Sugars, Sweeteners & Crystallization

Question 1

What are the 3 major groups of Natural Sweeteners?

Answer 1

Sugars
Syrups
Sugar Alcohols

Question 2

What is a byproduct when making sugar

Answer 2

Molasses

Question 3

What is the name of the sugar we commonly use and what is it composed of?

Answer 3

Sucrose: Glucose + Fructose

Question 4

What are the differences between Granulated Sugar, Powdered/Icing sugar and Brown Sugar?

Answer 4

Granulated: pure sucrose
Powdered: fine granulated sugar with cornstarch
Brown: crystallizing golden sugar or granulated sugar with molasses

Question 5

What are some Syrups? and how do their sweetness vary (why)?

Answer 5

Corn Syrup
High-fructose corn syrup
Molasses
Maple syrup
Inverted Sugar
Honey
The more monosaccharides, the sweeter.

Question 6

What is inverted sugar

Answer 6

A liquid syrup resisting crystallization and retaining moisture obtained by the hydolysis of sucrose in the presence of heat and acid to produce glucose and fructose

Question 7

What is collected by bees and what is the final product?

Answer 7

Bees collect sucrose and their enzyme convert it to fructose + glucose

Question 8

What are polyols? What happens when they get ingested?

Answer 8

They are sugar alcohols and are resistant to digestion and therefore provide less calories

Question 9

Name some nunnutritive sweeteners (6)

Answer 9

S-A-S-C-AP-SG
Saccharin (banned, oldest artificial sweetener)
Aspartame (Equal -> table top sweetener, not heat stable)
Sucralose (Splenda, baking heat stable, made from sucrose)
Cyclamate (Table top sweetener)
Acesulfame Potassium (undigested)
Steviol Glycosides (stevia)

Question 10

What are 3 advantages of nonnutritive sweeteners?

Answer 10

Fewer calories
Not fermented by mouth microflora (no cavities)
No promotion of type-2 diabetes (slow or no increase in blood sugar)

Question 11

What are 3 disadvantages of nonnutritive sweeteners

Answer 11

Potential issue with microbiome, metabolism and heart disease
Lack sugar characteristics (bulking, browning, etc.)
Are not all heat stable

Question 12

What are the two types of candy?

Answer 12

Crystalline (many crystals)

Non-crystalline (no sugar crystallization, amorphous = no shape)

Question 13

What factors influence the size of sugar crystals? (4)

Answer 13

Ingredients (sugars, interfering agents)
Temperature
Sugar concentration
Stirring

Question 14

What are the two types (functions) of interfering agents?

Answer 14

Disturb crystal lattice (glucose, fructose, invert sugar)

Coats the sugar crystals (butter, cream, eggs)

Question 15

What is linked with a greater sugar concentration?

Answer 15

A higher boiling point

Question 16

What are the two ways to determine the final temperature of the supersaturated sugar solution

Answer 16

Thermometer test

Cold-Water test

Question 17

What needs to be done when heating the solution?

Answer 17

No agitation (can seed solution –> start crystallization too early)

Question 18

What does cooling down the supersaturated solution to the right temperature allows to from?

Answer 18

Formation of nuclei (seed crystals)

Question 19

What needs to be done once the solution has cooled down to the right temperature ? What will happen?

Answer 19

Beating/Agitation;

It will promote the formation of small numerous crystals

Question 20

How does the procedure for crystalline and non-crystalline candies differ?

Answer 20

For non-crystalline, the solution needs to have a greater sugar concentration, the solution is left to cool untouched and interfering agents (syrup, milk, cream, butter) are added

Question 21

Define Ice Cream

Answer 21

A foam of air bubbles trapped in a frozen liquid (made of sugar and milk solids), surrounded with fat globules coated with emulsifiers (gelatin, egg yolk solids)

Question 22

When it comes to ice cream, what is defined as the Overrun?

Answer 22

The difference in volume of the unfrozen ice cream mixture and the frozen ice cream due to incorporation of air.