Home Grinders

[Ultramatic]

I remember my dad using the grinder...

<span style="font-size: medium;">When he made butifarras. A sausage from the Catalunya region of Spain. Mighty tasty!</span>

[this post was last edited: 7/9/2012-00:38]

 

[iheartmaytag]

My mother had a hand grinder that clamped to the cabinet.
She used it for making relish, deviled ham (ham salad), hash. I don't ever remember her grinding raw meats.

 

[westingman123]

That's IT!

Thank you kindly. We'll be having that for dinner this week.

 

[hunter]

Grinders and Superfine sugar

I STILL Use my grinder (though mine is an attachment to my KM).

My wife finds that ALL hamburg makes her sick. We suspect that it is the cleaning products that are required to be used on surfaces and grinding machines.

If we buy a chunk of beef from Costco or whatever, we will grind burger for a treat...and a treat it is because when you have to grind all your meat it is a PITA even with modern appliances.

Laundress...if you use Domino sugar in New York, can you tell me what the bag says for describing the size of the granules? I found that when I left the NYC area for New England, baking was more difficult. I traced it down to the sugar sold there...the granules, even of Domino cane sugar, were LARGER than those sold in NYC/NJ.

Now that I live in the west and buy C&H sugar (wifey doesn't like beet sugar so we buy that 'cause it is cane), it may also be different, but with altitude etc. everything is different.

But I'm curious.

Thanks!!

 

[mattl]

When I used to eat meat I often ground my own burger. I never found it too dificult or off putting, I'd do 4 or5 pounds at a time, always double grinding it. It always tasted better than store bought or that really crappy stuff in plastic chubs. As a side note I and many in my family have noticed how much cheaper it is to eat if you don't spend money on beef, pork and chicken.

Hunter, I too only like cane sugar even though I live in one of the states that produces much of the beets for beet sugar. I can always tell the difference, beet sweetness is much different from cane.

 

[launderess]

Domino's Sugar

Haven't purchased it in years. Being a budget conscious shopper always go for the store brand of sugar (currently Shoprite) and purchase it several five pound bags when it's on sale. Slightly more in stashed away during the Fall and Winter months when one bakes more.

Bag of Shoprite sugar makes no mention of granule size other than "super fine".

 

[hunter]

Super Fine...

Interesting I bet that is what Domino says too.

But, in Mass, it said FINE. Here, we don't have Domino.

I didn't realize anyone in particular does regional variations anymore.

@mattl: My wife says the same thing. The beet sugar doesn't taste as sweet and to her, has an after taste. I don't notice it but I don't sugar my tea.

 

[circlew]

Cane sugar

I only use cane sugar in my sweet tea; usually C & H Baker's Sugar. It tastes better and is more satisfying.

 

[earthling177]

Hunter,

Here in the Boston area the most common varieties of Domino Sugar are Confectioner's (10X) and Superfine (both in one pound boxes), and Granulated (coarser/bigger crystals), in various sizes, but most commonly seen in one, five or ten pound bags and, I think (have never bought it), four pound plastic canisters.

The sugar that you see around here in sugar bowls and dispensers, particularly in coffee shops etc is more often than not the Granulated, which is also used for cooking/baking. Every once in a while you see people who do use the Granulated for baking/cooking, but will serve Superfine in the sugar bowls for sweetening coffee/tea etc at the table; sometimes a recipe or two will ask for superfine or confectioner's sugar too.

I'm told, but have never seen it, that there's also a grade of sugar for sale called Confectioner's (4X) which is not as finely ground as the 10X which is commonly sold in the supermarkets and used for icings etc.

Hope that helps,
-- Paulo.

 

[bajaespuma]

The Gefilte Fish Chronicles!

Yes! That is the film I mean. I must have confabulated the name with something else and I too catch it every year. I tried making the Cholent once and it was a spectacular failure.

 

If you're interested in grinders you might also look on Craigslist because a whole new batch of Indian grinders are showing up for sale for grinding all the rock-hard pulses and "wet" masalas that are used in their cooking. They look kind of cool. Or you could just go down to Kalustyan's on Lexington and 28th and look at some.

 

BTW, since you brought it up, what are the English terms for various grades of sugar and how do they compare to the Superfines, Fines, Sanding, 10X and Browns we use here?

 

[tomturbomatic]

It is easy, but sorta noisy, to pulverize sugar in the blender to get a very fine, slightly powdery, quickly dissolving sugar. I should think that you do not want too fine a granule for most cake baking since the partial solubility of the sugar helps the creamed fat hold more air.

 

[vacbear58]

English terms

I presume you mean United Kingdom terms LOLOLOLOL

White sugars:
Granulated - like US granulated, used for tea, coffee etc or for sweetening pies, generally not used for baking although it would be used when making syrups for frosting or something like Creme Au Beurre
Castor sugar - about half way between granulated and confectioners sugar - this is mostly used for baking sponges of all types and light (as in colour, for example Dundee Cake) fruit cakes
Icing sugar - as Confectioners sugar so used for frostings and fillings such as butter icing - I realise that that sounds like a contradiction in terms but butter icing can be used as a frosting or a filling, especially in Victoria Sandwich cakes which is like a butter layer cake.

All of these can now be found in unrefined versions normally termed "golden", golden caster tends to produce a softer, slightly darker butter sponge and golden icing sugar tends to have something of a caramel taste about it.

There is now also something called Jam sugar which is specifically for making jams and preserves - its the consistancy of granulated but with added pectin to aid setting. My mother was a great jam maker (the annual goal was at least 52 post of jam - one per week) and she always used granulated for jam.

Brown sugars
We have two types of "Soft Brown Sugar" which is generally used for making "heavy" (aka rich) fruitcakes - light (unrefined) and dark (with added molasses). This would also be used in the likes of brownies or anything with that sort of fudgey texture.

We also have a brown sugar called Demara which is rather like granulated but brown, this is normally used for coffee - not often in baking although a sprinkling does make a nice crunchy topping on the likes of apple crumble or even a touch on something like lemon meurange pie.

These are the main varities. It used to be quite simple once upon a time but the last time I looked in the supermarket there seemed to be a dizzying array of sugars but these are the main ones - one thing is for sure though, none of them are cheap!

Al

 

[maytagbear]

And then

in a UK category all its own.......is the magnificent(!!!) Lyle's Golden Syrup. It is light tan in color, and tastes like what they must serve in Heaven.

For a brief, shining moment, my supermarket carried it in the squeezy bottle. Lyle's Golden Syrup (I have not tried any other) tastes like liquid brown sugar, but much better, and has a vanilla-ish flavor note.

It is commonly used in UK baking, and many other ways. I love it on oatmeal, and in hot tea. It does something fine to PG Tips tea. It's also good on waffles.

Here in the States, Sugar In The Raw brand is close, but not exactly the same as Demerara, at least in my baking.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[hunter]

Yes, that is what I saw in west mass too

Yes, the 'granulated' is what we had in western Mass as well. It's also what we have here in Colorado, also.

Demerara sugar! I brought back 3kg last time I went to UK; at 99p/kg it was FAR cheaper than what we get here!! (and this was in a Waitrose in Central London - hardly the spot in UK for cheap food!)

Typically when baking sponges or such I take the C&H sugar and food process it - a little bit - but not too much 'cause I don't want icing sugar.

@vacbear58: I THOUGHT jam sugar had pectin in it. I've never seen here though, here or in UK. Thanks for the confirmation. (Useful for jam unless it is marmalade, which isn't jam or course, but it is a preserve. For that the pectin in the peel is enough...)

Hunter