Molasses is rarely found in regular stores, so many people do not know what this product is, what it is intended for and how to use it without harming their health.
Scientific names of molasses – dextrine maltose, maltodextrin. In everyday life it is called syrup or artificial honey.
Dextrine maltose is widely used in the food industry, serving as a leavening agent, sweetener, thickener, and preservative. It is used in bakery, production of soft drinks and beer, production of confectionery and sports nutrition products. It is an ingredient in many types of ice cream and frozen desserts, as it reduces the freezing point of the mass.
What it is?
Molasses or maltodextrin is produced in two types: light And black(molasses), which depends on the original product.
Light is obtained when incomplete hydrolysis of starch. As a result of splitting, starch molecules break down into their component parts - dextrins and simple sugars (maltose, glucose and fructose). The content of ingredients depends on the starting products and methods of obtaining the product, respectively, and the degree of hydrolysis. The catalyst for the process is citric acid.
On an industrial scale, maltodextrin is used in our country mainly due to its low cost. potato or corn starch. Other types of starch are also quite suitable for making molasses: rye, wheat, sorghum, barley.
The consistency of molasses is fluid and viscous, reminiscent of liquid honey. The sweet taste is stronger than that of sugar. It also differs in its higher caloric content. May have a faint malt odor or no malt smell at all.
Blackstrap molasses or molasses is made from beets, grapes, cane or cane sugar. Molasses is a thick syrup with a slightly bitter taste and a pleasant intoxicating aroma. The glycemic index of molasses is lower than that of starch syrup.
When liquid molasses is dried using special equipment, a cream-colored dry powder is obtained, which is mainly used in the confectionery industry.
Beneficial features
- Simple carbohydrates, contained in molasses, are absorbed faster and easier by the body.
- The inclusion of maltodextrin in sports nutrition helps athletes cope with increased stress.
- Serves as a source B vitamins and minerals– iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium, copper. Molasses is especially rich in nutrients.
- Molasses effectively raises hemoglobin levels. 5 tbsp. Black molasses covers almost the daily requirement for iron, half the daily requirement for calcium and a third of the requirement for magnesium. It is useful to combine the use of molasses with the treatment of anemia.
- Thanks to high content of potassium and magnesium has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
- Molasses extracts give hair a healthy look, shine, and prevent the appearance of gray hair.
- Positively affects the nervous system: calms, relieves headaches, improves sleep.
- Helps cope with stress and fatigue.
- Long-term consumption of molasses improves brain function.
- It has a positive effect on the female body during pregnancy and menopause.
- During the treatment of stomach ulcers, it is useful to replace sugar with molasses.
- With arthritis, the intensity of pain in the joints decreases.
- Cholesterol levels are normalized.
- The pressure stabilizes.
- Molasses has established itself as a mild laxative.
Contraindications
There are few contraindications to the use of molasses, but they need to be taken into account. Negative aspects appear when the product is used too often and unregulated.
- Molasses – allergenic product, causing body reactions such as nasal congestion, runny nose, and rash.
- Because the glycemic index of maltodextrin is high (105-136). for diabetes mellitus, consumption is allowed in limited quantities.
- Molasses – high-calorie product, promoting weight gain due to the conversion of excess carbohydrates into fats. This property should be taken into account by bodybuilders.
- With frequent use it is noted strengthening the feeling of the year, provoking the desire to eat more often and more.
- In some people, the body overreacts to the product entering the intestines, which causes bloating and flatulence.
- Affects tooth enamel, therefore it is better to drink molasses dissolved in the drink through a straw.
Application and use
Light molasses is more suitable for food; it is better to add black molasses to baked goods. It can be added to any dishes instead of sugar, and can also be used in the making of desserts, sauces, jams, preserves, and ice cream.
But molasses has gained particular popularity due to its use in baking and making sweet desserts. Replacing sugar with molasses adds special benefits to baked goods.
- Maltodextrin increases the viscosity of the dough, due to which it has a dense and porous appearance when finished.
- Baked goods go stale more slowly.
- The finished products have a pleasant light brown or cream color.
