Molasses and barbecue

By JOE O'CONNELL, cbbqa past President 

Traditional barbecue often uses molasses.  Molasses can be found in many brines, rubs (to hold the rub in place), injections, bastes, glazes and sauces.  Barbecue cooks who use molasses should be familiar with the various types of molasses which are available.

Sugar, of course, if produced from sugar cane and sugar beets.  The extraction of sugar uses a process of refinement in which the sugar cane or sugar beets are pressed, to squeeze out the juice.  The juice is then boiled until it is very thick.  Then sugar crystals are extracted from the syrup.  Molasses is produced from what remains after the sugar crystals are removed.

Light molasses

When the syrup is boiled the first time, the lightest liquid is drained from the top -- this is the light molasses.

Light molasses is light in color and has a mild, sweet taste.  It is often used as a pancake and waffle syrup.

Dark molasses

After the first boiling and removal of the light molasses, the syrup is boiled again, and the lightest liquid is drained from the top -- this is the dark molasses.  

Dark molasses is much darker and thicker than light molasses, and the taste is less sweet.  Dark molasses is used in recipes such as Boston baked beans.

Blackstrap molasses

After the second boiling and removal of the dark molasses, the syrup is boiled a third time, and the thick liquid which remains is called bootstrap molasses, which are the dregs of the barrel. 

Bootstrap molasses is very dark, very thick, and almost bitter.  Bootstrap molasses is rarely used in recipes, although it is sold in health food stores for its supposed nutritional properties.  Most bootstrap molasses, however, is used as cattle food.

Sulphur

Sulphur is sometimes used in processing molasses.  Sulphured molasses tends to be heavier and sweeter, while unsulphured molasses is lighter and has more of the vegetation (plant) taste.

Treacle

In England, molasses is called treacle.

According to Epicurious, "blackstrap is not a nutritional panacea.  In truth, it's only fractionally richer than the other types of molasses in iron, calcium and phosphorus and many of its minerals are not assimilable."