‘Slow as molasses’ describes the process of making syrup

Portuguese explorers, under the direction of Prince Henry the Navigator, established the first sugar cane plantations in the Madeira Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa. The territory became the world’s leading sugar producer by 1460.

 

The word “molasses” has Portuguese roots, deriving from “melaço,” which is a derivative of “mel” (honey). Molasses is a byproduct of the sugar refining process, the thick, dark syrup left after sugar crystals are extracted from sugarcane juice.

In Madeira, this sugar cane molasses is known as “mel de cana” (sugarcane honey), and it continues as a significant part of the traditional cuisine.

Portuguese sugar production later shifted to Brazil, and molasses became an important commodity in the colonial America.

 

What are the top brands of molasses in the United States? Tiffany Pelkey, creator of the Coconut Mama wellness website, offers her opinion.

 

She ranks Grandma’s Molasses as “best overall,” commenting: “If there’s one brand that has stood the test of time and taste buds, it’s Grandma’s. Perfect for gingerbread and baking, this dark molasses is a staple in many households. Grandma’s knows how to deliver sweetness without compromise.”

 

The brand has been around since 1890, and Grandma’s was once the flagship product of the American Molasses Company, which had a major sugar refinery in Wilmington, N.C.

The facility in Wilmington operated for more than 50 years (from about 1922-78), receiving sugar cane from Barbados and other islands in the Caribbean Sea. Locals still talk about the “distinctive aroma that once hovered over the Cape Fear River.”

The Grandma’s Molasses brand is still the king of the hill in U.S. market share. Grandma’s is now part of B&G Foods, based in Parsippany, N.J.

Pelkey’s choice for “best light molasses” is Brer Rabbit. The brand was established in New Orleans in 1907 by Penick & Ford, Ltd. The company selected the name in an effort to leverage the popularity of “Br’er Rabbit,” the clever trickster character from the “Uncle Remus” series of tales authored by Joel Chandler Harris.

 

Today, the Brer Rabbit Molasses brand is also owned by B&G Foods.

Pelkey said her pick for “best blackstrap molasses” is Plantation Blackstrap Molasses. 

The term “blackstrap molasses” is believed to have originated from the Dutch word “stroop,” meaning syrup, combined with the descriptive word “black” to denote its very dark color.

This dark color is a result of the repeated boiling and extraction process during sugar refining. The use of “blackstrap” first appeared in America around 1915, most sources agree.

“For those who prefer a thicker, less sweet, and more robust flavor (this product), is a fantastic option,” she said. “Ideal for savory dishes like baked beans and barbecue sauces, this brand  of blackstrap molasses adds a depth of flavor that takes your recipes to the next level.”

 

The Plantation brand is part of Lindo’s Group of Companies in Bermuda.

But when it comes to “best value” in molasses products, Pelkey gives the nod to Golden Barrel Molasses of Honey Brook, Pa. She wrote: “Golden Barrel Molasses offers a perfect balance of sweetness and depth; it’s the ideal companion for your dishes. Bake, cook and drizzle with confidence, all without breaking the bank.”

 

Golden Barrel is a division of the M. Simon Zook Company, also based in Honey Brook in Pennsylvania’s historic Lancaster County, which has a dominant Amish culture.

 

In 1934, during the Great Depression, M. Simon Zook, who was raised on an Old Order Amish farm in the Honey Brook community, decided early in life to leave the Amish lifestyle with a sixth-grade education.

 

At the age of 25, he began a business of traveling from farm to farm, grinding feed and baling hay. He was able to stay ahead of the competition by flying his airplane over the fields to see who was going to be ready to bale next. He would then arrive on their farm the next day ready to bale their hay.

Sources noted that as Zook’s business grew and diversified, he added cooking and baking supplies. The company’s experience with molasses blending led to almost 200 different liquid blends of various liquid sweeteners and syrups packed in retail, food service and bulk tanker loads.

 

In western North Carolina, Jason Davis, owner of North River Farms near Mills River in Henderson County, is on the clock.

He is looking forward to those cool mornings in late September when it’s time for the family to gather and make sorghum syrup.

The word “sorghum” probably comes from the Italian word “sorgo,” which itself likely comes from the Latin word “surgum.” It is possibly a variant of “syricum,” meaning “Syrian.” This suggests that the grain was originally associated with Syria and the surrounding region in West Asia.

“By August, we will begin to develop seed heads,” Jason Davis said. “We watch them go from green to orange then to a deep red.” 

“Once the cane is mature (deep red), we go in around September 15th and strip the fodder, leaving only head and stalk.”

“In five days, we go back and top the seed head and pick the stalk, by hand, to carry to the farm. Once at the farm, we press the stalk to squeeze the juice through filters and into an 80-gallon pan that sits on the wood-fired furnace.

“It takes about 6-7 hours to cook the juice from 80 gallons down to a finished product of 6-7 gallons.”

 

“To this day,” Davis said, “my favorite part is pouring out of the pan, then taste-testing our product on a hot biscuit!”

 

Here are Jason Davis, with his wife, Chae Davis, and their three sons. Mom says the boys love helping out on the family farm and learning everything there is to know about the agriculture of western North Carolina.