Kitchen Dictionary: molasses

The left over liquid when extracting the sugar from boiled sugar cane and sugar beets. Light molasses is from the first boiling. Dark molasses is from the second boiling. Blackstrap molasses is from the third boiling -- it is somewhat bitter, and only slightly more nutritious than the other varieties. Sorghum molasses is produced from sorghum. Less expensive than sugar, molasses was the primary sweetener used in America until after World War I. The choice of names for this sugar syrup seem to reflect regional language preferences rather than any major differences. In the US, "molasses" is the preferred term while in the UK, "treacle" is used.

Ingredient

Season: available year-round

Matches well with: apples, beans, gingerbread, walnuts

Substitutions: 1 cup molasses = 1 cup honey or 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar or 1 cup dark corn syrup or 1 cup pure maple syrup