


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

Rapadura and honey don't work so well in meringues or lemonade, though either one works in things like brownies.


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## cristeen (Jan 20, 2007)

Actually, I use honey to make my lemonade right now, and have used rapadura in the past. But you're right, it doesn't work for meringues, which is one of the few things I keep ECJ on hand for.


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## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

IMO, from everything I've read, sugar is sugar for the most part. We buy organic sugar (for baking, etc.) which I would suggest, but I don't think it matters much beyond that whether its turbinado or granulated or evaporated cane.


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

How do you get honey to dissolve in a glass of cold water? Or do you make it by the pitcherful with warm water and then chill it?


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## cristeen (Jan 20, 2007)

I make it with warm water.

Usually though if I know I'll be making a lot of it (like in the summer), I'll just make a simple syrup with honey and stick that in the fridge. Then I can mix it by the glass.


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## caedmyn (Jan 13, 2006)

I think stevia works well for lemonade. Could you use honey for most baking? I found that I can use half as much honey as sugar, so if you did that you'd end up spending about the same amount as you do now for the evaporated cane juice (assuming you can find for about the same price as I've seen it in various places, $3/lb or less) and your kids would be getting less sugar. Or maybe you could experiment with part honey or evaporated cane juice and part stevia to cut back even further on their sugar consuption. Replacing half of the sugar in a recipe with stevia seems to work okay without changing the taste or texture much. Stevia is expensive but because you use so little of it it ends up being the cheapest sweetener (at least in the calculations I've done).


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