MESA K-12 Schools Program. UC Davis/Sacramento State MESA Center Thanks You! As another year closes for the Sacramento Area Center, we would like to thank our teachers, UC Davis Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach, and most importantly our students. Many congratulations on another successful year.
Sugar beets are a root crop, and flourish in temperate climates where the growing season is about five months long. A mature sugar beet is about one foot long, weighs two to five pounds, and contains about 18% sucrose, which is concentrated in its taproot.
When the crystals reach their desired size, a rich mixture of crystals and beet molasses syrup is formed. The sugar crystals are separated from the beet molasses syrup in a large, high-speed spinning drum or centrifuge. These crystals are now 99.9% pure white sugar. The crystals move into the granulator where they are then dried, cooled and separated according to size.