- The products acquire a pleasant taste. Molasses adds a special brightness to color and taste.
- Marshmallows, marshmallows, and marmalade acquire plasticity precisely through the use of molasses.
Self-cooking
Take 50 ml of water for 1 glass of granulated sugar, stir and put on low heat. Add a few drops of lemon juice and cook, stirring regularly, for half an hour. After this time, the syrup will thicken and acquire a yellowish tint. The molasses is ready. Approximate quantity of product – 170-190 ml.
Any products containing glucose are suitable for making molasses. The squeezed fruit juice is poured into a saucepan and boiled over low heat until approximately a third of the original volume is obtained. Store products in the refrigerator in tightly closed glass containers.
It is more reliable to purchase molasses from large companies that have proven themselves in the market. A quality certificate is required. Storage is allowed only at a temperature not exceeding 12ºС in a dry room.
Irina Kamshilina
Cooking for someone is much more pleasant than cooking for yourself))
Content
In everyday life, molasses is not considered a hydrolysis product. It is known in the form of a honey-flavored syrup that can sweeten any dish. The scope of its application goes far beyond the confectionery sphere. Molasses is known to professionals, amateur cooks and alcohol industry technologists.
What is molasses
If you know how to make juice, you can easily cope with the preparation of molasses (maltodextrin and dextrin maltose). Molasses is a syrup product that is obtained when starch is saccharified. The process is called acid hydrolysis with filtration and boiling of the syrup. In the Caucasus, the sugary product was given the name musales. It is famous among culinary experts for its honey-sweet taste. The benefit of molasses is the content of microelements and B vitamins. The harm is due to increased sugar levels, so people with diabetes should not consume it.
What kind of molasses is there?
Molasses - what is this additive? The by-product of sugar processing varies both in color and in the raw materials used in its production. There are two types of molasses known throughout the world: light and black. The first is made from starch, the second from beets and sugar. Types of starch for making light molasses:
- potato;
- corn;
- wheat;
- rye;
- barley;
- sorghum;
- tapioca.
Starch syrup
Previously, employees of the Russian food industry produced the only type of starch syrup - caramel. Starch syrup is a type of light molasses. Today, starch syrup is divided into 4 types and they depend on the percentage of carbohydrates in it:
- glucose;
- maltose;
- highly sugared;
- low sugar.
Maltose molasses
If you saccharify raw materials containing starch (corn flour or barley malt) with enzymes, you get maltose syrup. It is used both in the production of bread and confectionery, as well as in the production of soft drinks and softening alcoholic drinks. Maltose molasses is valued for its characteristics: bright chocolate color, sweetness and slightly malty aroma.
Molasses
Molasses is a product of processing cane or beet sugar. Molasses gets its name from the Portuguese word “melaco” (honey). In terms of its properties, molasses is more like a food additive. It is like sugar, but with the largest amount of microelements. Homemade blackstrap molasses is used to make gingerbread cookies.
Caramel molasses
Sweet caramel molasses consists of glucose, maltose, maltotriose and other substances. Scope of application: food industry for regulating sugar crystallization processes. Often added to childhood candies and caramels - toffee.
Characteristics of caramel molasses:
- viscosity;
- harmonious combination with milk protein - you get excellent taste and color;
- adding to treats with a high content of dry ingredients prolongs their taste for a long time;
- regulates the crystallization of lactose in milk.
Corn syrup
Corn sweetener (100 grams) contains 316 kcal. Corn starch molasses is popularly added to jelly candies, marmalade, and fillings because of its ability to caramelize. Corn starch is inexpensive, which reduces the cost of preparing confectionery products.
Characteristics of corn syrup:
- lowers the freezing point of the product;
- makes the shelf life longer.
Beet molasses
A waste product from sugar production, black molasses, was produced using technology invented back in the 6th century in France. The scientist's name was Olivier de Serra. Recommendations for the proper use of sugar beets were found only in 1747. But the use of beet molasses began to gain momentum only in 1800. The sugar product is excellent for coloring sugar cubes and is used in cooking and alcohol production (Hong Thong whiskey).
