Brown Sugar

The most common form of brown sugar is made by fully refining sucrose and then restoring a measured amount of cane-sugar molasses to the refined sugar. The result is sugar crystals that have a thin molasses coating and a soft, moist texture. The added molasses provides flavor and increases the sugar’s hygroscopicity and its propensity for browning when heated. Producing brown sugar by this method affords the manufacturer control over the product, permitting greater consistency from batch to batch. Brown sugar is available in several grades, depending on the type of molasses and other ingredients added to it. Commercially, brown sugar is given a number to indicate how dark it is, with the highest number indicating the darkest sugar. The grades of brown sugar most commonly found are 6, 8, 10, and 13.