Molasses is also known as Treacle; it is a thick liquid made from sugarcane juice or sugar beets. There are different types of molasses, each with its uses and benefits. Each type of molasses has its uses in recipes. Today, you will get to know the 3 major grades or types of treacle their color, taste, benefits, uses in recipes, and their nutritional values. The common molasses types are blackstrap molasses, dark molasses, and light molasses.
Table of Contents
3 Types of Molasses
Grade ‘A’ Molasses
The grade ‘A’ molasses is also called First syrup, Cane syrup, Gold star, Light molasses, or Fancy Molasses. It has many names in different countries but can easily be identified from the color and the taste. The first syrup has an amber color or yellowish in appearance with a very sweet taste. The sweetness is like concentrated sugar and looks like regular syrup.
Uses of grade “A” Molasses
Cane syrup is mostly used in the sweetening of food or recipes such as puddings, juices, pancakes, in making candies, making sugar syrup, for making sweets and drinks. Also used in making bread, crackers, and biscuits. Anything recipe that you need a sweetener in it, light molasses can be used for it.
Dark Molasses
This type of molasses is – also called grade ‘B’ molasses; it has a mix of the light molasses and blackstrap molasses. Dark molasses has less sugar than fancy or cane syrup. It has a darker color than the grade ‘A’ molasses. Cane syrup or grade B molasses used for making recipes such as gingerbread cookies, molasses cookies, and pies.
Blackstrap Molasses or (Grade ‘C’ Molasses)
What is blackstrap molasses?
Blackstrap molasses is also called grade ‘A’ molasses. It is the king of all the syrups because of its nutritional value. Blackstrap molasses is dark, highly viscous (slow pouring), and bitter. It has all the benefits of sugarcane packed in it. This treacle type is rich in potassium, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, and Vitamin B6; due to this, it is used as a dietary supplement and as an additive in making animal feeds. This treacle can be used in making some recipes such as molasses cookies or cakes. It is also used as a coloring and flavoring agent in baked beans.
Unsulphured and Sulphured Molasses
Sulfured Molasses refers to the type of molasses or treacle that has sulfur dioxide added to it; sulfur dioxide helps to preserve the molasses but could also be toxic even in trace amounts, hence people prefer buying unsulphured molasses. Again, sulfur reduces the flavor of molasses, which means using sulfured molasses makes your recipes taste different from that of unsulfured molasses. For this reason, many manufacturers of molasses omit adding sulfur to it and now tag the new molasses as “Unsulfured molasses” to distinguish it from the one containing sulfur.
What recipes can I make from the types of Molasses/Treacle
- Molasses cookies, Gingerbread Cookies, or oatmeal cookies can be made with dark molasses.
- Molasses cake, Baked beans, and brown sugar can be made from blackstrap molasses
- Pancakes, biscuits, crackers, and bread can be made with light molasses type.