How do you make sugar from fruit at home?

Making your own sugar at home is a satisfying DIY project that allows you to create a sweetener from scratch. While store-bought white sugar comes from sugar cane or sugar beets, you can also extract natural sugar from fruits like grapes, dates, and apples. With the right techniques, a bit of patience, and some basic kitchen tools, you can turn fruit into granulated or liquid sugar you can use for baking, drinks, preserving, and more.

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What You Need to Make Sugar from Fruit

Extracting sugar from fruit requires just a few simple supplies:

Fruit high in natural sugars (like grapes, apples, pears, mangoes, cherries, etc.)
A pot, pan, or slow cooker
Cheesecloth or nut milk bag

A sieve or strainer
Jars or an airtight container

While not strictly necessary, a potato masher, food processor, or blender can help break down the fruit and release more juice. Canning jars or mason jars work well for storing your finished sugar.

Choosing the Best Fruits for Making Sugar

The most important factor in choosing fruit for extracting sugar is the natural sugar content. Fruits like grapes and cherries have the highest sugar concentration, while apples, pears, and oranges are also good choices:

Fruit	Sugar Content
Grapes	15-25%
Cherries	13-23%
Pears	10-15%
Apples	10-15%
Mangoes	10-16%
Oranges	8-12%
Bananas	5-20%

Fruits like peaches, nectarines, plums, and apricots can also work well. Avoid very watery fruits like watermelon, which have high water content and less sugar concentration. Always select ripe, sweet fruit to maximize the sugar content.

Extracting Sugar from Grapes

Grapes provide one of the easiest and most effective ways to make sugar from fruit. Here is a simple process:

Wash and destem green or red grapes. No need to peel.
Place grapes in a pot and mash thoroughly with a potato masher to release juice.
Gently heat grapes over medium-low, stirring frequently, until simmering. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring periodically.

Line a strainer with cheesecloth and strain the grape juice into a bowl or jar. Press down on solids to extract all liquid.
Return juice to pot and simmer over medium heat until reduced by half, about 30 minutes.
Let juice cool completely, then transfer to an airtight jar. The finished grape sugar syrup can be used like simple syrup.

To make powdered sugar, spread the juice on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a thin layer. Allow to dry for 12-24 hours, then break into pieces and blend in a food processor or high-speed blender until powdered.

This grape sugar extraction method takes some time, but little effort. Simmering the mashed grapes releases the natural sugars, and reducing the juice concentrates them into a sweet simple syrup or crystallized powdered sugar.

Making Apple Sugar

Apples are easily turned into a tasty sugar perfect for sweetening baked goods. Here’s how:

Peel, core, and chop 5-6 apples into small pieces.
Place apples in a pot with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, mashing occasionally with a potato masher.
Strain apple mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a bowl, pressing on the solids to release all liquid.

Return liquid to pot and stir in 1 tsp lemon juice. Simmer uncovered for about 1 hour until reduced by half.
To make granulated sugar, pour juice onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in a very thin layer. Allow to dry for 24 hours. Break into pieces and process in a blender or food processor until powdered.
For liquid sugar, store concentrated juice in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

The added lemon juice helps balance the sweetness and provides an extra touch of flavor. Dry the concentrated juice completely to get crystallized sugar, or simply use the juice directly as a sweetener in drinks, oatmeal, yogurt, and more.

Date Sugar

Dates are naturally high in sugar content. When dried and ground, they can be used as an alternative sweetener in recipes.

Pit and chop 1 pound of dried dates into small pieces.

Spread date pieces in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake at 200°F for 4 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before transferring to a food processor or high-speed blender.

Blend on high speed until a fine powder forms.
Sift the date sugar through a sieve to remove any remaining chunks.
Store date sugar in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Date sugar has a caramel and brown sugar-like flavor. It can be substituted 1:1 for granulated sugar, but does not melt or caramelize the same. The fiber content is very high compared to white sugar.

Making Sugar from Mangoes

Mangoes are high in natural sugar with a tropical flair. Follow these steps:

Peel and pit 2-3 ripe mangoes, then roughly chop the flesh.

