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Molasses
Viscous by-product of the refining of sugarcane, grapes, or sugar beets into sugar

Molasses is a viscous byproduct from the refining of sugarcane or sugar beet into sugar, varying by sugar content and extraction method. It is rich in nutrients like vitamin B6, iron, and calcium. Types include first molasses (sweetest), second molasses, and blackstrap molasses (darkest and most robust). Commonly used to sweeten foods and a key ingredient in brown sugar, molasses also features in traditional cuisines like those of Madeira Island. Beyond cooking, it serves industrial roles in rum production, as a mortar additive, and to stimulate microbial activity in soils.

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Etymology

The word molasses comes from melaço in Portuguese,4 a derivative (intensifier) of mel (honey)56 with Latinate roots.7 Cognates include Ancient Greek μέλι (méli) (honey), Latin mel, Spanish melaza (molasses), Romanian miere or melasă, and French mélasse (molasses). Blackstrap is derived from the Dutch word for syrup, stroop. 8

Sugar cane molasses

Sugar cane molasses is an ingredient used in baking and cooking.9 It was popular in the Americas before the 20th century, when it was plentiful and commonly used as a sweetener in foods10 and an ingredient in brewing beer in the colonies. George Washington had a notebook that contains a molasses beer recipe.11

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.12 It is sometimes used in baking or to produce ethanol, as an ingredient in cattle feed, or in yeast production.13 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.14

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.15

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").16 Its origin in Madeira dates back to the golden age of sugar production in the archipelago.17181920

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, including 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.21

Other types

Sweet sorghum syrup is colloquially called sorghum molasses in the southern United States.2223

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.24

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 relatively stable natural shelf life. Poor flavour and the trace toxicity of low doses of sulfur dioxide are also factors that have led to its removal.25

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.26

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:

Industrial

Horticultural

See also

  • Media related to Molasses at Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Longman. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0. 978-1-4058-8118-0

  2. The Codex Alimentarius Commission. (2009; 2010). Codex Alimentarius – 212.1 Scope and Description. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

  3. "Rum | liquor". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2021. https://www.britannica.com/topic/rum-liquor

  4. "Molasses". Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper, Inc. 2020. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2020. https://www.etymonline.com/word/Molasses

  5. “melaço Archived 2021-09-15 at the Wayback Machine” Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa https://dicionario.priberam.org/mela%C3%A7o

  6. “O uso de s, ss, c ou ç Archived 2021-09-15 at the Wayback Machine” Ciberdúvidas https://ciberduvidas.iscte-iul.pt/consultorio/perguntas/o-uso-de-s-ss-c-ou-c/7348

  7. "Molasses". Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper, Inc. 2020. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2020. https://www.etymonline.com/word/Molasses

  8. "Blackstrap". https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blackstrap%20molasses#:~:text=Word%20History&text=Note%3A%20The%20relevant%20sense%20of,variant%20of%20siroop%20%22syrup.%22

  9. "Cooking with Molasses – Brer Rabbit Molasses Recipes – Easy Baking Recipes". Brer Rabbit. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140424130921/http://www.brerrabbit.com/cooking-with-molasses/

  10. Hudson, Jeff (28 January 1998). "Molasses' Bittersweet History". SF Gate. Archived from the original on 21 September 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2021. https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Molasses-Bittersweet-History-3014292.php

  11. Grasse, Steven (6 September 2016). "A brief history of colonial-era beer (including an awesome Stock Ale recipe)". Craft Brewing Business. Archived from the original on 17 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020. https://www.craftbrewingbusiness.com/featured/colonial-spirits-brief-history-colonial-era-beer-including-sweet-stock-ale-recipe/

  12. Ginsberg, Megan, ed. (2016). All-Time Best Holiday Baking 2016. Brookline: Cook's Illustrated. pp. 52–53.

  13. Greweling, Peter P (2013). Chocolates & Confections: Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner (2nd ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-470-42441-4. 978-0-470-42441-4

  14. Fleck, H. C. (1968). Toward Better Teaching of Home Economics. Macmillan. p. 195. ISBN 9780023382901. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. 9780023382901

  15. Tukua, Deborah (27 January 2020). "These Health Benefits of Blackstrap Molasses May Surprise You". Farmers' Armanac. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021. https://www.farmersalmanac.com/12-health-benefits-of-blackstrap-molasses-you-need-to-know-106405

