Florida Crystals Organic Cane Sugar Review

I’ve purchased several 3 Lb. jugs (48 ounces) of Florida Crystals Organic Cane Sugar over the past few years.  I’ve tried it in teas, cereals (it’s especially delicious on Cocoa Wheats), and in fruit smoothies.     While somewhat more expensive than white sugar ($3.98 per 3-pound jar) and by no means a health food, the less refined state of this product makes it well worth the extra cents per pound.

 

Benefits, Pros, Features, and Advantages

  • This is an unbleached sugar product.  So it retains a more plant-like off-white, light brown, tan  color.  However, this is not brown sugar and tastes little like it except for the sweetness.
  • While it still exhibits much of the addictive traits of bleached white sugar, this organic sugar retains many of the vitamins and minerals from the original sugar cane juice.
  • According to the label, this Florida Crystals sugar product is certified as carbon free.  That is, the processes used to create it produce a very small carbon footprint that is cancelled entirely by the use of renewable energies.
  • It’s also certified by the USDA to be organic.
  • Florida Crystals Corporation appears to be quite the environmentally friendly company, at least insofar as the manufacture of this organic sugar product goes.
  • Since much of the cane compounds remain intact in this product, it’s sweet flavor is not neutral, and perhaps a bit like molasses.  So factor this taste into your recipes and keep in mind that it may alter the overall flavor in ways other than just making your dish sweeter.
  • This product is generally easy to locate at most larger grocery stores and health food stores such as Whole Foods, Walmart, and Giant Eagle.
  • The mild cane juice flavor is generally unobtrusive in green tea and may even add something especially delicious to my Cheerios for breakfast.
  • The included handy dispenser lid provides an access portal for spooning out the organic sugar as well as a three-hole side for sprinkling and pouring.
  • This is a home-grown product, which further enhances its environmental friendliness.
  • This organic sugar has the same sweetness as white sugar.  So it measures exactly the same in recipes.  Use as much of this sugar as you would the white stuff in your cooking and baking projects.
  • It has the same number of calories per tablespoon (45 calories) as white granulated sugar.

 

Disadvantages, Cons, Problems, and Concerns

  • Even the less refined and thus, more nutritious sugar products like this one still produce most of the negative effects of white sugar in my body, including addiction to it, weight gain, canker sores, and this nervous habit I sometimes fall into, of picking my fingers.  I pick them far less when eating no sugar, but pick them noticeably more when enjoying sugar’s sweetness even that of organic sugar.
  • No matter how good you make the sugar, you still have sugar.  Even Florida Crystals sugar must be taken in moderation.
  • Keep this product tightly closed, as it appears to clump up readily when exposed to air for very long.  However, to the makers: Please do not add any chemicals to prevent caking.  I’d rather consume the sugar lumps than the chemicals that prevent them.
  • The sugar particles are slightly coarser (bigger).  But they dissolve just as easily as traditional white granulated sugar.  So you’d only really notice this in dishes in which the sugar is not first dissolved, such as atop strawberries or cereal.
  • Organic sugar attracts pesky insects as much as white sugar.  But it cleans up with water and a cloth just as readily too.

 

Product Rating

If I am going to eat sugar, then Florida Crystals Organic Cane Sugar and other similar-grade products are my choice.  I’d recommend Florida Crystals to any sugar lover wishing to add a measure of nutrition to the sweetness he or she so loves.  But this is still refined sugar, though its color is not white.  I’d therefore rate it at 85 out of 100, as it seems more natural than agave nectar and not as concentrated a source of fructose.

 

Where To Buy Florida Crystals Organic Cane Sugar

Look for this product in the clear plastic jug, with the light green and white label, and the dark green cap at bigger grocery and health food stores such as Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Giant Eagle.

 

References

 

Revision History

  • 2015-01-28: Moved this post to the    Tom’s Diet Quest   blog, tweaked the content, and rearranged category and tag assignments.
  • 2014-12-01: Added whitespace, adjusted ad locations on this page, and updated the content.
  • 2012-04-16: Originally published.