# sucanat or evaporated cane juice?



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

I hear and read that sucanat is better with more nutrition and minimally processed. Then I hear and read that evaportated cane juice is better, Rapadura (sp?). I can buy sucanat in bulk. I can also buy evaporated cane juice in bulk. The cane juice is cheaper, but is it better. I thought the sucanat was better because it's brown and does not look processed at all while the evaporated cane sugar is clear and crystal like. The sucanat label says it's evaprated cane juice and even tells how it's been made and it sounds good. PLEASE HELP ME!


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## xenabyte (Jul 16, 2004)

Ok, there are differences.

The term 'Sucanat' is usually refering to dehydrated 'cane sugar juices', however I've seen 'Honey Sucanat' that would be honey that is powdered for easier use. It should be the whole juice, dried and ground to powder. It can be organic or not, you need to check with the specific brands.

Dehydrated Cane Juice can be organic or not, as in the case of "Florida Crystals' <--- a name brand, it says it is 'less refined'. They gather the sugar cane and then [wash and filter] it, (reducing it's color and molasses content) and then steam evaporate it to reduce it to a thick syrup that is crystallized and dried. This brand isn't organic, but the company does supposedly have organic versions.

*Rapadura* is a name brand, for an Organic, sucanat sugar. They really the same thing. There just happens to be a TON of variations on how they process cane juice into sugar. So Rapadura is 'for sure' organic grown, then the sugar canes are squeezed and the juice is filtered for the pulp (but no minerals, vitamins or molasses is removed) and then it is dried and ground for packaging to sell. It is 'whole, intact' sugar. Is is basically [Organic Sucanat].

There is a whole foods brand [Wholesome Sweeteners] of 'Organic Sucanat' that sounds like it is processed the same (because Rapadura has had so much market success) and I do believe it is usually cheaper than a box of Rapadura made by the 'Rapunzel' company. I bought a bag and it tastes and looks just like the Rapunzel brand.

The stuff that's sold [like 'Raw Sugar'] that looks like large granules are basically sugar crystals that have been filtered, refined of molasses, and dried in larger 'crystals' then resprayed with molasses...not sure why they would bother to do such a thing, but that is how most 'brown sugar' is made too.

Hope this helps. SO Sucanat /whether it is Rapadura Brand, Wholesome Sweeteners or another 'store' brand/ are the same basically. You might need to read the individual company statements to see if it's organic (as Rapadura is). Other than that, go with what's cheaper.

I also have the Florida Crystals in my cupboard as it is kind of a 'half way' compromise sugar. It's got /SOME/ of the good stuff intact and makes a nice flavor that is not too 'molassy' for guests to drink in their iced tea.


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## mandib50 (Oct 26, 2004)

rapadura is the commercial name for dehydrated cane sugar juice. it is rich in minerals.

sucanat is a refined sugar from which the nutrients have been removed and small amounts of molasses may have been added to for color.

that's just what my book says







i think i need to research a bit more too!
mandi


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## melissa17s (Aug 3, 2004)

We get the wholesome sweetners that Xenabyte mentioned. They have two versions, though. One is a paler color and finer crystal and the other is browner and different texture- looks like the rapadura box. If I remember correct, they had the same nutrition information, but the ingredients has a slightly different wording. One was evaporated can juice and one was dehydrated cane juice maybe?? I thought the darker of the two was better for "brown sugar" parts of recipes and the ligher worked well for the "white" sugar. We also got an organic version that was on sale called Woodstock Farms, and it is listed as organic cane sugar.


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## xenabyte (Jul 16, 2004)

I was thinking, hehe..it's kinda like trying to define the term, Vegetarian.

Sometimes it refers to people that still eat eggs, or cheese or other dairy, and even some that eat FISH!... sometimes it is closer to the term Vegan (100% no animal or animal by products).

Then there are 'organic' Vegetarians or not, and..Fruitatarians, and Raw Vegans, and gee...see what I mean?


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## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Quote:

sucanat is a refined sugar from which the nutrients have been removed and small amounts of molasses may have been added to for color.
This is what I'm confused on. The package says it's minimally rifined to keep the minerals and mollassas in the sugar. It's not clear but brown so it has to have the mollassa in it. The other cane juice sugar is clear and crystalized and looks like very little of the mollassas is in it.


