Caster sugar

[tansycat]

Where can i buy caster sugar and what is it called here?.
Thank you

[come_on_aylin]

All the big supermarkets such as Tempo, Supreme, Lemar and Sah sell the English brands, I think I've seen it in Ileli too.

[Johnny Lee]

Yes Illeli have big bags of the local one excellent value and it is called Sugar Powder, (makes more sense really than Caster Sugar. It does have a Turkish name but cant remember, maybe Powdri Seker. But it is on the bag in English, In Ilelli it is in the small section near to the Pasta .

[fatouche]

Ok for sponge cakes Johnny Lee, but be aware that the sugar here is made from sugar beet as opposed to sugar cane, and it has a higher melting point than cane sugar. Also the pudra şekeri here is no substitute for British icing sugar, as it goes translucent when water is added and does not set the same way. ıt is also very grainy and cannot be used in buttercream.

[Johnny Lee]

Thank's Fatouche, I have found it good for all my needs, Made Shortcake with it last week and perfect, But I admit to being more of a Savoury Chef my sweet tooth is Cadburys Dairy Milk.

[davedee]

Buy granulated pop in food processor or grinder and you have caster sugar.

[waddo]

Is this another "Sprout Hunt" by a different name? - lol.

[fatouche]

Grinding granulated sugar does not produce caster sugar. You just get half granulated, half inferior powdered sugar.

[Johnny Lee]

Totally disagree Fatouche. if you grind the sugar correctly that is want It produces Caster Sugar. Caster sugar is the British name for powdered sugar.

[Becker]

Well,just tried 100g in a regular grinder. Ends up a bit of a mix really,much of it ends up more like icing sugar,(very fine dust,floury consistency)would need a fine sieve to leave caster type sugar. Just my findings of course.

[davedee]

Well I have used this method for many years as has Johnny Lee I guess.

[Angiebaby]

Caster sugar is powdered sugar , but as someone pointed out do it correctly,or it is sugar dust, We have often used this process and before my blender days it was Pestle and Mortar jobby.

[Johnny Lee]

Most blender/mixers should do it but I have found it best to work in approx 100 gram increments, any less does not get picked up by the blades and too much will cause the inconsistency, that people of noticed. But of course this will depend on the size of your blender.

[fatouche]

No Johny Lee , icing sugar is the British name for powdered sugar. Caster sugar is a fine type of granulated sugar.

[Johnny Lee]

L.o.l. Confectioners, Powdered, Icing, Superfine, call it what you like the point is it all comes from granulated sugar and the sugar here is equally as good as UK sugar. I

[fatouche]

Johnny Lee, unless you make cakes and desserts as much as I do, you will not necessarily understand the difference. If you'd care to meet up with me one day, I will teach you the difference. Caster sugar is a fine form of granulated sugar;ie the sugar is still in grain form, albeit super fine. It is NOT the same as icing sugar, which is ground into a very fine POWDER with added cornflour (in UK and the USA). The pudra şekeri here is of a very inferior quality on two counts:

Firstly, it is not ground as finely, and even when sieved, still has a grainy texture.

Secondly, it made from the sugar beet (as is all the local sugar). It is much wetter when mixed, so if you want to make icing for an iced Bakewell tart for example (I prefer the traditional version topped with flaked almonds), it will stay translucent even when it eventually sets. It takes much longer than the British equivalent. Turkish pudra şekeri cannot be used in buttercream, as it will leave a nasty grainy texture. I get around it by making Swiss meringue buttercream or French buttercream , as the heating of the sugar gets around that problem.

As beet sugar has a higher melting point, it is not the best sugar to use for topping creme brulee either, as it has to be exposed to the source of heat much longer and has a tendency to burn.

So no, they are not the same.

[Johnny Lee]

Just made lemon Curd with it this morning ,Perfect.But whatever you say Fatouche. You obviously know a lot about the cake and desert industry . I can only comment from my own knowledge and also have ran and still are doing a very very successful Restaurant for 21 years. But like I said previously most of my knowledge is Savoury products. But I am most happy for you to have the last word on this.

Let me just hazard a guess , in your previous life you were wither a School Teacher or in the Police Force ? Happy Easter to you and good baking.

[johnny1]

mmmm i think i need to take some cooking lessons from you guys

[fatouche]

Using local sugar is no problem in lemon curd. I use it for that too. I was a Met police officer and civil servant, but trained as a teacher of English as a foreign language (diploma has never been put into practice). So right on both counts!

[Groucho]

The original poster was interested in sourcing caster sugar. Which is available at many of the local supermarkets although not always to be found on the shelf you'd think.

Caster sugar is not icing sugar, and icing sugar (sugar powder here) is not suitable as a substitute for caster sugar for many reasons and uses. For example - dusting a cake with icing sugar powder will not achieve the same result as caster sugar - it's very likely to melt into the cake surface if the cake is moist and if it's not moist I'd throw it away!

It is not easy to use a food processor to achieve the even granular texture of caster sugar from ordinary granulated sugar, without getting a mix of some powder, some fine granules and some that is still in full-size granules... you'd then need to use sieves with a variety of mesh grades to separate the differing sugars - so it's not a very practical or cost effective solution if what you want is purely caster sugar.

[Angiebaby]

Some one asks for Caster sugar, 2 posters inform them, then someone starts knocking the local produce. Gee Wizz we have an argument. JL. you made me laugh, you must have been married a few times learning how to let the lady think she is right. Also guessing her profession. ???? Maybe its google and us other folks who have been doing it the old way for years with perfect results who are all wrong. I try to make everything I can at the end of the day anything that we eat is either made or grown.

[blueparrot]

Sah Marketplace has icing sugar made by Tate & Lyle and Silverspoon -- the real thing.

Still looking for caster sugar. Does anyone know what it's called in Turkish?

[Heaven]

Illeli have English caster sugar

[blueparrot]

I asked at Ileli. The lady knew exactly what I was talking about but said they don't sell it anymore. No plans to do so in the future. The search continues.