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It's browny black, thick, gooey, and sweet. Is that soy sauce? Nope!
Let me introduce you to Molasses! It's molasses.
Basically, molasses are by-product from sucrose production. It can be from sugarcane, sugar beets, wood sugar, or citrus.
According to where the molasses come from, they're classifed into :
1. Cane molasses : it's a by product of the manufacure of sucrose from sugar cane. It has to be containing about 46% of total reducing sugar at minimum.
2. Beet molasses : it's a by product of the manufacture of sucrose from sugar beets. It has to be containing about 48% of total reducing sugar at minimum.
3. Citrus molasses : it's dehydrated juices from manufacture of dried citrus pulp. It has to be containing about 45% of total reducing sugar at minimum.
4. Hemicellulose extract : it's a by-product of manufacture of pressed woods. The woods are pressed without using any acid, alkalis, or salts and at elevated temperature. It has to be containing about 55% of carbohydrate at minimum.
5. Starch molasses : it's a by product of manufacture of dextrose from corn / sorghum, of which the starch is hydrolyzed by enzymes/acid. It has to be containing about 50% of total dextrose at minimum.
On the other side, molasses are also distinguished by how it's produced, they are :
1. Integral high-test molasses : it's from unclarified sugarcane juices, which has been partially inverted to prevent crystallization, then concentrated by evaporation until approximately 80% of DM content.
2. High-test molasses : it's the same as integral high-test molasses, unless the juices from sugarcane has been clarified at first.
3. "A" molasses : it's an intermediate product of centrifuged A masecuite (a product of levelled-evaporated juices of sugarcane).
4. "B" molasses : it's also an intermediate product and a mixture of A molasses and "seed-sugar". It's then centrifuged again to earn more raw sugar.
5. "C" molasses :it's the last molasses collected from combining the B molasses with the sugar crystal from cryztallization process. "C" molasses is considerably containing of approximately 32-42% of sucrose.
Mollases' market is based on the Brix number. Brix number indicates the total sugar contained in the molasses in weight basis.
But, molasses aren't just about sugar. Molasses may contain protein, minerals, and vitamins.
First, the sugar content in molasses can be controlled by the sources and how the process done in the manufacture. Example, the longer time of the centrifugation process, the less total sugar contained in the molasses.
Second, protein in molasses presents in very least number. More nitrogenous compounds found in molasses aren't protein (or amino acids).
Third, the minerals presented in molasses depend on the sources of molasses itself. Like, molasses from sugarcane may contain high calcium, phosphorus, and chlorine. But, molasses from sugar beets may contain high potassium and sodium. Another trace minerals found in molasses are copper, iron, manganese, and zinc.
Fourth, some vitamins may also occur in molasses, such as biotin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, and thiamine.
Last, but not least. Consuming molasses may have a benefit for your health. It may be :
1. Increasing the palatability
2. Increasing more sugar to digest easily (sugar in molasses is easily abosorbed)
3. Appearing to exert a tonic effect
4. Eliminating dust in feeds
Wow!
That's all I can share to you about molasses.
Thank you.
References :
Curtin, Leo V. 1983. Molasses - General Considerations. Iowa : National Feed Ingredients Association.
Perez, Rena. 1995. "Molasses". Tropical Feeds and Feeding Sytems. Cuba : Food and Agricultural Organization.