StillSmart

I've tasted fresh sugar cane juice and I have tasted caramel (scorched sugar). They are not in the least similar.

Sorry. Lost me.
I thought we were discussing making syrup v buying small green tins (to make Cachaca)

Chuck is thinking outside of your box Mash.

Robert.

A little more surfing and the following as come to light.....

Starting off with a little light reading of the Maillard reaction
here

Then they say "The Maillard reaction should not be confused with Caramelization which occurs with sugars. so then you move on to this to read...

"Caramelization or caramelisation (see spelling differences) is the oxidation of sugar, a process used extensively in cooking for the resulting nutty flavor and brown color. Caramelization is a type of non-enzymatic browning reaction. As the process occurs, volatile chemicals are released producing the characteristic caramel flavor. The reaction involves the removal of water (as steam) and the break down of the sugar. The caramelization reaction depends on the type of sugar. Sucrose and glucose caramelize around 160C (320F) and fructose caramelizes at 110C (230F)"

The question I would like to find a definite answer too now is...is it the Caramelization that gives the taste to golden syrup???

The quest goes on.....

Basically then,
Does diluted G.S. taste like Cane sugar?
If you wish it to make the same product?
And can you turn beet sugar into a similar product to G.S.
Or do I have it wrong?

Robert.

Why would you expect it to ? Surely they are 2 different things

A couple of relevant links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_syrup
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cachaça

"Golden syrup or light treacle is a thick, amber-coloured form of inverted sugar syrup made in the process of refining sugar cane or sugar beet juice into sugar, or by treatment of a sugar solution with acid."

"Cachaça is a distilled spirit made from sugarcane juice."

From this, I will make a few claims. One, Golden Syrup is partially refined cane juice / the byproduct of partially refined sugar. Two, whatever RumJohn is making, it is not real Cachaça as it made from partially refined cane juice. Three, inverting and heating fully refined white sugar is not going to produce the same result as partially refining cane sugar will.

In the cold light of day,I mean the warm glow of something I distilled myself,
It is hard to repudiate your claims.
Although
"Golden syrup or light treacle is a thick, amber-coloured form of inverted sugar syrup made in the process of refining sugar cane or sugar beet juice into sugar, or by treatment of a sugar solution with acid."

Seems to imply that the third one may be wrong?

Robert.

This is like searching for the holy grail...I've read so much on golden syrup but I can't get away from the fact that at the start, sugar is inverted, Tate & Lyle have said so.

Now everyone knows how to invert sugar.....so lets put that to one side. T& L say that after invertion it's then added back to basic sucrose...everything you read about sucrose is that's it's table sugar...so where am I going wrong.

Is it then...that the makers of GS have a secret process they don't want anyone to know about???

Quote Wiki...

"Originally, golden syrup was a product made at the white sugar refinery from the recovered mother liquor (recovered molasses) "washed" of the raw sugar crystals in the process of creating white sugar. This liquor is generally known as refiners return syrup. Today most golden syrups are produced by a specialist manufacturer by inverting half the refiners return syrup to fructose and glucose and blending it back again; this ensures the product remains liquid and will never crystallize again."

I wish I could ask a food scientist....do we have one in the room???

Me thinks there is some fibbing going on ...... but where