2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
There are many types of sugars in nature. The most important thing for us at the moment is sucrose. In technology, it is referred to as sugar.
Sucrose is a biosynthetic product that accumulates in the cells of some plants. It is most widespread in the plant kingdom, where it is synthesized in the largest quantities - up to 28% in sugar cane, 18% in sugar broom and others. Thus, sucrose belongs to one of the most important groups of nutrients, namely carbohydrates.
Pure sucrose is found in nature. It is a colorless crystalline substance with a sweet taste. Its physical characteristics are important for understanding its functionality. It dissolves in water, while in alcohol this property is limited. When heated, it melts, caramelizes and charred, releasing water during the process.
It was found that the molecule of sucrose can be considered as derived from the dehydration of one molecule of fructose and one molecule of glucose.
Carbohydrates, on the other hand, can be considered as derived from two molecules of monosaccharides (glucose, fructose) by the release of water. They are called disaccharides, as is sucrose or sugar.
At the same time, the mixture of equal parts of glucose and fructose obtained by hydrolysis is called inventory sugar. The process is called inversion, and the resulting invert sugar is honey. Experts say that the only real honey is the one that is sugary.
Artificially, it can be obtained by cooking jam, after adding a teaspoon of lemon juice. Unlike sucrose, invert sugar is more difficult to crystallize than sucrose. This is also the reason why sweets are not candied.
Sucrose is among the products widely used in the food industry. They have a high caloric content. Their concentrated solutions have a pronounced antiseptic effect.
