most of the folks out here use food grade molasses made from sugar cane, pretty good stuff, but it's a basic cane plant, I use sugar beet molasses, a much more complex vegetable. with more mineral's and trace element's by far. its' the one miracle grow product I use, I have already done the research and looked at metal's content on the mssds web site it's organic and only one metal is present in any quantity and that's zinc. it's called organic choice all pourpose plant food. pure sugar beet molasses
A little more here on sugar beet molasses http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molasses
Cane molasses[edit]
To make molasses, sugar cane is harvested and stripped of leaves. Often the fields of cane are set on fire to burn off the leaves and drive out the snakes that seem to enjoy this habitat. Its juice is extracted usually by cutting, crushing or mashing. The juice is boiled to concentrate it, promoting sugar crystallization. The result of this first boiling is called first syrup, and it has the highest sugar content. First syrup is usually referred to in the Southern states of the US as "cane syrup", as opposed to molasses. Second molasses is created from a second boiling and sugar extraction, and has a slight bitter taste. The third boiling of the sugar syrup yields blackstrap molasses, known for its robust flavor.[6] The term blackstrap molasses is an Americanism dating from around 1875.[7] The majority of sucrose from the original juice has been crystallised and removed. The food energy of blackstrap molasses is mostly from the small remaining sugar content.[8] However, unlike refined sugars, it contains trace amounts of vitamins and significant amounts of several minerals. Blackstrap molasses has long been sold as a health supplement. It is used for producing ethyl alcohol for industry and as an ingredient in cattle feed. Blackstrap molasses is significantly more bitter than "regular" molasses.
Cane molasses is a common ingredient in baking and cooking.[9][where?]
Sugar beet molasses[edit]
Molasses made from sugar beets differs from sugarcane molasses. Only the syrup left from the final crystallization stage is called molasses; intermediate syrups are called high green and low green, and these are recycled within the crystallization plant to maximize extraction. Beet molasses is 50% sugar by dry weight, predominantly sucrose, but contains significant amounts of glucose and fructose. Beet molasses are limited in biotin (vitamin H or B7) for cell growth; hence, it may be supplemented with a biotin source. The non-sugar content includes many salts, such as calcium, potassium, oxalate, and chloride. It contains betaine and the trisaccharide raffinose. These are as a result of concentration from the original plant material or chemicals in processing, and make it unpalatable to humans. Hence it is mainly used as an additive to animal feed (called "molassed sugar beet feed") or as a fermentation feedstock.[citation needed]
It is possible to extract additional sugar from beet molasses through molasses desugarization. This exploits industrial-scale chromatography to separate sucrose from non-sugar components. The technique is economically viable in trade-protected areas, where the price of sugar is supported above market price. As such, it is practiced in the US.[10] and parts of Europe. Molasses is also used for yeast production.
Vitamins in Molasses
How to Substitute for Ingredients Containing Molasses
What Is the Difference Between Blackstrap Molasses & Unsulphured Molasses?
Nutritional Content of Sugar Beets
Beets and Estrogen
What Are the Benefits of Beet & Apple Juice?
Beet Juice & Weight Loss
How to Make Belgian Waffles From Pancake Mix
Does Heating Blackstrap Molasses Kill the Nutrients?
The Calories in 100 Grams of Sugar
Cane vs. Beet Sugar Nutrition
Soluble Fiber & Beets
Why Are Beets Good for You?
