Cookbook:Cane Syrup

| Basic foodstuffs | Sweeteners

Cane syrup is a pale golden liquid sweetener or syrup. It is the sugarcane analog to maple syrup.

Production
The sugarcane is first mashed and strained to extract the liquid cane juice. The juice is then boiled down until concentrated and sweet, stopping shy of crystallizing and extracting the sucrose sugar. This is similar to the process used to make maple syrup, though cane syrup needs more skimming than maple syrup does to prevent cloudiness.

Characteristics
Cane syrup is light golden with a slight caramelized flavor. Unusually thick and dark cane syrup may be sold as molasses—however, cane syrup is usually sweeter than true molasses, since molasses is a later byproduct post-sugar extraction. Still, cane syrup is less sweet than pure granulated sugar.

Use
Cane syrup may be used as a sweetener in various beverages, cooking, and baking, especially those traditional to the American South. It can replace maple syrup for use as a breakfast topping.

Substitution
Several common substitutions exist, though they all have different characteristics that will impact the final product. Maple syrup is the best analog for cane syrup in terms of sweetness, texture, and sugar composition—however, maple syrup's characteristic flavor profile may not be desired. Golden syrup and corn syrup have a more similar flavor profile to that of cane syrup, but they are much thicker and have a different sugar profile (higher in glucose and fructose), which can slightly impact the final texture if used in baked goods. The same is true of light treacle.