White sugar is ubiquitous in modern society. Historically, it was a precious commodity, however now people can buy sugar cheaply in as much quantity as they like. Easy as it is to buy sugar at the supermarket, there are also many reasons to make or grow it at home. White sugar is refined using a lot of processing and has had chemicals added to bleach it. So it is not very environmentally friendly.
Many people would prefer to be self sufficient, eat only organic foods, or to adhere to a 100 mile diet. Homemade sugars and syrups often contain more nutrients, as they are not processed to the point of absolute purity. They also taste different, and many would say better than processed sugar. Each of the alternatives listed here can be grown at home, or purchased, preferably from a farmers market or local seller.
Make Sugar from Sugar Beets
Sugar beets (Beta vulgaris) are a hardy plant which grow in a wide range of climates, and have been grown for commercial sugar production since the 1800s. They are easily grown, or can be bought from local growers. The root can be eaten, as well as the green tops, and both also make excellent livestock feed. The root contains cancer fighting agents, and vitamins.
To make sugar beet sugar at home, boil pieces of beet to extract the sugar, then continue boiling the water containing the sugar until it turns into a syrup. When it cools, it will crystallize.
Maple Syrup from Sugar Maples
The sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is a beautiful tree widely grown in northern America, often for its exuberant fall foliage alone. However, it also makes an excellent shade tree, and is a valuable timber species, as well as providing sap which can be turned into maple syrup and sugar. Native Americans were making maple syrup long before European settlers arrived.
It is an easy and relatively fast tree to grow, however it generally will not produce much sap for maple syrup until it is around 40 years old. The sugar maple needs particular weather conditions for sap to run, namely freezing nights and warm days. It is also a very large tree, and may grow up to 100 feet tall.
One sugar maple will only produce enough sap (around 40 liters or 10 gallons) to make one quart of maple syrup over the 6 week sap collecting season, and the production methods are intensive and require specialized equipment. Sap is collected with a spout inserted in a hole drilled in the trunk of the tree, and boiled in an evaporator, until it reaches the required density for for syrup.
So, maples are not usually the best choice to grow homemade sugar unless they are already growing in the area, there is access to a suitable grove of mature trees, and a willingness to invest a lot of time and some money on the extraction and refinement of the sap.
If an area is suitable for harvesting sap, there are likely people around who already do so and can be approached for more information. Maple syrup can be easily bought almost anywhere, and particularly at 'sugar shacks' where it is sold directly from the producer.
Keep Bees for Honey
Beekeeping can be very rewarding. It results in honey and other products such as beeswax and pollen, as well as widespread pollination, which is valuable for farmers and horticulturalists. Honey is very nutritious and can be used as a substitute for sugar in many recipes, as well as an ingredient in its own right.
While beekeeping is not prohibitively difficult or expensive, it does involve a responsibility for the bees’ lives, and for the safety of any people who might be exposed to them. Potential beekeepers must check that it is legal in their area, and that there are enough flowers around to keep them in honey. Research the local diseases that can affect bees and how to spot them and treat them.
Joining a beekeeping association can provide enormous amounts of information, as well as valuable contacts. A hive and bees can be bought together on mail-order, or can be bought from an experienced beekeeper in the area. As well as the hive, beekeepers should have a smoker, and suitable protective clothing as well as equipment to extract the honey. Honey is readily available from local growers.
Grow Stevia
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) has encountered a lot of controversy in the United States, but it is now allowed to be sold as a dietary supplement, as well as being used in a soft drink, Sprite Green. Other countries, such as Japan, have been using it as an alternative to sugar for over 20 years. Stevia is a small shrub that originates from South America, where it has been used as a sweetener for hundreds of years. Reportedly it is useful in increasing insulin production and for lowering blood pressure.
It is several times sweeter than sugar, so can be used in smaller amounts, and has very few calories, which makes it ideal for eating plans and weight loss. Stevia likes well drained, sandy soil and a warm climate, but can be grown indoors, or treated as an annual. The leaves are harvested one at a time and eaten fresh, or the whole plant can be cut and hung up to dry, then the leaves ground to a powder.
Stevia is also becoming widely available in health food shops. There are many resources for stevia, including recipes, available online.
While these alternatives to processed, store bought white sugar may take more time than picking a bag off a supermarket shelf, the benefits are worth it, both in health and in satisfaction.
Rachel Sawaya - Rachel Sawaya is a freelance writer from New Zealand (who also has US citizenship), and currently lives in Auckland, the big smoke of New ...
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