Re-discovering Molasses
After making my Golden Wheat and Molasses Pancakes, I decided to discover more about molasses. When I hear the word molasses, I have a flashback to Candyland’s old version of the board game with the molasses swamp – A pool of sticky, pungent goo where you get to lose a turn.
Molasses swamp “Candyland” by jdog90 is licensed under CC BY 2.0
It seems nowadays, people forget that stand-alone molasses can be a sweetener without its sidekick of white sugar (aka brown sugar). In the early 20th century, Americans gave up molasses and brown sugar in lieu of the cheaper and easier to refine white sugar. By 1915, the US per capita consumption of white granulated sugar doubled since 1880. Although molasses known now mostly as the main ingredient for gingerbread and molasses cookies, it was previously used daily in coffee, baked items, well known in pork and beans (introduced 1927), sauces, desserts and alcoholic beverages. What follows is everything you’ve ever wanted to know about molasses!
What is Molasses?
The word Molasses appeared in mid 16th century and is derived from Portuguese melaco which is from late Latin mellacium meaning must, grape juice or new wine or mellaceus meaning resembling honey, based on early Latin of mel meaning honey. In Britain, it may be called treacle, originally in Middle English denoting an antidote against venom from Old French triacle, via Latin from Greek theriake.
Often, we hear molasses being used as a comparative description as something or someone who is as slow as molasses.
“sugarcane” by checkmihlyrics is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Blackstrap molasses is a by-product of the refining of sugar cane and sugar beets. The juice of these plants is extracted then boiled, forming sugar crystals in the process. The crystals are removed to be processed into sugar and the dark liquid that remains is molasses. There is light molasses from the first boiling which is more sweet and milder in flavor. Dark molasses is from the second boiling which is thicker, less sweet and stronger in flavor. Blackstrap molasses is from the third boiling which is the healthiest as it retains the most vitamins and minerals but is the thickest and least sweet of the three.
Molasses can also be made from sorghum, pomegranates, grapes, mulberries, carob and dates depending on world location. It can also be produced from grain sorghums or corn, dried citrus pulp, or as a byproduct of pressed wood for the livestock feed industry.
Molasses Nutrition
Blackstrap molasses is rich in manganese, magnesium, copper, B6, selenium, potassium, iron, calcium and antioxidants. The exaggerated health benefits were the topic of a 1951 song “Black Strap Molasses.” It likely won’t make you “live so long that you’ll wish you were dead,” but it does offer more benefits than the empty calories of white sugar. According to nutritionfacts.org, it follows date sugar as the second of the only two healthy sweeteners.
Like refined sugar, the glycemic index of molasses is high at 55 and should be consumed in moderation. The serving size is a tablespoon. Organic molasses is recommended as other types could contain pesticides and other toxic chemicals. Sulphur, or sulfur, is used as a preservative for young sugarcane derived molasses but molasses from ripe sugarcane does not need sulphur. Molasses bottles will be marked as sulphured or un-sulphured.
“Saves You Money, Too!” by iandavid is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
It is hard for me to imagine that a molasses drink could replace coffee, but I do recall my grandma drinking Postum on some mornings. Like my grandma, many people want to avoid the potential sleeplessness, high blood pressure and digestive issues from caffeine. Post cereal company, founded by C. W. Post in 1895, came out with its caffeine free coffee substitute drink, Postum, made of wheat, wheat brand and molasses. It followed itself with a second drink called Monk’s Brew which turned out was just a cheaper version of Postum. In 1904, Post cereal company was the world’s largest single user of molasses.
Popular Brands of Molasses
There are a lot of brands of molasses. I use Plantation organic unsulphured blackstrap molasses and so far, I haven’t delved into trying others. The MSN top 10 buying guide lists Golden Barrel bulk unsulphured blackstrap molasses as #1. The rest of their list comprises of various types from Plantation, Grandma’s and Wholesome Sweeteners. Other brands you may see are Brer Rabbit, Crosby’s, Holiday, House of Herbs, Iron content, Melrose, Slow as Molasses, Trader Joe’s Organic, and Tree of Life. Feel free to leave a comment and let everyone know your favorite brand and why.