Ingredients for making half a jar of beet molasses:
- beets – 1 pc.;
- water – ½ tbsp;
- sugar – 6-7 tbsp. l.
Cooking steps:
- Extract juice from beets using a juicer.
- Place the saucepan with the juice on the stove and add sugar.
- Cook over low heat until desired thickening.
If you look at the photo of beet molasses, then after cooking it should:
- look like liquid syrup;
- have a dark brown tint;
- taste like burnt sugar.
White molasses
This sweetener acquired its name thanks to refined sugar, which serves as a raw material in its production. There are subtypes of white molasses that are made from corn, potato and other starches. White is one of the two most famous types of sugary product. White molasses is best used for making all kinds of syrups.
Ingredients for white (refined) sweetener:
- refined sugar – 350 g;
- water – 150 ml;
- citric acid – 2 g;
- baking soda – 1.5 g.
Cooking process:
- Bring a pan of water to a boil and add refined sugar, let it dissolve.
- When it boils again, add acid and cover with a lid.
- Leave to simmer for 45 minutes and turn off.
- When the mixture has cooled, add diluted soda.
- Ready for use in a quarter of an hour, when the foam subsides.
Cane molasses
This molasses is formed during the production of cane sugar as a by-product. Whether its color will be dark brown or a little lighter depends on the quality of the raw material - reed. Mainly because of its properties, cane molasses is used in moonshine factories, and in cooking - in the preparation of fruit syrups (melon, watermelon, grape, etc.)
How cane molasses is made:
- Peeled sugar cane is crushed and the juice is squeezed out, which is then sent for crystallization.
- The result is sugar crystals and a liquid residue - light molasses. It also contains a huge amount of sugar.
- Next, water is added and processed again.
- Another crystallization occurs and the secondary residue becomes dark in color.
Characteristics of cane molasses:
- viscous;
- syrupy liquid;
- peculiar smell;
- bittersweet taste;
- rich in fructose and glucose.
What is molasses in cooking?
The taste of a dish and its appearance depend on the ingredients added to it. Sweetener and sweetener are synonyms for molasses, which explain its use in cooking. In small doses it is added to change the color of the dish, and in large doses for taste preferences. The additive is used in various areas of cooking due to its advantages over sugar:
- the carbohydrate composition of molasses is easily digestible;
- lowers the freezing point of the product;
- increases shelf life;
- reduces production costs;
- improves the solubility of sucrose;
- protects products from crystallization.
List of uses of sugar by-product in the food industry:
- confectionery sweets, cookies, marshmallows, gingerbreads;
- jam, marmalade, caramel, marshmallow, jam, jelly;
- many types of bread;
- canned food;
- bakery;
- syrups for desserts;
- ice cream;
- brewing;
- sports and dietary nutrition;
- sauces.
How to make molasses
Having a sweet syrup like honey is very important in cooking. And if you were unable to purchase molasses, you can easily make it yourself. Why is she so popular? Not only does the additive radically change the taste, it also adds softness to sweets, prolonging freshness. After reading the recipe below, the question of how to prepare molasses at home will disappear by itself.
Ingredients for making white sugar substitute:
- water – 150 ml;
- sugar – 350 g;
- citric acid – 2 g;
- baking soda – 1.5 g.
Everything must be done strictly in accordance with the recipe:
- You need to take a small saucepan and pour cold water. Put on fire and wait until it boils.
- Then, stirring constantly, add sugar. Let it boil again.
- Add the required amount of citric acid, reduce heat and cook covered for about 45 minutes.
- The syrup is almost ready, you just need to let it cool a little.
- Next, dilute baking soda in water and add to the syrup, mixing well.
- If the mixture begins to foam, then you did everything right.
- After 15 minutes, the foam should subside.
- If the foam has not disappeared, you can remove it with a spoon. Molasses is stored in a cellar or refrigerator, in glass containers.
Where to buy molasses
It is better to purchase honey from familiar beekeepers, and sugar in regular supermarkets. You rarely find real molasses in these places. It is better to order it in online stores or find a highly specialized store. It is important that the storage area of the product is dry and cool. These conditions will protect the sweetness from mold and help preserve its beneficial properties.
