"Black treacle" redirects here. For the Arctic Monkeys song, see Black Treacle. For the 1951 novelty song, see Black Strap Molasses.
Molasses (/məˈlæsɪz,moʊ-/)[1] is a viscous byproduct, principally obtained from the refining of sugarcane or sugar beet juice into sugar. Molasses varies in the amount of sugar, the method of extraction and age of the plant. Sugarcane molasses is usually used to sweeten and flavour foods. Molasses is a major constituent of fine commercial brown sugar.[2]
Molasses is rich in vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B6, iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. There are different types of molasses, including first molasses (highest sugar content), second molasses (slightly bitter), and blackstrap molasses (the darkest and most robust in flavor). Molasses was historically popular in the Americas before the 20th century as a sweetener. It is still commonly used in traditional cuisine, such as in Madeira Island's traditional dishes.
In addition to culinary uses, molasses has industrial applications, such as in the distillation of rum,[3] additive in mortar, and as a soil amendment to promote microbial activity. The unique flavor and nutritional profile of molasses make it a versatile ingredient with both food and non-food applications.
Etymology
The word molasses comes from melaço in Portuguese,[4] a derivative (intensifier) of mel (honey)[5][6] with Latinate roots.[4]Cognates include Ancient Greekμέλι (méli) (honey), Latinmel, Spanishmelaza (molasses), Romanianmiere or melasă, and Frenchmélasse (molasses). Blackstrap is derived from the Dutch word for syrup, stroop.
[7]
Sugar cane molasses
Sugar cane molasses is an ingredient used in baking and cooking.[8] It was popular in the Americas before the 20th century, when it was plentiful and commonly used as a sweetener in foods[9] and an ingredient in brewing beer in the colonies. George Washington had a notebook that contains a molasses beer recipe.[10]
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.[citation needed]
Boiling the sugar syrup a third time yields dark, viscousblackstrap molasses ('C' Molasses), known for its robust flavour. During this process, the majority of sucrose from the original juice is crystallized and removed.
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.[11]
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 as a fertilizer.[citation needed]
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's honey").[14] Its origin in Madeira dates back to the golden age of sugar production in the archipelago.[15][16][17][18]
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 hence may be supplemented with a biotin source. The non-sugar content includes many salts, including calcium, potassium, oxalate and chloride. It contains 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 molassedsugar beet feed) or a fermentation feedstock.[19]
Additional sugar can also be extracted from beet molasses in a process known as desugarization. The process employs 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 market price. As such, it is practised in the U.S.[20] and parts of Europe.[citation needed] Molasses is also used in yeast production.[21]
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]
^The Codex Alimentarius Commission. (2009; 2010). Codex Alimentarius – 212.1 Scope and Description. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
^"Rum | liquor". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 2017-12-29. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
^ ab"Molasses". Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper, Inc. 2020. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
^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.
^National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US). ISBN978-0-309-48834-1. PMID30844154. Archived from the original on 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
^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.