Question

What is Molasses?

Answer 1

Hint: Molasses is a dark, sweet and syrup like byproduct that is formed during the extraction of sugar from sugarcanes and also from sugar beets. It is a very popular sweetener in the United States, and is also used till today. It is mainly used for primitive recipes like baked beans, gingerbread, barbeque sauce etc. that require its dense sweetness.

Complete answer:
Molasses has a rich history from the Caribbean and Southern United States, where sugarcane and sugar beets were hugely cultivated. During the process of making sugar, the juice extracted from sugarcane and sugar beets is boiled until the sugar crystals crystallize and precipitate out. The syrup that is left after this crystallization is Molasses. The juice undergoes three cycles of boiling and crystallization to extract the maximum amount of molasses. The more the number of cycles, the molasses contains less sugar. Variation in the color, sweetness and nutritional content can vary in molasses depending on how much sugar has been extracted.
There are various types of molasses that is found:
Light Molasses: The syrup that is left after the first cycle of sugarcane juice. It has the lightest color and the highest sugar content and has the least viscous texture.
Dark or Medium Molasses: It is produced as a byproduct from the second cycle. It has lesser sugar content and is a little dark in color.
Blackstrap Molasses: It is the syrup obtained from the final set of sugarcane juice cycles. It is very dark in color, has the least sugar content and least nutritional value. It has a deep, spicy and bitter taste.

Note:
Molasses have a shelf life of about a year and can be stored in a cold, dry and dark place. Molasses is effectively used for the preparation of alcohol. It is the most primitive method for the preparation of ethanol. It is still used as a flavoring and sweetening agent.