Price of molasses
The cost in Russia and the regions depends on the type of product, weight and manufacturer. Shipping from more distant locations costs much more. It is best to purchase the product from large specialized companies than from private unverified individuals. It is also important to have a certificate of molasses quality in accordance with the type. For example: for starch, compliance with GOST R 52060-2003 is important.
How to replace molasses
What to do if you don’t have molasses on hand? There is no need to refuse the dish, but it is important to know in advance what to replace this ingredient with. When replacing molasses with another product, you must add soda equal to the number of intended glasses. Perfect for these purposes.
Even those who do not master the culinary arts, but pay attention to the packaging with the composition of some products, sooner or later the question arises about molasses - what is it, what are the properties of the component, the nuances and scope of its application.
What is molasses in cooking?
Having figured out what molasses is made from, its culinary purpose becomes obvious. A sugary product obtained by hydrolysis of starch can transform a whole series of various dishes, baked goods and drinks.
- Molasses delays crystallization and increases the solubility of sucrose. In addition, the product increases the viscosity of the syrup and has preservative properties. These characteristics are especially indispensable when preparing jam, jam, jam.
- At home or in production, molasses is added when making candies, marshmallows, Turkish delight, marshmallows, caramel and many other desserts.
- When creating baked goods, molasses accelerates the fermentation of the dough, helps retain moisture in the finished products and, as a result, prevents their rapid staleness, maintaining softness for a long time. Baked goods with this additive acquire a more ruddy and rich crust.
- By using molasses it will be possible to reduce the freezing point of milk mixtures when making ice cream or desserts.
- Molasses is used in beer, vodka to increase density, soften and clarify drinks.
Molasses - health benefits and harms
Having learned the nuances of why molasses is needed, you will want to make sure that it is advisable to use it more often and use it in home cooking.
- Unlike sugar, which is considered more harmful than beneficial, molasses has an impressive composition, including valuable minerals, elements essential for the body, and all kinds of vitamins.
- Black molasses contains a lot of iron, calcium and magnesium, which is especially useful for low hemoglobin, for bone growth and all kinds of diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
- Frequent consumption of molasses improves complexion, growth and condition of hair and nails, and increases immunity.
- The low sugar content allows people with diabetes to consume molasses, although caution in this matter still does not hurt.
- Despite all the benefits of molasses, it should not be used if you are intolerant and should not be limited if you have diabetes.
How to make molasses at home?
The most affordable recipe for molasses at home, which can be made without much difficulty, is from sugar. This version of the product is used in culinary practice for adding to baked goods when creating desserts and glazes. If flakes of foam remain on the surface after cooking, they can be carefully removed with a spoon.
Ingredients:
- sugar – 0.5 kg;
- water – 250 ml;
- citric acid – 2.5 g;
- soda – 2 g.
Preparation
- Mix water, sugar and citric acid and bring to a boil, stirring.
- Reduce heat and cook the mixture for 45 minutes.
- Remove the container from the heat and carefully stir in the baking soda.
- After 2 minutes, when the foam has settled. the sugar syrup will be ready.
Treacle Pie - Recipe
A true delight for those with a sweet tooth and sweet pastries is treacle pie, recipes for which are most often found in English cuisine. This amazing original delicacy is served both hot and cold, complemented with ice cream, whipped cream or custard.
Ingredients:
- yolk – 1 pc.;
- flour – 220 g;
- butter – 100 g;
- cold water - 2 tbsp. spoons;
- salt – 1/3 teaspoon;
- light molasses – 350 g;
- bread crumbs - 0.5 cups;
- ground ginger – 0.5 teaspoon;
- egg – 1 pc.;
- cream – 3 tbsp. spoons;
- lemon zest.
Preparation
- Grind the butter with flour and salt.
- Add the yolk and water and knead the dough.
- Distribute the base in a mold with sides, press down with a weight, bake at 180 degrees for 25 minutes.
- Mix molasses, crumbs, yolk, ginger, zest and egg and place on a golden brown base.
- Bake the pie for another 30 minutes.
