Chocolate, cake, candy and even the chips for munchies are a craving I’ll have late at night and the thing they all have in common is sugar. Sugar can be found in almost everything we eat. It’s one of the main reasons why many of us have big sweet tooths. Sugar has had a long history and can be found almost everywhere in the world. The world would be utterly different without sugar. But have you ever wondered how sugar gets to our table and if so I’m here to take you on that process.
The History of Sugar
Sugarcane was first discovered in South East Asia specifically in Papua New Guinea. Sugarcane was first traded around East Asia around 3’500 years ago. Once sugarcane had reached India it became chemically refined into a semi-sweet sweetener. This processing of sugar moved toward the east into China and made its way to the Mediterranean by the 13th century. Once the Portuguese had hands-on sugar they created plantations in the Americas. There was high demand for labor in these plantations and in a result, the Transatlantic Slave Trade was created. Thousands of Africans were shipped across the Atlantic enslaved working the sugar plantations in the Caribbeans.
The Factory Process
Sugarcane Originates from the tropical region of SouthEast Asia. Sugarcane is produced in Texas, Florida, Louisiana, and Hawaii. It takes about 12 months for sugarcane to be harvested in fields they are harvested by big machinery. The sugarcane is cut from the base of the stalk and loaded into and distribution bin. From there the sugarcane is taken to the sugar mills and the sugarcane gets washed and shredded into small pieces. Once cleaned the pieces go through several mills where the juices are extracted and the pulp is removed. The juice is processed by solicitations which bleaches the juice. To regulate the sugars PH level the a solution of powder lime and water that are mixed for 6 hours to thin out the juice.After this the juice into calorifier tanks and then gets boiled. A syrup is then created and mixed with sucrose crystals to bind and draw out the syrup. The crystals are removed from the un-crystalised syrup by a high speed revolving machine. Water is sprayed to wash the crystals. Ounces the crystals are out of the central fuse it has finally made raw sugar. The raw sugar goes through granulator to get decolorized recrystalized and purified. The final step for the sugar process is for the sugar to be dried and then its ready to be packaged.
Sustainability
Producing sugar creates a toll on our environment. With the cultivation of sugarcane it frequently contaminates freshwater environments with farm-washed silt and fertilizers, along with mill-washed plant waste and chemical sludge. These pollutants are discharging into the ocean through the Mesoamerican and Great Barrier Reefs, harming the coral reefs ecological communities. It takes about 10 gallons of water for the production of sugarcane.nine gallons per teaspoon. It takes many of acres of land for sugarcane fields.
Sugarcane Juice Recipe
Sugarcane Juice is healthy easy drink to make that wont take more than 10 minutes.
- Remove skin off the sugarcane and cut into small pieces
- Blend the pieces of sugarcane and add ginger and puree. Make sure not to include water to the puree
- Use a cheese cloth to remove the juice from the puree .
- Stain multiple times and add lemon juice to your liking.
- Serve with ice, and enjoy
Blog By: Luis Rios
Citations
Hogan, C. (2021, November 12). Sugar’s Journey from Field to Table: Sugar Cane. https://www.sugar.org/blog/refining-and-processing-sugar-cane/
Sugarcane Profile. (n.d.). Copyright 2022 Agricultural Marketing Resource Center. All Rights Reserved. https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/grains-oilseeds/sugarcane-profile
The Sugarcane Industry Sets a World-Class Example in Sustainability. (n.d.-b). IDB Invest. https://idbinvest.org/en/blog/agribusiness/sugarcane-industry-sets-world-class-example-sustainability
Sugarcane Farming’s Toll on the Environment | Magazine Articles | WWF. (n.d.-b). World Wildlife Fund. https://www.worldwildlife.org/magazine/issues/summer-2015/articles/sugarcane-farming-s-toll-on-the-environment
Horton, M., Langton, P., & Bentley, A. R. (2015, October 30). A history of sugar – the food nobody needs, but everyone craves. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/a-history-of-sugar-the-food-nobody-needs-but-everyone-craves-49823
Exports, J. (2021b, September 7). Small Scale Sugar Mill Machinery | Sugar Manufacturing Plant. Jagdish Group. https://www.jagdishgroup.com/products/sugar-extraction-plant/small-scale-sugar-mill-machinery.htm