Beet Sugar Guide: Differences Between Beet Sugar and Cane Sugar

Beet sugar is refined sugar made from sugar beet (Beta vulgaris), a plant with a conical-shaped white root and long, bushy green leaves. The sugar beetroot is high in sucrose and is used to create white sugar, also known as refined sugar, table sugar, or granulated sugar.

Sugar factories process sugar beets through a diffuser with hot water, which draws out the sugar. They then boil the resulting liquid until evaporation occurs, leaving behind a sugar syrup. The sugar syrup crystallizes as it dries out completely, so only the sugar crystals remain. A multi-step refining process removes impurities and non-sugars until the sugar is white.

In the United States, sugar comes from two sources: sugar beet and sugarcane. Both sugar beet and sugar cane contain 99.95 percent sucrose, have the exact same chemical compounds, and blend in commercial sugar packages. Still, there are differences between the plants and their sugars:

• Appearance: The root of the sugar beet grows underground, whereas sugar cane grows above ground.
• Growth: Sugar beet grows in temperate climates in North America, Europe, and Russia. Sugarcane grows in tropical climates in Brazil, India, Southeast Asia, and the Southern United States, including Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.
• GMO: In the US, sugar beets are typically GMO (genetically modified organisms), though it is possible to find non-GMO organic beet sugar. Most sugarcane is non-GMO, though some countries have started growing GMO sugarcane.
• Refining: The process for producing cane sugar is the same as beet sugar, but there is one key difference: Molasses is a byproduct of sugarcane production. Molasses is added to cane sugar and beet sugar to make brown sugar. Sugar beets also make molasses, but beet molasses has a very low sugar content. The US recycles beet molasses for animal feed.
• Color: Sugar made from sugarcane is also processed with bone char to make it white, and naturally white beet sugar does not require this step.
• Raw sugar: Raw sugar is minimally refined cane sugar. You cannot substitute raw sugar for brown sugar or granulated sugar in recipes for baked goods because of the difference in moisture.

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