Molasses

Not to be confused with molasse.

Blackstrap molasses

Molasses is a viscous by-product of the refining of sugarcane, grapes, or sugar beets into sugar. The word comes from the Portuguese melaço, ultimately derived from mel, the Latin word for "honey". The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the source plant, the amount of sugar extracted, and the method employed.

Sweet sorghum is known in some parts of the United States as molasses, though it is not a true molasses.

Cane molasses

A bottle of molasses

To make molasses, the cane of a sugar plant is harvested and stripped of its leaves. Its juice is extracted usually by crushing or mashing, but also by cutting. The juice is boiled to concentrate it, which promotes the crystallisation of the sugar. The result of this first boiling and of the sugar crystals is first syrup, usually referred to in the Southern states of the USA as "cane syrup" as opposed to molasses, which has the highest sugar content because comparatively little sugar has been extracted from the source. Second molasses is created from a second boiling and sugar extraction, and has a slight bitter tinge to its taste.

The third boiling of the sugar syrup yields blackstrap molasses, known for its robust flavour. The term blackstrap molasses is an Americanism dating from around 1875. The majority of sucrose from the original juice has been crystallised and removed. The food energy content of blackstrap molasses is still mostly from the small remaining sugar content. However, unlike refined sugars, it contains trace amounts of vitamins and significant amounts of several minerals. Blackstrap molasses is a source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron; one tablespoon provides up to 20% of the daily value of each of those nutrients. Blackstrap has long been sold as a health supplement. It is also used in the manufacture of ethyl alcohol for industry and as an ingredient in cattle feed.

Sugar beet molasses

Yomari - rice flour breads filled with chaku

Molasses made from sugar beet is different from sugarcane molasses. Only the syrup left from the final crystal ligation stage is called molasses; intermediate syrups are referred to as high green and low green, and these are recycled within the crystallization plant to maximize extraction. Beet molasses is about 50% sugar by dry weight, predominantly sucrose, but also contains significant amounts of glucose and fructose. Beet molasses is limited in biotin (vitamin H or B₇) for cell growth; hence, it may need to be supplemented with a biotin source. The non-sugar content includes many salts, such as calcium, potassium, oxalate, and chloride. It also contains the compounds betaine and the trisaccharide raffinose. These are either as a result of concentration from the original plant material or as a result of chemicals used in the processing, and make it unpalatable to humans. Hence it is mainly used as an additive to animal feed (called "molassed sugar beet feed") or as a fermentation feedstock.^{[citation needed]}

It is possible to extract additional sugar from beet molasses through a process known as molasses desugarisation. This technique exploits industrial-scale chromatography to separate sucrose from non-sugar components. The technique is economically viable in trade-protected areas, where the price of sugar is supported above the world market price. As such, it is practiced in the U.S. and parts of Europe. Molasses is also used for yeast production.

Substitutes

Cane molasses is a common ingredient in baking and cooking. One of the following may be substituted (in varying proportions) depending on whether the dish is sweet or savory:

• Black treacle
• Honey
• Sweet sorghum syrup
• Barley malt syrup
• Maple syrup
• Brown sugar
• Dark corn syrup
• Kecap manis, a thick Indonesian soy sauce sweetened with palm sugar

Other forms

In Middle Eastern cuisine, molasses is produced variously from carob, grapes, dates, pomegranates, and mulberries. In Nepal it is called chaku (Nepal Bhasa: चाकु) and used in the preparation of various Newari condiments such as yomari. It is also a popular ingredient in ghya-chaku.

Other uses

Food products and additives

Bhapa Pitha, a popular Bangladeshi style rice cake, is often sweetened with molasses.

Molasses can be used as:

• The principal ingredient in the distillation of rum
• In stouts or Porters
• An additive in tobacco smoked in a hookah, shisha, or narghile (found in the brands Mazaya, Al-Fakher, Nakhla, Tangiers and Salloum)
• An additive in livestock feeds
• An ingredient in fishing groundbait
• A source for yeast production.
• An iron supplement
• The main ingredient in the production of Citric acid

Chemical

• The carbon source for in situ remediation of chlorinated hydrocarbons.
• Blended with magnesium chloride and used for de-icing.
• A stock for ethanol fermentation to produce an alternative fuel for motor vehicles

Industrial

• As a chelating agent to remove rust
• As a minor component of mortar for brickwork
• Mixed with glue to case ink rollers on early printing presses

Horticultural

• As a soil additive to promote microbial activity
• As a source for sugar in hydroponic gardening.^{[citation needed]}

Nutritional information

Molasses contains no protein or dietary fiber and close to no fat. Each tablespoon (20 g) contains 58 kcal (240 kJ), 14.95 g of carbohydrates, and 11.1 g of sugar divided amongst:

• Sucrose: 5.88 g
• Glucose: 2.38 g
• Fructose: 2.56 g

See also

• Anadama bread
• Boston Molasses Disaster
• Brown sugar
• Caramelization
• Maillard reaction
• Pekmez
• Rum
• Shoofly pie
• Treacle