Caster sugar
Sweetener
Caster sugar is fully refined white sugar milled to a very fine, even grain — finer than ordinary granulated sugar but still free-flowing and grainy rather than powdery. Its small crystals dissolve fast and cleanly, which is why it is the standard baking sugar for meringues, custards, sponge cakes and delicate creamed batters. It tastes of clean, neutral sweetness with no molasses colour or flavour at all.
Picking a good onedrag
Fine, dry, free-runningCaked, damp, set solid
Dry, lightly settledEveryday bestThe working bag: custards, curds, syrups and cold drinks, and the dusting that crackles on shortbread and creme brulee.
Tilt the bag and pour a littleStill pours freely with a soft lump or two that fall apart the moment you press them
Look closely at the grainThe same even grain, only pressed closer where the bag has settled, and it falls loose at a touch
The bag, the tub and the labelSealed and full, or decanted into a jar whose lid actually shuts, the grain still running