Snickers with molasses - recipe
Knowing what molasses is and having used it in simple baking, you will want to evaluate the benefits of the additive in more original dessert recipes. Light molasses will become an indispensable component for caramel when creating homemade Snickers. Hazelnuts or peanuts are used as a nut filling.
Ingredients:
- eggs – 2 pcs.;
- light molasses – 300 g;
- honey – 50 g;
- sugar – 400 g;
- water – 50 ml;
- peanut butter – 50 g;
- cream – 400 ml;
- roasted nuts – 200 g;
- dark chocolate – 450 g;
- butter – 15 g;
- salt.
Preparation
- Combine 300 g of sugar and cream, bring to a boil, stirring.
- Add 200 g of molasses and boil to 110 degrees.
- Add oil and stir in half of the nuts.
- Mix honey, molasses, water, 100 g of sugar and heat, stirring, to 135 degrees.
- Beat the whites with a pinch of salt.
- Pour in the hot syrup without stopping whisking.
- Add peanut butter and nuts.
- Spread the caramel filling on the parchment in a 1 cm layer.
- Place nougat on top, leave for 48 hours, and then place in the freezer for 2 hours.
- Cut the layer into rectangles.
- Each resulting molasses candy is covered with melted chocolate.
Treacle pudding
The use of molasses gives the dessert a unique texture and great taste. Ground cloves can be replaced with nutmeg or cardamom, and dried apricots can be used instead of prunes. Before serving, sprinkle the finished dessert with powdered sugar and add vanilla sauce.
Ingredients:
- butter – 300 g;
- molasses – 150 g;
- milk – 0.5 cups;
- flour – 150 g;
- salt, soda, vanilla extract and cinnamon - 1 teaspoon each;
- sugar – 75 g;
- salt - a pinch;
- butter in dough – 50 ml;
- prunes – 500 g;
- brandy – 80 ml;
- raisins – 150 g;
- sugar – 0.5 cups;
- ground cloves - 1 pinch.
Preparation
- Mix molasses, 175 g of butter, milk, eggs and separately flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves.
- Combine the two mixtures, add prunes, raisins, and brandy.
- Place the mass in a pudding mold and cook in a steam bath for 2 hours.
- For vanilla sauce, mix sugar, butter, vanilla and 30 ml of brandy with a mixer.
- The pudding is cooled slightly, dusted with powder and served with sauce.
Kvass from molasses - recipe
If you have dark molasses, you can understand what it is by following the recipe for making kvass at home. As a basic component, you will need rye bread, which must be cut into small pieces and additionally thoroughly dried on a baking sheet in the oven or in another accessible way.
Ingredients:
- rye bread – 600 g;
- boiling water – 6 l;
- dark molasses – 600 g;
- liquid yeast - 2 tbsp. spoons;
- flour – 1 tbsp. spoon;
- raisin.
Preparation
- The bread is poured with boiling water and left to cool to a temperature of 40 degrees.
- Strain the base, add yeast mixed with flour, and leave in a warm place for a day.
- Pour kvass with molasses into bottles, add a few raisins, and place in the cold for 2 days.
Moonshine from molasses - recipe
The following recipe will be of interest to supporters. Instead of traditional sugar, when preparing mash, molasses is used, which should be mixed until dissolved with warm purified water. With dark molasses the alcohol becomes strong, but requires additional purification to get rid of the pungent odor.
Ingredients:
- molasses – 10 l;
- yeast – 250 g;
- water – 25 l.
Preparation
- Mix molasses and water.
- Yeast is added and the mash is left to ferment in a warm place for a week.
- Moonshine is obtained from molasses by double distillation of ripened mash.
- The drink can be purified if desired.
Beer with maltose molasses - recipe
Molasses in beer increases the density of the drink, making its taste more harmonious and correct. The component should initially be completely dissolved in water, and then start cooking the mixture. Bay leaves and cinnamon are optional ingredients and only add additional rich flavor notes to the finished drink.
Ingredients:
- molasses – 2 kg;
- water – 30 l;
- ginger – 40 g;
- hops – 50 g;
- brewer's yeast – 50 g;
- cinnamon – 10 g;
- laurel – 2-3 pcs.
