Sulphured molasses - additional information added

[Rocky_Creek]

Found this about molasses. The sulphor comes from the sugar making process, it is not added later. The las statement in the article is not completely true.



Do you know the difference between types of molasses? We often hear the term "blackstrap molasses," but what does that mean?

The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane, the amount of sugar extracted, and the method of extraction. There are three major types of molasses: unsulphured, sulphured and blackstrap.

Unsulphured molasses is the finest quality. It is made from the juice of sun-ripened cane and the juice is clarified and concentrated.

Sulphured molasses is made from green sugar cane that has not matured long enough and treated with sulphur fumes during the sugar extracting process. Molasses from the first boiling is the finest grade because only a small amount of sugar has been removed. The second boil molasses takes on a darker color, is less sweet and has a more pronounced flavor.

Blackstrap molasses is from the third boil and only has a commercial value in the manufacture of cattle feed and other industrial uses.

And then there is this.

At the mill, the sugar cane juice is extracted, then boiled to remove the sugar. So-called first strike molasses could be removed at this stage to make the kind of cane syrup that's ladled on pancakes. That isn't done here. Instead, it's boiled further to make a caramelized black syrup that has most of the sugar removed.

"It has a bitter taste," Whidden said. "That does not seem to matter to animals."

From the sugar plant, the molasses is pumped in underground pipes about 100 yards to one of seven 1 million-gallon tanks. Then it's fed into one of two 18-ton capacity tanks where it's mixed with protein, vitamins, minerals and other types of feed additives such as mold inhibitors, Whidden says.

Among the ingredients added are leftover catfish oil and cooking oil from restaurants.