HI,
It seems that everywhere I go, there is less and less powdered sugar. However, there is a ton of granulated sugar. I read somewhere that powdered sugar is just granulated sugar ground down with a little cornstarch added. I found this recipe:

Put 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 rounded TBSP cornstarch into blender and process at medium speed. Whirl it a while, turn it off, push down the sugar from sides of blender, give it another whirl till it is fine sugar.

Have any of you ever made your own powdered sugar?
It just seems that this way would be cheaper than buying the expensive powdered sugar(which is the only brand the stores have had, that I have seen)

If you have done this, does it act the same as powdered sugar that has been processed manufacturally?

Thanks for any suggestions or advice!!!
Leslie

Have you tried looking for Conf. sugar at Bj's or Costco? If you don't have those close to you try and find a restaurant supplier, they usually sell in 50 lb. bags. Or go the easier route first and ask the manager at you grocery store if they can either stock more of it or make a special order for you! Making your own seems like an aweful lot of work. Especially if your going to do it by the cupful!!! Good luck!

Well, I guess I should try Costco. I just don't go through it and don't want it to get all clumpy from sitting too long.

Also, I have asked at the stores and they all tell me that all the sugar is shipped in to New Orleans and they are having trouble stocking it. I honestly don't think the stores around here have had any shipments since Katrina.

Is that the only port in the US where sugar is delivered? I also can't understand why there would be SO much granulated sugar and no confectioner's sugar. ???

Thank you for replying.
Leslie

Now they even blame Katrina for a sugar shortage! I've heard it all. I live in CT and I can run into any store and find it in 2 and 5 lb bags, guess we're lucky.

It's not really that people are blaming the hurricane, per se, but that it's a fact. A lot of the economic talking heads that appear on CNN, FOX, etc., explained why the devastation of New Orleans was going to affect the entire country to some extent...and it's all because of the shipping. While, I'm sure, New Orleans is not the ONLY port that takes in sugar for the country, it probably takes in more than any other port. And tons of sugar is/was produced in the state of Louisiana, as well as processing plants that turn regular cane sugar into powdered sugar, brown sugar and the like. That port also took in a lot of coffee and other products that come from S. American countries, so even some of those products are hard to come by in places that received their goods via the port of New Orleans. Coffee was/is also produced in large quantities in Louisiana, the only other state in the country where coffee bean plants/trees thrive well, other than Hawaii.

I live only 2 1/2 hrs east of New Orleans, near Mobile, which is also another large port city. Since hurricane Katrina, a lot of the goods that normally went to New Orleans have come here, but some have started going to New Orleans again. While not all shipping is down in N.O., it was seriously affected & totally threw off supplies getting to where they needed to go in a timely matter. Some relatives of ours in Utah said just last week that their store hasn't had their reg. brand of coffee or tea in almost a month. It wasn't just because of the shipping, but when goods arrive at the port in New Orleans, they are mostly kept in warehouses until the vendors pick them up or the truckers pick up their shipments to deliver them - to Mississippi or Wyoming or wherever. There were a lot of those warehouses that were either flooded or destroyed, whichever, the products in them were lost....so there you have the "back up".

We still have a very inconsistent flow of sugar/coffee/tea supplies down here. One day the shelves are full but within a week they're starting to run out because they haven't received another shipment. So I've been making my pwd sugar too....made up 20 lbs. and keep it in 3 lb. batches in ziploc bags. I made it just like Missmersh described & it's doing just fine, just like it was purchased at the store in a 2 lb. bag.

That is fascinating. I did not know you could make your own powdered sugar. Cool! I know after Rita, our local store did not have any granulated sugar until just about 10 days ago.

Yeah, I have made powdered sugar that way, but it takes a really long time and is kind of a pain. Also its nearly imposible to get it as fine as you would find from the store and that makes for grainy icing. I'd say your better off getting it in bulk if you can, or just using in for baking and not for icing.

I just turn my food processor on and let it go for 5 minutes straight, let the motor rest, then go again....keep doing this until it looks right. Haven't had a problem with grainy-ness whatsoever in my frosting or even glazes. In fact, when I made a cream cheese glaze, I didn't even have any lumps of pwd sugar that I had to work out with the whisk, like I normally do with the store bought stuff - I was surprised. If you want to check & see if there are any grains left, just get a pinch between your fingers and rub them together...you'll feel any grains if they're there. (Do this a couple of times, getting pinches from different areas of the bowl) It should feel silky, like the bought pwd. sugar.

JennT,
I am so glad you told us that you have made this successfully. I figured, if I could spend a day making powdered sugar, then I could whip out quite a bit. The only problem I have is that I don't have a food processor. Is it ok to do it in a blender? I would rather buy granulated sugar in bulk cause I wouldn't have to worry if it would get clumpy like PS does. Thank you for letting us know that this works!


Leslie

I recently found an "off" brand of confectioner's sugar at "Big Lots" and I love it. I believe it's from Mexico. It's MUCH cheaper than Safeway and it's very soft and easy to use - not as lumpy as others.

Ground from granulated sugar
3% cornstarch added to prevent caking
Used in royal icing,fondant,dusting, etc.......

What constitutes expensive? I get mine at Aldies in the 2lb bags for .89 cents each. Heather

you have to be careful when buying "off brands" of PS when you make your royal icing

I accidentally discovered how to make powdered sugar one day...my husband loves to grind his own spices in our coffee grinder but doesn't clean them out...and cumin-laced coffee is just not a good thing. So instead of grinding white rice in it to clean it out, I screwed up and used granulated sugar. Let me tell you, a coffee grinder puts the coon tune on sugar....I had powdered sugar in just a few moments. LOL

Thanks JennT! I actually used to have a cuisinart FP, but I didn't use it much and it was so big, the apartment I was in just didn't have the space...I gave it to a friend thinking his wife might like it, but I don't think she is much of a cook..oh well. I do have a mini-FP....I would rather try that first than my blender. But, I think I might go ahead and spend the extra $.55 for it, before I venture into this.

gilpnh, I was paying .99 for a 2 lb bag at wal-mart. But the cheapest I have found is$1.55 for a 2lb bag. I found it today. It seems as if Wal-mart is the only store that is having the powdered sugar shortage around here.

PastryDiva, Why do you suggest to be careful buying off-brand PS for royal?

Cakepro, So, how does cumin flavored PS taste? That is a great way to do it if you just need a little bit!! Great tip!

Thanks everyone!!!
Leslie

Some of the off brands won't work as well keeping the royal icing soupy.