  16. "Mel de Cana". www.visitmadeira.pt. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022. https://www.visitmadeira.pt/pt-pt/a-madeira/produtos-regionais/mel-de-cana

  17. Alfred W. Crosby (2015). Ecological Imperialism, The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900–1900 (2 ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 77. ISBN 978-1-107-56987-4. Archived from the original on 6 January 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2017. 978-1-107-56987-4

  18. "The 'White Gold' Era". www.visitmadeira.pt. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021. http://www.visitmadeira.pt/en-gb/madeira/history/era-of-white-gold

  19. davide. "Madeira Ruled the Sugar Trade". Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2021. https://www.portuguesemuseum.org/?page_id=1808&category=3&exhibit=&event=184

  20. Ponting, Clive (2000). World history: a new perspective. London: Chatto & Windus. p. 482. ISBN 0-7011-6834-X. 0-7011-6834-X

  21. Lardy, Greg; Schafer, Rebecca. "Feeding Sugar Beet Byproducts to Cattle". North Dakota State University. Archived from the original on 19 January 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022. https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/publications/livestock/feeding-sugar-beet-byproducts-to-cattle

  22. Rapuano, Rina (12 September 2012). "Sorghum Travels From The South To The Mainstream". npr.org. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014. https://www.npr.org/2012/09/12/160946531/sorghum-travels-from-the-south-to-the-mainstream

  23. Bitzer, Morris (2002). "Sweet Sorghum for Syrup" (PDF). N.p.: University of Kentucky. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014. http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CCD/introsheets/swsorghumintro.pdf

  24. Ismayilova, Laman (4 July 2019). "Narsharab, country's delicious pomegranate sauce". AzerNews. Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022. https://www.azernews.az/culture/152819.html

  25. T, Eric (8 October 2012). "Why Does my Molasses say Unsulphured? Was Sulphur Removed From it?". Culinary Lore. Archived from the original on 18 September 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2021. http://www.culinarylore.com/food-science:why-does-my-mollases-say-unsulphured

  26. Greweling, Peter P (2013). Chocolates & Confections: Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner (2nd ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-470-42441-4. 978-0-470-42441-4

  27. "Make-Ahead Vinaigrette". Cook's Illustrated. Archived from the original on 21 September 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2017. https://www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/169-make-ahead-vinaigrette

  28. Chaouachi, K (2009). "Hookah (Shisha, Narghile) Smoking and Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS). A Critical Review of the Relevant Literature and the Public Health Consequences". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 6 (2): 798–843. doi:10.3390/ijerph6020798. PMC 2672364. PMID 19440416. Mixing tobacco with molasses is a very ancient habit. A WHO report dates back "the addition of molasses to burley tobacco in the nineteenth century to create 'American' blended tobacco". [E]arly health-oriented anthropological research on hookah smoking showed that it [...] can be traced back [to] the 17th century. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2672364

  29. White, Katie (17 July 2017). "The Hidden Chemicals in Hookah Tobacco Smoke". San Diego State University. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021. Hookah users inhale smoke, which is generated by heating hookah tobacco that is fermented with molasses and fruits and combined with burning charcoal. http://newscenter.sdsu.edu/sdsu_newscenter/news_story.aspx?sid=76828

  30. Heath, Arthur Henry (1893). A Manual on Lime and Cement, Their Treatment and Use in Construction. Mackaye Press. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2015. https://books.google.com/books?id=JR2fdsniyZsC&q=molasses

  31. "Some observations on home-made composition rollers". 3 February 2015. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2023. https://papertrail.ca/blog/some-observations-on-home-made-composition-rollers/

  32. Rosskopf, Erin; Di Gioia, Francesco; Hong, Jason C.; Pisani, Cristina; Kokalis-Burelle, Nancy (25 August 2020). "Organic Amendments for Pathogen and Nematode Control". Annual Review of Phytopathology. 58 (1). Annual Reviews: 277–311. Bibcode:2020AnRvP..58..277R. doi:10.1146/annurev-phyto-080516-035608. ISSN 0066-4286. PMID 32853099. S2CID 221360634. /wiki/Annual_Review_of_Phytopathology

  33. "Bioactive materials for sustainable soil management" (PDF). bfa.com.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110227075535/http://www.bfa.com.au/Portals/0/BFAFiles/AUT05-bioactive-materials.pdf