Preparation
- Dilute molasses in water and cook for 40 minutes.
- Stir in ginger and boil for another 20 minutes.
- Add laurel, cinnamon and hops to the base, cover with a lid, and leave to cool to room temperature.
- Yeast is diluted in a small portion of the base, added to a common container, and left for 3 days or until the end of the fermentation process.
- The drink is bottled and refrigerated for 5-7 days.
What can you substitute for molasses in a recipe?
Many will be interested in finding out how to replace molasses when they encounter an ingredient in a recipe and do not have it in stock.
- Light molasses can be replaced with honey or invert syrup.
- Burnt sugar can be used instead of dark molasses.
Molasses is a fast carbohydrate, a product of enzymatic or incomplete acid hydrolysis of potato or corn starch.
Molasses or maltodextrin consists of maltose (2 glucose molecules), maltotriose (3 glucose molecules) and dextrin, which is several glucose molecules. The substance is made by breaking down plant starch with the help of enzymes that divide the long chain of glucose into fragments consisting of dextrins.
It is a cream or pure white powder, highly soluble in water, with a sweetish taste. Technically, molasses is not a sugar, which allows manufacturers to include the substance in their products and label them as “sugar-free.” However, the glycemic index of molasses is very high, reaching, depending on the method of its production, 136, which indicates the absence of advantages of this product over other carbohydrates. In fact, maltodextrin has similar properties - high calorie content, rapid absorption, increased insulin secretion - as confectionery products.
There are white (starch) and black (beet sugar) molasses.
Application of molasses
Molasses is approved for use in the food industry, being considered an absolutely safe component for human health. It is used in the production of a wide range of products: confectionery, canned fruit and berries, beer, soft drinks, sauces, ice cream, some types of bread (Tartu, Riga, Minsk, Oryol, Borodino), sports nutrition.
The ability of molasses to delay crystallization and increase the solubility of sucrose determines its widespread use in the canning industry.
In ice cream production, maltodextrin lowers the freezing point, increasing the hardness of the product.
The use of molasses in small quantities determines the color of the product, in large quantities - the viscosity and taste of dough products.
When adding molasses to the product:
- Increases the degree of viscosity of the mass;
- Has the effect of emulsification, thickening;
- Suspends the processes of natural color change of the product;
- Acts as a leavening agent or forming agent;
- Increases the energy value of the product;
- Improves the solubility of mixtures;
- Forms homogeneity of the product structure;
- Simplifies the process of adding various ingredients to the composition in minimal dosages - flavors, dyes, vitamins, etc.
- Reduces the water absorption properties of the product.
Calorie content and composition of molasses
Chemical composition of molasses: dextrin (0-70%), maltose (19-85%), glucose (0-50%). The calorie content of the product is 296-316 kcal/100 grams of product. Of them:
- Protein - 0 g;
- Fat - 0.3 g;
- Carbohydrates - 78.3 g.
From a medical point of view, molasses contains such important substances for the body as potassium, phosphorus (48 mg), sodium (80 mg), calcium (25 mg), magnesium (13 mg), and iron (1.2 mg).
The harm of molasses
The main harm of molasses is a sharp rise in blood sugar levels, the excess of which is quickly converted into fatty tissue. The high calorie content of the product poses a threat to the health of people suffering from diabetes and obesity.
In some cases, allergic reactions to the original product are possible.
Many gingerbread recipes say that gingerbread cookies are baked with molasses - it gives them a unique, special taste and aroma.
So what is molasses, can you make it at home?..
Molasses is not made from sugar. This is a different product. Although sometimes various sugar-containing syrups are also called molasses.
Syrup (dextrine maltose, maltodextrin) is a product of incomplete acid (dilute acids) or enzymatic hydrolysis of starch. The most commonly used starch is potato and corn (maize) starch. It is used in the confectionery and canning industries, as well as for the production of dressings.
Chemical composition of molasses:
- dextrin - from 0% to 70%
- glucose - from 0% to 50%
- maltose - from 19% to 85%
Molasses is used in the making of gingerbread and some types of bread. When added in small quantities it determines the color, in large quantities it determines the taste and viscosity of dough products. This is why molasses is so important in gingerbread. Certain types of molasses are used in the production of ice cream and frozen desserts to lower the freezing point of the product.
