Surely every mistress in her life at least once came across such a word as "molasses." But only far from everyone knows what this strange product looks like. After all, we do not eat it in its pure form, and also hardly notice on
store shelves. So
what is molasses in fact and where is it used?
This substance is obtained as a result of partial acidic or enzymatic hydrolysis of starch in combination with sugar. Typically, potato or corn is used to make molasses. It is from these vegetables that the main ingredient, starch, is obtained. The taste of molasses is much sweeter than sugar itself. And the calorie content of this product is very impressive - in 100 grams as much as 316 kcal. Buying molasses is not so easy. It is usually not sold in standard grocery supermarkets. However, molasses is often sold by companies associated with the manufacture of bakery products.
What is molasses in reality? Outwardly, it looks like a viscous and thick syrup of dark color, although the shade may be different. It all depends on what ingredients were used to prepare this variety of molasses.
The main advantage of this product is profitability. Instead of a kilogram of sugar, you need only 750 g of molasses. By consistency, it resembles a young honey.
If you are interested in the question of what is molasses, then it is certainly necessary to mention the areas in which it is used. For example, this product is very widely used for making beer. Despite the sweetness of molasses, it actively contributes to the fermentation process. In cooking, we are talking about the preparation of gingerbread, ice cream, various desserts, as well as butter products. Molasses is able to significantly lower the freezing point of the product. Therefore, frozen desserts are also prepared with its insignificant addition.
How to replace molasses if you still could not get it? Here, ordinary honey is quite useful. In addition, you can use sugar or caramel syrup. By their properties, they, of course, are somewhat inferior to molasses. However, the basic functions are quite capable of replacing.
What is molasses in terms of benefits to the body? This is a real storehouse of some trace elements. It contains phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, iron, calcium, as well as potassium. So that the energy reserves of the human body are not depleted, regular use of molasses is necessary, at least in small quantities. However, we already do this using various purchased sweets. On their labels, this ingredient will be indicated.
As for the harm of molasses, science cannot give concrete examples. However, there is always a risk of an individual intolerance to a product by the body. Simply put, you may have a severe allergic reaction. Therefore, if you suffer similar to honey or sugar syrups, then it’s clearly not worth the risk and consume molasses. In addition, it is necessary to abandon it and people with diabetes. Elevated blood sugar is the main contraindication for molasses.