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## xenabyte (Jul 16, 2004)

I disagree, the Sucanat name is an acronym that means: SuCaNat = Sugar Cane Natural. It's usually unrefined or very lightly filtered, especially compared to most 'whole cane juice' sugars. One of the sure fire ways to tell, is by the darker brown color. Though some dark brown sugars are definitely 'sprayed on' molasses color and flavor. But they can't use the Sucanat name (or shouldn't be).

So to be sure, buy Rapadura, or Wholesome Sweeteners brand if you want a true, organic, sucanat sugar.


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## polka hop (Dec 23, 2003)

*


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## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

xenabyte- that's what I thought. I was buying Wholesome brand sucanat, then I found the bulk bin and the stuff sighn says sucanat and it looks exactly like the Wholesome sucanat but at half the cost.







Good to know, now I can bake with confidence.


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## yitlan (Dec 8, 2001)

There is controversy over the quality of modern sucanat. Rapadura seems to be the least processed. You can read more here:
http://www.westonaprice.org/motherli...orapadura.html


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## treehugger (Jan 21, 2005)

I am totally confused. Is organic unrefined cane juice in bulk ok to buy or not??


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## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

I don't get Rapadura here. I get organic evaportated cane juice, which is crystalized and pale...the crystalized cane juice with added mollassas for a brown sugar substitute...and sucanat. The organic sucanat I buy comes in bulk at $0.79/100g. I pay almost half buying it in bulk then in the package from Wholesome Foods. It's the best I can get, so I guess it's better than nothing or white sugar.


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## xenabyte (Jul 16, 2004)

Yitlan, thank you for that link!!

So, after reading it, here is the scoop, if you don't have time to read it:

The term, SuCaNat, has been 'taken' by many other sugar producers, and since even highly processed 'white' sugar is evaporated (to form the crystals) they /could/ even use the term Sucanat. Years passed, it used to stand for the type sugar (Rapadura) that is still sold.

I would say that anything other than Rapadura, is suspect to the processing methods used. While the 'Wholesome Foods' brand is close, they supposedly still seperate the molasses and sugar streams and then recombine. It has less moisture and will store longer, but also less vitamin and mineral content that Rapadura.

So it's a matter of choice. CJR, I would not trust anything from the bulk bin, just because it has the words, 'organic (<--if it even has that) evaporated cane juice. If it looks lighter in color, I'd suspect it. You would have to contact the company they order from and find out if it is a true 'Rapadura' type sugar.

All 100% natural 'Rapadura' type sugars should be dark, dry and more granular in form, not little 'crystals'.


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## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

It's the crystals I am staying away from. This sucanat that I buy looks like ice tea mix, best way to describe it. It looks and tastes just like the sucanat in the bag on the shelf.


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## xenabyte (Jul 16, 2004)

Bah,







I h ave to buy the /small/ expensive boxes or bags !!

I wish they would sell Rapadura in bulk for less here!

I found 5lb bags, but !!!!! $$$$$ still really expensive!


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## MamaE (May 1, 2004)

I've been confused about the dif between Sucanat and Rapadura too. (I even posted about this here recently!) They appear to be the same thing (if you read the labels and processing info on the back), but Rapadura has a mineral content while Sucanat doesn't claim one.

So, this morning at my mom's house, we were checking out her bag of Organic Sucanat (Wholesome Foods) and my box of Rapadura. The Wholesome Foods bag makes it a little unclear whether they separate the molasses and then add it back in or not, but it seems to be minimally processed and supposedly contains trace minerals (they just don't list them on the nutrition label).

I e-mailed the company this morning (before I stumbled upon this thread) and will let you all know what I hear back. Wholesome Foods Sucanat is a little cheaper for me, so I'd like to know whether it's OK to use over Rapadura - I feel a little like I'm getting ripped off whenever I shell out for Rapadura.

The saga continues...


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## MamaE (May 1, 2004)

Just talked to Virginia at Wholesome Sweeteners (makers of Organic Sucanat). This is what she told me:

The molasses is never separated from the cane juice in the making of Sucanat. It is unrefined. (Sounds like Rapadura to me.) The mineral content per cup of Sucanat is: 45% RDA Iron & 30% RDA Calcium. (I didn't ask about any other trace minerals or vitamins.)

Rapadura claims 11% iron & 2% Vit C per teaspoon. I don't have a table in front of me as to how many tsps are in a cup, but perhaps someone can figure that out for me - I've got a naked toddler on the loose - gotta run!


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## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Thank you for doing that.


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