Re: Palm sugar question

[Guest guest]

Here's an article and its URL. at the bottom there's a link for another article

re palm sugar.

Dedy

----------------------------------

Palm & Coconut Sugar

http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/ingredients/palmsug.html

Palm sugar and coconut sugars (nahm dtahn bpeep/buk & nahm dtahn maprao):

Although the names are used interchangeably, palm sugar and coconut sugar are

not the same. One comes from the palmyra or sugar palm and the other from

coconut palm, but both are produced from the sweet, watery sap that drips from

cut flower buds. The sap is collected each morning and boiled in huge woks on

the plantations until a sticky sugar remains. This is whipped and dropped in

lumps on cellophane, or filled into containers. Because it is not highly

processed like brown sugar, the color, consistency, flavor and level of

sweetness can vary from batch to batch, even within the same brand.

The color can be as light as creamy beige and as dark as rich caramel brown, and

the consistency soft and gooey, or rock hard, depending on how long the sap was

reduced. Palm sugar usually has a darker color, a more fragrant smoky aroma and

a more complex flavor than coconut sugar, though sometimes additives have been

mixed in to lighten its color. Palm sugar may also be labeled as coconut sugar

and vice versa. So it is best to buy your sugar by sight and feel (squeeze the

plastic container to ascertain its consistency) than by its label. If you have a

choice, select a soft, rich brown sugar; if not, any kind is better than none.

A soft sugar makes it easier to spoon out and use, but more often than not,

coconut and palm sugars come in hard, crystallized chunks which keep better. If

so, it is best to cut and peel back the plastic container, place the lump in a

bag and hammer it into small crystals for ease of usage. Some people add water

and melt the sugar in the microwave; however, this often increases the

likelihood of spoilage, reducing its otherwise indefinite shelf life. Neither

coconut nor palm sugar needs to be refrigerated, but if it is soft and moist,

take care to keep it away from heat and exposure to air which may encourage mold

growth. If mold begins to appear on the sugar, remove the top half to one inch;

the remainder of the dense sugar may still be fine.

In Asian markets, palm and coconut sugars are available in plastic containers or

plastic bags of various sizes and also in tin cans. Although they are used

primarily for making sweets and desserts, their creamy, caramel-like sweetness

also enhances the flavor of curries and rich sauces for savory dishes. Since the

degree of sweetness may vary from batch to batch, add enough " to taste. "

Substitute with brown sugar only if you absolutely cannot find either. For

sweetening light dishes, granulated sugar is preferred over palm or coconut

sugar.

Palm sugar: the indigenous sweetness - http://www.ileia.org/2/13-2/13-2-19.htm

----- Original Message -----

From: Eleanor Symonds

Sent: Sunday, November 24, 2002 8:40 AM

Subject: Palm sugar question

Hi,

A while back, I bought some palm sugar from an Asian grocery store.

It's a light golden colour, with sort of a maple-ish flavour, and is

sold in small rounded pucks which can be broken up.

Does anyone know if this would be an acceptable sweetener by NT

standards? I'm having trouble finding details on how it's made. Most

references say that palm sugar is the same thing as jaggery. On the

other hand, some say that jaggery is the same as Rapadura, which is very

different from the stuff I'm describing.

I hope it's okay, as I'd like to be able to use it for special treats.

It's very inexpensive, easy to find (around here, anyway), and has an

interesting taste.

Thanks,

Eleanor

p.s. I made some NT ketchup and mustard recently, and the magical

" three days " will be up tomorrow. I tried a little of the ketchup

before bottling, and it was delicious! It's also a beautiful, rich,

velvety, red colour, which reminds me of Christmas. Maybe I should make

some extra for gifts. :-)