How Is Molasses Produced?

Molasses is produced as a by-product during the processing of sugar cane or sugar beet into sugar. It is also known as treacle. During the processing of green sugar cane, treating with sulphur dioxide fumes, in order to extract sugar from it, sulphur molasses is derived. At first, the juice is extracted from the sugar cane by the method of crushing or smashing. Next the juice is boiled to crystallize the sugar concentration. This results in the production of first molasses which has a high content of sugar in it. Again the juice is boiled and sugar is extracted, and as a result, second molasses is produced. This is slightly bitter in taste. When it is boiled for the third time, it produces blackstrap molasses. It has vitamin, mineral, calcium, magnesium and iron in it. Blackstrap is available in the market as a health-food supplement.

The processing of molasses from sugar beet is quite different from the sugar cane. Unlike the different level of derivatives achieved during sugar cane processing, the liquid derived from final crystallization phase is considered as molasses in the case of sugar beet processing. The intermediary liquids are known as high green and low green which are recycled into the processing in order to maximize the quality and quantity of the finalized product. Beet molasses contains sucrose, glucose and fructose.