Refined Sugar vs. Evaporated Cane Sugar: Differences & History

Evaporated cane juice sometimes appears as the sweetener in foods marketed for their health benefits. Both evaporated sugar cane and refined sugar are derived from sugar cane, but they are processed differently. Because of this, they have different characteristics.

History

• People have used evaporated sugar cane as a sweetener for thousands of years. Refined sugar was discovered only a few hundred years ago.

Processing

• Evaporated sugar cane consists of the crystals that remain after fresh cane juice is evaporated. Refined sugar is filtered with water through charred beef bones until mostly sucrose remains.

Appearance

• Refined sugar is white, while evaporated sugar cane is light brown in color.

Flavor

• Though they are comparable in sweetness, evaporated sugar cane retains more of the taste of sugar cane than refined sugar. Its taste is like molasses.

Nutrition

• Since refined sugar is stripped in the refinement process, it does not contain the same trace minerals that evaporated cane sugar retains. The body converts both types of sugar to glucose.