Puree mango pieces in a blender until smooth.
Pour puree into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for about 1 hour until reduced by half.
Allow concentrated mango puree to cool, then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Alternatively, spread the reduced puree in a very thin layer on parchment paper and dry for 12-24 hours to make powdered sugar.

The mango sugar adds sweetness along with some subtle tropical fruit flavor. It can be substituted 1:1 for sugar in recipes. Reduce the temperature slightly when cooking or baking with the liquid puree as concentrated fruit sugars brown quicker than white sugar.

Cherry Sugar

Cherries create a naturally brilliant red sugar perfect for use in drinks, desserts, and more. Here’s a simple process:

Pit 1 pound of cherries.
Place cherries in a pot with 1 cup water and mash thoroughly with a potato masher.
Simmer cherries over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Strain juice through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, pressing on the solids to extract all liquid.
Return juice to pot and stir in 1 tsp lemon juice. Simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes until reduced and syrupy.
Allow to cool completely. Store cherry simple syrup in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

To make powdered sugar, spread the juice in a very thin layer on parchment paper and dry for 12-24 hours. Process in a food processor or blender until powdered.

The ruby-red cherry sugar adds vibrant color and cherry flavor to foods. Use the simple syrup in beverages, vanilla yogurt, or dessert sauces, or sprinkle the powdered sugar on cookies, macarons, or cupcakes.

Sugar from Pears

Pears are another easy fruit for making a deliciously flavorful sugar at home. Follow these simple steps:

Peel, core, and dice 4-5 ripe pears.
Place pear pieces in a pot with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and mash pears with a potato masher.
Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Strain pear liquid through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a bowl or jar. Press on solids to extract all juice.
Return juice to pot and stir in 1⁄2 tsp cinnamon. Simmer uncovered over medium heat for about 20 minutes until reduced by half.
Remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer pear syrup to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 10 days.

To make granulated sugar, spread juice in a very thin layer on parchment paper. Allow to dry completely for 12-24 hours. Break into pieces and blend in a food processor until powdered.

The pear sugar has a delicious, gentle flavor that adds sweetness along with fall spice notes from the cinnamon. Drizzle the syrup over oatmeal, stir into coffee or tea, or use the powdered sugar for dusting on baked goods.

Tips for Making Sugar from Fruit

Follow these tips for getting the best results when making your own fruit sugar:

Select very ripe, sweet fruit with no bruises or mold.
Wash fruit thoroughly before use.
Chop or mash fruit to release the most juice possible.

Simmer fruit pulp slowly over low heat to prevent scorching.
Strain well through cheesecloth to get all the precious liquid.
Reduce juice slowly to get thick, concentrated sugar syrup.

Use lemon juice to balance flavor and inhibit crystallization.
Spread juice very thin to ensure even drying for granulated sugar.
Store in airtight containers in the fridge or freezer for maximum shelf life.

Common Questions

What’s the difference between fruit sugar and white sugar?

Fruit sugar is derived from the natural sugars found in the fruit itself, while white table sugar is extracted from plants like sugar cane and sugar beets. Fruit sugar retains some of the flavor and nutrition of the fruit, while white sugar has no flavor aside from sweetness.

Is fruit sugar healthier than regular sugar?

While fruit sugar retains some vitamins and minerals, it has a very similar sugar and calorie content to white sugar. Both should be consumed in moderation.

Can I use fruit sugar 1:1 in place of granulated sugar?

Yes, fruit sugar can generally be substituted 1:1 for traditional granulated sugar in recipes. However, the flavor and texture may differ slightly depending on the fruit used.

How long does homemade fruit sugar last?

Properly stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator or freezer, fruit sugars can last 6-12 months. Syrups may last 2-4 weeks in the fridge. Sugar dried into a powder has the longest shelf life.

What’s the best fruit for making sugar?

Grapes, cherries, apples, pears, mangoes, and dates are among the best fruits for naturally high sugar content. Choose very ripe fruit for maximum sweetness.

Conclusion

Making your own fruit sugar is a fun and rewarding kitchen project. With minimal time and equipment, you can create custom sweeteners ranging from fruit syrups to granulated sugars with your choice of flavors. Experiment with different fruits and natural sweeteners to find your favorites.