Molasses

Sugar cane molasses

Sugar cane molasses is an ingredient used in baking and cooking. It was popular in the Americas before the 20th century, when it was plentiful and commonly used as a sweetener in foods and an ingredient in brewing beer in the colonies. George Washington had a notebook that contains a molasses beer recipe.

To produce molasses, sugar cane is harvested and stripped of leaves. Its juice is then extracted, usually by cutting, crushing, or mashing. The juice is boiled to produce a concentrate and encourage sugar crystallization. The result of this first boiling is called first syrup ('A' Molasses) and has the highest sugar content. First syrup is usually referred to in the Southern United States as cane syrup rather than molasses. Second molasses ('B' Molasses) is produced by a second boiling and sugar extraction and has a slightly bitter taste.

Boiling the sugar syrup a third time yields dark, viscous blackstrap molasses ('C' Molasses), known for its robust flavour. During this process, the majority of sucrose from the original juice is crystallized and removed. The bitterness of blackstrap molasses is much greater than in the regular form of molasses. It is sometimes used in baking or to produce ethanol, as an ingredient in cattle feed, or in yeast production. Exaggerated health benefits claimed for blackstrap molasses were the theme of the 1951 novelty song Black Strap Molasses, recorded by Groucho Marx, Jimmy Durante, Jane Wyman, and Danny Kaye.

Unlike highly refined sugars, molasses contains significant amounts of vitamin B₆ and minerals, including calcium, magnesium, iron, and manganese; one tablespoon provides up to 20% of the recommended daily value of each of those nutrients. Blackstrap is also a good source of potassium.

Madeira Island

On Madeira Island, cane molasses is an important constituent of the traditional cuisine, where it is known as mel-de-cana (Portuguese for "(sugar)cane honey"). Its origin in Madeira dates back to the golden age of sugar production in the archipelago.

Sugar beet molasses

Beet molasses is 50% sugar by dry weight, predominantly sucrose, but contains significant amounts of glucose and fructose. Beet molasses is limited in biotin (vitamin H or B₇) for cell growth and therefore may be supplemented with a biotin source. The non-sugar content includes many salts, such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, oxalate, and chloride. It also contains sulfur, betaine, and the trisaccharide raffinose. These result from the concentration of the original plant material or other chemicals in processing and are unpalatable to humans. It is therefore mainly used as an animal feed additive (known as molassed sugar beet feed) or a fermentation feedstock. In animal feed, it provides energy and minerals, increases palatability, and reduces dust.

Other types

Sweet sorghum syrup is colloquially called sorghum molasses in the southern United States.

Pomegranate molasses is a traditional ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking. It is made by simmering a mixture of pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice, and reducing the mixture for about an hour until the consistency of syrup is achieved.

Unsulfured molasses

Many types of molasses on the market are branded unsulfured. In the past, many foods, including molasses, were treated with a sulfur dioxide preservative, helping to kill off moulds and bacteria. Sulfur dioxide is also used as a bleaching agent to help lighten the colour of molasses. Most brands have abandoned the use of sulfur dioxide in molasses, because untreated molasses already has a stable shelf life. Poor flavour and the trace toxicity of low doses of sulfur dioxide also led to its removal.

Cooking

During cooking, the presence of molasses increases the hygroscopicity of surrounding ingredients, and through the Maillard reaction, it often turns brown. These effects are the result of relatively high levels of amino acids, invert sugar and minerals.

Nutrition

Molasses is composed of 22% water, 75% carbohydrates, and very small amounts (0.1%) of fat; it contains no protein. In a reference amount of 100 grams, molasses is a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of vitamin B6 and several dietary minerals, including manganese, magnesium, iron, potassium, and calcium.

The sugars in molasses are on average sucrose (39% of total carbohydrates), glucose (16%), and fructose (17%) (data from USDA nutrition table).

Other uses

Food products and additives

The uses of molasses in food production may include:

• Principal ingredient in the distillation of rum
• Production of dark rye bread
• Production of gingerbread (particularly in the Americas)
• Production of barbecue sauces
• Some brown sugar is made by combining molasses with white sugar
• In some beer styles of stouts and porters
• Stabilization of emulsions in home-made vinaigrette
• Additive in mu'assel (also known as shisha), the tobacco smoked in a hookah

Industrial

• As a minor component of mortar for brickwork
• Mixed with gelatin glue and glycerine in casting composition ink rollers on early printing presses

Horticultural

• As a soil additive to promote microbial activity, resulting in increased production of succinic acid, malic acid, butyric acid and mannitol. Production of these common plant defensive chemicals by microbes is believed to aid in suppressing plant disease.