How to Extract Molasses
Molasses is a sweet, sticky and surprisingly healthy by-product of sugar cane processing. Sugar beets and sorghum are also sources of molasses, both with similar extraction methods. Aside from its use as a sweetening agent, molasses is a rich source of calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium, making it a healthy alternative to other sweeteners. While the process of extracting molasses has long been efficiently industrialized, it can also be done the old-fashioned way with relatively few tools and and minimal labor.
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Things You'll Need
- Sugar cane
- Large, strong blades (knives, cleavers or machetes)
- Mortar
- Boiling pans
- Furnace
- Heavy cloth bag
Instructions
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1
Harvest the sugar cane, cutting it down as close to the ground as possible. The cane closest to the ground is the richest in juice. Remove the leaves by cutting off the top.
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2
Crush the cane thoroughly in the mortar. This will produce a large quantity of juice, which will form the basis for your molasses. Separate the cane pulp for use as fertilizer.
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3
Pour the juice into the boiling pans. Boil it over your furnace until it takes on a mildly dark colored, glutinous consistency.
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4
Pour the new substance into the cloth bag and strain it through the bottom by applying pressure from the top. This filtration will result in crude "first molasses." At this stage the molasses is at its sweetest and mildest, since it still contains considerable amounts of sucrose.
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5
Repeat the boiling and filtration process once more to create a darker, thicker and less sweet "second molasses." A third and final round can be undertaken to create what is known as blackstrap molasses. This is the darkest and thickest form, due to the remaining sugar caramelizing. Blackstrap molasses also contains the most minerals.
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Tips & Warnings
Milk and alkaline solution are sometimes added to molasses during the second round of boiling.
References
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