There was a question on Jeopardy the other day, which I can't remember, but the answer was . . .
Blackstrap Molasses
As you know, I avoid all processed sugar. Why? Because if you have ever seen RAW cane sugar you know it is NOT white. So how do they make it white? They add bleach and ammonia to the PROCESS. And they don't have to tell you because it is part of the PROCESS and not labeled as an added Ingredient.
I remember as a child my grandmother kept Molasses and/or Blackstrap Molasses in her kitchen cupboard. She used it in cakes, cookies and to make homemade pancake syrup. So what is the difference?
First Molasses is made from mature raw sugar cane. It is boiled to reduce it to a syrup consistency. Similar to what we do to make other sauces rich and delectable.
To make Blackstrap Molasses you simply boil the syrup a third time. Reducing it and enhancing the richness and sweetness of the raw sugar cane.
You will find a choice of sulphured or un-sulphured molasses. Sulphured simply means they used younger less mature sugar cane and needed to add sulfur dioxide as a preservative. More mature sugar cane does not need a preservative. Obviously I will choose the UN-SULPHURED. You know I don't like preservatives. And as my friend Denise says, "The more preservatives it has the quicker it will kill you."
How long can you keep it on the shelf? Some say one year -- some say 10 years. As always . . . YOU do the research and you decided for yourself.
In addition to the wonderful dark rich sweetness of Molasses there are health benefits too. Nutrition Information from WebMD
Many people use blackstrap molasses in place of refined sugars for health reasons. It is lower on the glycemic index than conventional sweeteners, which means it won't spike your blood sugar as much.
This makes blackstrap molasses a great alternative for people working to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
A tablespoon of blackstrap molasses has:
60 Calories
1 gram of protein
0 grams of fat
14 grams of carbohydrates
Less than 1 gram of fiber
10 grams of sugar
Blackstrap molasses are also a significant source of: Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium and Vitamin B6.
I found similar nutrition information for un-sulphured blackstrap molasses, on Nutrition Data from Self Magazine. Their measurements were slightly different. To compare you need to know, 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses is equal to 20 grams.
As with all things use in moderation.
From your friend in the kitchen, Judy
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