months between harvest and processing,
during which time it can be tainted by soil
bacteria and molds that remain on its surface.
In addition, beet sugar sometimes carries
traces of defensive chemicals called saponins,
which resemble soaps. These are known to
cause the development of a scum in syrups,
and may also be responsible for the poor
baking performance sometimes attributed to
beet sugar. (This reputation may be an
undeserved legacy of the early 20th century,
when refining techniques weren’t as effective
and the quality of beet sugar often didn’t
measure up to that of cane sugar.)
Kinds of White Sugar White sugar comes in
a number of different forms, which differ
mainly in the size of the crystals. They go by
many different names. Ordinary table sugar,
used for general cooking and dissolving in
drinks, is midsized. Coarser crystals are
mainly used for decorating baked goods and