Confectionery and Adding Sweetness

Sweet things such as honey, sugar and syrups have long been used in foods, not only to sweeten them, but also to act as a preservative. They enhance the flavour of bitter foods such as cocoa and Seville oranges; acid foods such as damsons, rhubarb and gooseberries; sour foods such as lemons and sour cherries; and bland ones such as apple sauce. Without them, we would not be able to preserve fruits such as strawberries and raspberries to make jam, nor could we make jellies, pickles or marmalades. They may also be used to provide a sweet tasting snack, particularly chocolate, cocoa, carob and honeycomb.

In this section, you can find out about the range of sweet products that may be used in the kitchen and at home, including white and brown sugar, black treacle, cocoa powder and maple syrup.