Caster (or castor) sugar is superfine refined sugar. That makes it finer than granulated sugar but not as fine as confectiones sugar.
Caster sugar dissolves easily and so is used to give baked goods (especially meringues) a lighter texture.
If you don't have any or can't find caster sugar, you can pulse regular granulated sugar in a food processor to help break down the grains.
Recipe: Rhubarb Syllabub (Cook & Eat)
Recipe: Meringue Cookies (Cookthink)
Related Article: Meet the sugars
What's the difference between white and brown eggs?
What's the difference between white and brown eggs?
Don't judge an egg by its shell. Whether an eggshell is white or brown is determined by the breed of the hen who laid the eggs. It has absolutely nothing to do with taste or nutritional value.
The only time you may want to consider the color of the eggs you're buying is around Easter and Passover time, since white eggs work better for dyeing and decorating purposes.
Once a prize kept under lock and key in wealthy households, sugar is now ubiquitous and comes in many forms. Most commercial sugar is made from cane or beet root. Here's a look at the most common types of sugar used in the kitchen.
Granulated white sugar: White sugar is highly refined and made from sugarcane or beets. This all-purpose refined white sugar has small but fairly coarse crystals and is used to sprinkle on food, sweeten beverages, or add to dishes during cooking. Golden granulated sugar is a brown sugar made from sugar cane molasses that is similar but has a light brown color.
Castor (caster) or superfine sugar: This refined white sugar has fine crystals that dissolve more quickly than regular granulated sugar, making it a good choice for baking meringues. Golden castor sugar is made from unrefined cane sugar.
Brown sugar: Brown sugar is nothing more than white sugar that has been mixed with molasses to color it and give it a moist texture. Light brown sugar has less molasses than dark brown sugar. Brown sugar should not be confused with raw sugar, which has a similar color and taste but is actually the residue from processed sugarcane.
Turbinado sugar: A sugar cane extract that is made by steaming unrefined raw sugar. It has large crystals and a slight molasses flavor. It's a shade paler than brown sugar and can be substituted for brown sugar in recipes. We like to use turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top of muffins, cookies and scones. It holds its texture well and, when cooked, has a nice sweet crunch.
Demerara Sugar: True Demerara sugar is raw or partly refined sugar with large crystals, but some impostors are nothing more than white sugar stained with molasses.
Muscovado Sugar: This raw cane sugar comes in light and dark varieties and is used to make cakes and desserts.
Powdered, icing or confectioner's sugar: This sugar is made by reducing granulated sugar to a powder and mixing it with starch to prevent it from lumping up. It's used to decorate cakes and can also be used in making sweet dishes and baked goods.
what you should know
In 1885, Luther Burbank imported twelve plum varieties from Japan. He bred them together and with varieties native to America.
Things worked out. Burbank released 100 new plums during his lifetime. His best known, the Santa Rosa, was introduced in 1907 and was the most widely grown plum in the U.S. until the 1970s.
cornerstone Why the history? Pretty much every plum (and pluot) in the grocery store has some Santa Rosa in it. These "Japanese" plums, almost all of which come from California, tend to be larger and more resilient than the prunes, the gages and the other "European" plums that can be found scattered in orchards across the states.
looks like sugar in a plum Fresh plums are notoriously tough to gauge for ripeness. Because plums come in all shades, color won't help you much. Avoid shriveled plums, but don't shy away from rings around the stem end, as this can be a sign of high sugar in a plum.
firm with give Unless you really trust the produce guys, don't buy soft plums from the store. Look for firm -- but not hard -- plums with just a little give. Bring them home and put them in a paper bag on the counter for a day or two to ripen. Then, store them in the icebox.
ok bloom That chalky white powder on plums is completely natural. It's called the bloom, and its presence is a good sign that a plum hasn't been handled too much from orchard to store.
what you need
In the need of something to pit those stubborn cling-stone plums? Look no further.
One of Chip's favorite books -- period -- is Edward Bunyard's classic treatise on fruit, Anatomy of Dessert.
If you're planning to make jam, you're definitely going to need some of these.
Wild Pacific plums grow in northern California and southern Oregon. Stringer's Orchard, which sits on the edge of Goose Lake at the border of the two states, use the plums to make delicious preserves, wines and brandy.
coming soon: Next summer, look for Chip's book on the history of pluots, the popular plum-apricot hybrds. It's called "The Perfect Fruit" and it's due out in July 2009. To sign up for news and updates on the book, send an email to pluotbook@gmail.com.
what you do
Simple, grilled plums are so versatile. Sprinkle them with salt and serve with meat as a side. Sprinkle them with sugar and serve as dessert.
This plum barbecue sauce adds a sweet fullness to grilled chicken or pork. (Not feeling the sauce? Try this instead.)
Plums are a natural companion to other fruits. We are especially fond of them with pears and blackberries.
This maple plum crumble is a sweet way to use plums. The grade B maple syrup gives the crumble an especially rich flavor.
In the mood for baking? We recommend two recipes from Cook & Eat: this plum cardamom loaf and these plum bars.
Featured: Take a savory fruit salad, jettison the lettuce and put the whole thing on a pizza crust. That's what Olga of Mango & Tomato did for this week's Root Source Challenge. Her pizza with plums, onions, gorgonzola and pine nuts is our featured recipe.
Fresh plums are notoriously tough to gauge for ripeness. Because plums come in all shades, color won't help you much. Avoid shriveled plums, but don't shy away from rings around the stem end, as this can be a sign of high sugar in a plum.
Unless you really trust the produce department, don't buy soft plums from the store. Look for firm -- but not hard -- plums with just a little give. Bring them home and put them in a paper bag on the counter for a day or two to ripen. Then, store them in the icebox.
That chalky white powder on plums is completely natural. It's called the bloom, and its presence is a good sign that a plum hasn't been handled too much from orchard to store.
