Are Sorghum & Molasses the Same Thing?

Molasses comes in different varieties based on how it was processed. Other sweeteners often bear a label of molasses, but they are based on foods other than cane or beet sugar. Sorghum molasses is made from a grain and is not the same as plain molasses.

Origin

Molasses is a byproduct of sugar production, usually from cane or beet sugar. Sorghum molasses is a syrup made by pressing the cane-like stalks and boiling the juice of the sorghum plant.

Sorghum Plant

Sorghum is a cereal grain native to Africa and grown in the midwestern United States. Sweet sorghum, sometimes called sorgo, can also be grown for silage. The plant is drought-tolerant and grows well in dry regions.

Uses

Practically Edible notes sorghum is a relative of sugarcane, though sorghum is sweeter than regular molasses. One may be substituted for the other, though the darker molasses can change a food’s final color. Don’t substitute sorghum for blackstrap molasses or vice versa.

Clean Up Molasses

Typically used to sweeten baked goods with its sweet and tangy flavor, molasses is a thick syrup made from clarified and evaporated sugar cane juice. This dark viscous treat may make delicious desserts, but if it spills onto your floors or fabrics while baking with it, it can take some work to remove the sticky syrup. Treat molasses stains on clothing with an enzymatic stain remover or white vinegar and soak them in warm water for 30 minutes to loosen the sticky syrup before laundering them as you normally would. Stains on carpets can be sponged with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of ammonia and 1/2 cup of warm water, recommends Good Housekeeping.