Molasses is a by-product of the cane sugar refining process. This clear and thick syrup is great for sweetening or flavoring certain dishes. It is used in a wide variety of recipes, for example to make certain types of biscuits, to give more flavor to legumes or pork. Generally, it is extracted from cane or sugar beets, but it can also be obtained from other ingredients such as sorghum and pomegranates.
Ingrediants
For the Sugar Beet Molasses
- 4 kg or more of sugar beets, finely chopped
- Half a liter of water
For sugar cane or sorghum molasses
Sugar cane or sorghum barrels
For the Pomegranate Molasses
- 6-7 large pomegranates or 1 liter of pomegranate juice
- 100 g of sugar
- 50ml lemon juice or one medium lemon
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Make Sugar Beet Molasses
Step 1. Prepare the beets
You should use at least four kilos if you want to get at least 300g of molasses. Take a sharp knife and cut off the top of the beets. If you want, you can keep the leaves and eat them cooked or salad, as they are really good. The next step is to wash the beets under warm running water. Clean them with a vegetable brush or a clean toothbrush to remove any dirt.
If you want to keep the leaves for later eating, close them in an airtight bag or container and store them in the refrigerator
Step 2. Cut the beets into thin slices
After washing them thoroughly, slice them with a sharp knife. You can use either a smooth blade or a serrated blade. If you prefer, you can also chop them with the food processor.
Slice the beets on a sturdy kitchen cutting board to avoid damaging the work surface below
Step 3. Cook the beets
After cutting them, transfer them to a saucepan and cover them with water. Turn on the stove over medium heat and cook them until tender. You can stick them with a fork to make sure they are soft enough. Turn them often as they cook to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
It is best to use a medium to large pot
Step 4. Separate the water from the beets
When they have softened, drain them with a colander. You will need to place it on top of a large bowl that can hold all the cooking water. At this point, you can use the sugar beets however you like. You can use them immediately for a recipe or store them in the refrigerator and consume them later.
If you want to eat them later, close them in an airtight container and try to use them as soon as possible
Step 5. Boil the water
Pour the cooking water from the beets into a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil. You will need to let it boil until it acquires the consistency of a thick syrup. At that point, turn off the stove and let the molasses cool.
- Let the molasses cool for at least 30 minutes.
- Use a spoon to check if the consistency of the syrup is right.
Step 6. Store the molasses
Once it has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container, then store it at room temperature; it should last up to 18 months. After opening the container, you will need to keep it in the refrigerator, but it may become too thick and hard to pour as it cools. Over time the top layer will begin to crystallize and become what is known as beet sugar. At the time of use, you will need to remove this surface layer.
- You can crush the beet sugar layer and store it in another airtight container for cooking.
- Label the molasses container indicating the preparation date. If the molasses becomes moldy or fermented, it means that it has gone bad and must be thrown away.
Method 2 of 3: Make Sugar Cane or Sorghum Molasses
Step 1. Select sorghum or sugar cane
The latter is the most used ingredient to obtain molasses, but you can use sorghum if you prefer. Many people use it as an alternative to sugarcane, as sugarcane only grows in tropical or subtropical climate zones. Sorghum, on the other hand, loves temperate climates, so it is often easier to find than sugar cane.
- Generally the sorghum harvest takes place in autumn, between the end of September and the beginning of October, to avoid the first frosts. It is clear that sorghum is ripe by observing the ear of seeds at the top of the stem: if it has taken on shades of gold or brown it means that it is ready to be harvested.
- Sugar cane is ready to harvest when the leaves dry out and turn yellow or brown. By that time, the structure of the plant should have weakened.
Step 2. Purchase or prepare the stems
Unless you bought them at the supermarket already cleaned, you will need to prepare the sorghum stalks or the sugarcane stems from the harvest. First, remove all the leaves using your hands or a sharp knife, then remove the seeds using the same knife or a machete. Finally, cut the stems as close to the ground as possible. At this point, line them vertically against a grid and let them dry for a week, then squeeze them using a special extractor. Place a large container under the extractor to collect the plant's juices.
- It's best to buy ready-made stems or juice if you don't have access to a suitable crop or juicer.
- You will likely need to cut the stems about 13-15cm above the ground to avoid soil contamination.
- Scraps, stems and pulp can be added to compost or stored for other uses.
Step 3. Filter the juices
Transfer them to a clean container and strain them using cheesecloth (or cheesecloth) to remove solid residues. After straining it, pour the liquid into a large pot.
