Most people don’t know that most can sugar is processed using bone char, therefore making it not acceptable for most vegetarian or vegan diets. Beet sugar is a perfect substitute. We have German chemist, Sigismund Marggraf to thank for helping to create an alternative sugar source. Before beet sugar became common, most homes were incapable of affording sugar. They would use molasses, a much cheaper byproduct of cane sugar processing.

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

    • 1709 Andreas Sigismund Marggraf was born. A German chemist, in 1747 he extracted sugar from the sugar beet and determined it was identical to cane sugar. It wasn’t until 1802 that the first beet sugar refinery would be built.
  • 1797 The first patent for a washing machine was issued to Nathaniel Briggs
  • 1855 Congress authorized $30,000 to purchase dromedaries (camels) for the military to use in the Southwest.
  • 1879 Elmer McCollum was born. He was a chemist who discovered vitamins A, B and D.