molasses

molasses
/meuh las"iz/, n.
a thick syrup produced during the refining of sugar or from sorghum, varying from light to dark brown in color.
[1575-85; earlier molassos, molasso(e)s < Pg melaços, pl. of MELAÇO ( < LL mellacium half-boiled new wine, for *mellaceum, neut. of *mellaceus honeylike, equiv. to mell-, s. of mel honey + -aceus -ACEOUS)]

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▪ agricultural product
also called  Treacle,  

      syrup remaining after sugar (sugar beet) is crystallized out of cane or beet juice. Molasses syrup is separated from sugar crystals by means of centrifuging. Molasses is separated from the sugar crystals repeatedly during the manufacturing process, resulting in several different grades of molasses; that obtained from the first extraction contains more sugar, tastes sweeter, and is lighter in colour than molasses obtained at the second or third extractions. The third and final extraction yields blackstrap molasses, a heavy, viscous, dark-coloured product that has had all the sugar removed from it that can be separated practically by ordinary crystallization.

      The lighter grades of molasses made from sugarcane are edible and are used in baking and candy-making and to make rum. Blackstrap and other low grades of cane molasses are used in mixed animal feed and in the industrial production of vinegar, citric acid, and other products. The molasses obtained from sugar beets has a very low sugar content and is generally inedible. Before 1948 molasses was fermented to make industrial ethyl alcohol, which is now made principally from ethylene, thus decreasing the demand for molasses.

      Blackstrap molasses from cane is composed of roughly 55 percent sucrose and other sugars, 20 percent water, 15 percent organic nonsugars, and 10 percent ash.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Molasses — Mo*las ses, n. [F. m[ e]lasse, cf. Sp. melaza, Pg. mela[,c]o, fr. L. mellaceus honeylike, honey sweet, mel, mellis, honey. See {Mellifluous}, and cf. {Melasses}.] The thick, brown or dark colored, viscid, uncrystallizable sirup which drains from… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • molasses — (n.) 1580s, from Port. melaço, from L.L. mellaceum new wine, properly neuter of mellaceus resembling honey, from L. mel (gen. mellis) honey (see MELISSA (Cf. Melissa)). Adopted in English in plural form, but regarded as a singular noun …   Etymology dictionary

  • molasses — ► NOUN 1) a thick, dark brown liquid obtained from raw sugar during the refining process. 2) N. Amer. golden syrup. ORIGIN from Latin mellacium must , from mel honey …   English terms dictionary

  • molasses — [mə las′iz] n. [< Port melaço < LL mellaceum, must < L mellaceus, resembling honey < mel, honey: see MILDEW] a thick, usually dark brown syrup produced during the refining of sugar, or from sorghum, etc …   English World dictionary

  • Molasses — Not to be confused with molasse. Thick blackstrap molasses slowly pours from an overfilled spoon to a dish below. Molasses is a viscous by product of the processing of sugar cane, grapes or sugar beets into sugar. The word molasses comes from the …   Wikipedia

  • molasses — noun Etymology: modification of Portuguese melaço, from Late Latin mellaceum grape juice, from Latin mell , mel honey more at mellifluous Date: 1582 1. the thick dark to light brown syrup that is separated from raw sugar in sugar manufacture 2. a …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • molasses — [16] The etymological connections of molasses are with ‘honey’ rather than ‘sugar’. It comes via Portuguese melaço from late Latin mellāceum ‘fermenting grape juice, new wine’. This was a derivative of mel ‘honey’, source of English mellifluous… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • molasses — [[t]məlæ̱sɪz[/t]] N UNCOUNT Molasses is a thick, dark brown syrup which is produced when sugar is processed. It is used in cooking …   English dictionary

  • molasses n — There was a mamma mole, a papa mole, and a baby mole. They lived in a hole outside of a farm house out in the country. The papa mole reached his head out of the hole and said, Mmmmm, I smell sausage. The mama mole reached her head outside of the… …   English expressions

  • molasses — melasa statusas T sritis chemija apibrėžtis Sirupas, liekantis iškristalizavus cukrinių runkelių cukrų. atitikmenys: angl. molasses rus. меласса; свекловичная патока …   Chemijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

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