The size required for the pot depends on the quantities. It will probably need to be at least 6 inches tall
Step 4. Put the pot on the stove and bring the liquid to a boil
When it boils, reduce the heat so that it simmers slowly but steadily. Let the juice boil for six hours, taking care to occasionally remove the green film that forms on the surface.
- Stir regularly during the six hours of cooking to prevent the syrup from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Remove the green patina that forms on the surface using a skimmer or colander.
Step 5. Turn off the stove
The syrup is ready when it changes color from green to yellow or when mixing it you realize that it has thickened and started to spin. At that point, turn off the stove and remove the pot from the heat. You can let it cool and then boil it again two or three times to make it thicken and darken further, thus turning it into molasses.
- It should be noted that what you get from the first boil is actually simple sorghum or sugar cane syrup. It is a more liquid and sweeter ingredient than molasses, so a second or third boil is required.
- White molasses is the product of the second boil. In addition to having a darker color than the syrup, it is denser, has a more intense flavor and is less sweet.
- Black molasses is the product of the third and final boil. It is the most valuable, dense, dark and least sweet variety of molasses.
Step 6. Put the molasses in the jars
When you are satisfied with the color and consistency achieved, pour the molasses into the jars while it is still hot; it is easier to pour at that temperature. Use only airtight containers. If you intend to use glass jars, heat them before filling them with the hot molasses, otherwise they may break. Store them at room temperature (or in a cool place) for up to 18 months.
Over time, the top layer will crystallize and become sugar. At the time of use, you will have to remove it by shattering it. If you want, you can store it in another airtight container for use in the kitchen
Method 3 of 3: Make Pomegranate Molasses
Step 1. Choose whether to use pomegranates or fruit juice
You can get molasses starting from whole pomegranates or from ready-made juice. Of course, the second option is the simplest because it doesn't require you to shell the fruits and squeeze the kernels. However, in both cases you will get the same result.
Any type of pomegranate juice can work. Simply make sure that it was actually made from the fruit squeezing and that no artificial flavors were used
Step 2. Open the pomegranates
You need 6 or 7. If you have decided to start with whole fruits, first you have to open them to extract the kernels. Locate the crown of the first pomegranate, then remove it with a small, pointed, sharp knife. At this point, cut the pomegranate to open it into wedges and gently remove the grains with your hands. Shell the fruit over a medium-sized bowl filled with water. Repeat the same steps for each pomegranate.
Place a sheet of newspaper under the pomegranate before cutting it with the knife to protect the surface underneath from the juice that could stain it
Step 3. Extract the juice from the beans
If you bought ready-made juice, you can skip this step entirely. Now the beans will be floating in the water of the bowl. Check that there are no pieces of membrane before draining them, then transfer them to a blender and blend them until you get a uniform puree. At that point, filter the puree using cheesecloth (or cheesecloth) and transfer the juice to a container.
You should have gotten at least a liter of juice
Step 4. Make a blend
Combine the pomegranate juice with the lemon and sugar. You need 100 g of sugar and 50 ml of lemon juice, which you can get by squeezing a medium-sized lemon. Mix the ingredients carefully.
Adding the sugar and lemon juice will make the molasses last longer. In addition, it gives it a sweet and at the same time acidulous note
Step 5. Pour the mixture into a saucepan
Place it on the stove and heat it over medium-high heat to bring the liquid to a boil. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat so it simmers slowly. Let the pomegranate juice cook for an hour.
Occasionally stir the ingredients as they continue to simmer gently to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot
Step 6. Check the result after one hour
Most of the liquids should have evaporated by this point. Don't worry if the molasses still looks a little liquid as it will thicken further as it cools. Remove the pot from the stove and let it cool.
Let the molasses cool for at least 30 minutes. Check from time to time to see if it has gotten cold
Step 7. Store the molasses
Pour it into the jars, then make sure they are sealed properly. Store them in the refrigerator for up to six months.
Molasses made from pomegranate juice makes a great salad dressing, but you can also use it to marinate meat, make a sauce or decorate your desserts
Advice
- Put the jar of molasses in a bowl filled with hot water if you find it is too thick for you to pour.
- White molasses goes best with desserts and salads, while black molasses is more suitable for savory dishes, such as meat or beans.
- You can tell if the molasses is fermented when you open the container: in case you feel gas leaking, don't eat it.
Warnings
- Check that the molasses hasn't fermented or molded before eating it.
- Always be cautious when handling knives and around boiling water.
- Make sure the ingredients are fresh before you start making molasses.