You can prepare molasses in different ways
1) You can use oil of vitriol and turn any of the starches into sugar, and not necessarily potato, you can use wheat or any other.
2) Molasses is also obtained by boiling the juice of berries, vegetables - any fruits that contain a lot of sugary substances. Suitable for this (in addition to apples and pears): currants, gooseberries, cloudberries and other berries.
In both cases, it initially turns out molasses, that is, thick juice-syrup, and only then some people extract sugar from molasses. You can use, for example, apples or pears, and pear molasses is valued higher than apple molasses.
According to the first method, molasses is most often obtained from potato starch, because it is cheaper than others and is pure, giving molasses without any aftertaste. But the same method is used to prepare molasses from other types of starch.
There is another type of molasses, which is made from grapes in the Caucasus - called musales.
Molasses is prepared from starch by saccharification (hydrolysis). It has a thick, viscous consistency and is colorless or pale yellow. Molasses is not widely used in cooking. She's being used mainly in the confectionery industry and added to syrups with a high sugar content to protect them from sugaring.
Molasses is added when making lipstick, jelly, etc.; it can be replaced with invert syrup or glucose; Instead of 1 kg of molasses, take 1.1 kg of invert syrup.
Fruit molasses
This is how fruit molasses is prepared.
Ripe fruits or berries are crushed in a large container as finely as possible. The resulting mass is placed in a bag and placed under a press or otherwise squeezed out all the juice. I don’t know if you can use a juicer here?..
It is necessary to add freshly slaked lime dissolved in water to the juice in such an amount that all the acid disappears from the juice. It is better to do this in the evening and leave the juice and lime until the morning. In the morning, carefully drain the clear juice from the sediment, which should not have any traces of acid. This stage, to be honest, is a little scary - how much and how to add lime is still unclear?
The juice is filtered through cheesecloth, poured into a boiling container and boiled for 3-6 hours over low heat, constantly skimming off the foam. During boiling, the juice is filtered another 2-3 times through bone char to clear it of turbidity. To do this, the boiling has to be interrupted for a short time.
If you boil the juice 2-3 times (so that out of 3 bottles of juice there are 1-1.5 bottles left), you will get a liquid syrup that can be used for making berry jams.
If you boil the juice 4-5 times, you get thick brown molasses, which can replace sugar and is well preserved in barrels.
Starch syrup
Making molasses without acid requires more attention. But you can do without acid and chalk, and get very good molasses, even if it is poorly purified. This molasses is prepared using barley malt. Best of all - in a Russian oven; Without an oven, it’s difficult to maintain the temperature.
Pour water into a large cauldron or pot, heated enough to handle by hand, and add crushed malt. After this, we place the pot on the edge of the stove or at the very mouth of the Russian stove, on a pole, so that the liquid heats up to 50-60 degrees. Pour in the starch mixed in warm water, stir well and leave the pot on the hot stove for 7-8 hours. You need to monitor with a thermometer lowered into the liquid so that it does not heat up above 60 degrees.
At first the mash will be cloudy and thick, but after half an hour it will become as clear as water. After 7-8 hours of quiet heating, taste the liquid. At first, the taste of the liquid will be slightly sweet and nauseating, then the sweetness will appear more and more. By the end, the taste of the liquid will become pleasantly sweet and only slightly reminiscent of the taste of malt.
After this, filter the liquid through a canvas, mix with bone charcoal (1 spool of coal per 1 pound of starch or 4 1/3 grams of coal per 410 grams of starch) to destroy the taste of malt, stir, pour into the kettle and boil over high heat until the liquid thickened a little.
Pour the thickened liquid into a bucket and let it settle from the coal. Then drain from the sediment, pour into the boiler and boil to the desired thickness.
To process 10 pounds of starch you need one and a half buckets of water and 1 pound of green or white malt (or one and a half pounds of spring malt). In this case, from 10 pounds of starch you will get 15 pounds of thick and sweet molasses.
