Honey vs. Molasses – What’s The Difference?

Honey has been around for about 5500 years now. Various ancient civilizations have used it. It is primarily obtained from the nectar of the flowers which insects make. Honey serves different purposes, from medicinal to therapeutic. There is various honey available that come from different flower sources. The most commonly used honey is the one that is obtained from bees.

On the other hand, molasses is a byproduct that comes from the sugar industry. Molasses is manufactured and contain sugar cane juice and sugar beet. Molasses also has various types, and it depends primarily on the grade of refinement and boiling.

Moreover, molasses is used as a food product, but it is also an ingredient in cattle feed and soil fertilizers. Both of them are linked with health benefits and potential side effects. They are both widely used as a sweetener in baking and beverages.

Both honey and molasses are sweet; however, honey is comparatively lighter and has a floral taste, while molasses have a smokier and warmer taste. This article will compare the similarities and differences between the two in-depth.

Honey

Honey has been around for a long time and has been widely used by various civilizations. Both humans and animals have been in love with honey since civilization. Honey is primarily made by working bees and placed in beehives.

It is a sweet thick syrup and loved by all creatures having a sweet tooth. Honey is known to stay fresh as long as it is not exposed to air and moisture and is pure. Honey varies depending on the kind of flower it is extracted from and made commercially.

Honey serves food-related products, but it also serves widely medicinal purposes. It goes well without a doubt with tea, dessert or toast. But here, the question arises of how exactly it is made?

Nectar is obtained by bees from flowers and returned to the hive stored in an extra stomach. It then mixes with special enzymes, which makes it spoil-proof. Bees then deposit honey in liquid form into their honeycombs.

Over time water is evaporated, and honey comes in the form of a thick liquid which we know now. Two things differentiate honey: the kind of flower it is obtained from, and the other is how it is processed. This has effects on flavor consistency and color of honey.

Nutritional Facts

A serving of 100 grams of honey include:

• Total calories are 304 kcal
• Total Fat is 0 g
• Saturated fat is 0 g
• Cholesterol is 0 mg
• Sodium is 4 mg
• Potassium is 52 mg
• Total Carbohydrate is 82 g
• Dietary fiber is 0.2 g
• Sugar is 82 g
• Protein is 0.3 g

Health Benefits

Honey has various plant-based chemicals that are known to work as anti-oxidants. These chemicals work to protect you from radical cell damage. Honey also has polyphenols which help prevent various heart-related diseases.

Studies have also shown that it prevents bacteria and fungus in the body. This is because they have hydrogen peroxide, which works as an anti-septic. Honey is also known to reduce wound healing time and prevent infection.

Honey is also known for its benefits against various digestive problems, especially diarrhea. It is also used to remedy sore throat mixed with hot water or tea. Moreover, honey is also used to counter cough.

Molasses

Sugar beets or sugar cane are crushed to obtain their juice to make sugar. Then it is left to boil until the juice forms sugar crystals. As a result, molasses is obtained, primarily the liquid removed from that juice.

When this sugar juice is first boiled a light molasses is obtained, this is known to be the sweetest but lightest in color and flavor. This is the most commonly used as it works as a good sweetener and does not affect the flavor and recipe too much.

With every succeeding boiling process, the product becomes darker bitterer and thicker. A well-balanced molasses, which is relatively sweet yet bitter, is obtained from the second boiling process of the juice.

This is known as dark molasses. Then there is the last boiling process which makes molasses exceptionally dark and has the least flavor. It has the bitterest taste of any molasses. The flavor in this type of molasses is almost burnt, and it is not as sweet.

Furthermore, molasses can be either sulfured or not. The sulfured product has an extended life and lasts for more months. However, it is known to leave a chemical taste in your mouth. Molasses has a similar taste to sugar but are also known to have a smokier taste.

They are widely used in baking sauces beverages and as a sweetening agent in any food product. It goes well with cinnamon and ginger and is also extensively used with meat. It is also known for its nutritional value and minerals.

Nutritional Facts

A serving of 100 grams of molasses include:

• Total calories are 290
• Total Fat is 0.1 g
• Saturated fat is 0 g   
• Cholesterol is 0 mg
• Sodium is 37 mg
• Potassium is 1,464 mg
• Total Carbohydrates are 75 g
• Dietary fiber is 0 g
• Sugar is 75 g
• Protein is 0 g

Health Benefits

Molasses is also known for their health benefits, especially black straps. This is the product obtained after boiling molasses three times in a row. This type of molasses is a great source of iron, and so it greatly helps to treat iron deficiency.

Blackstrap molasses works as a dietary fiber and greatly helps treat constipation in children. They also are known to work as anti-oxidants which helps cure anemia and protect your cells from free radical damage and keeps the gene younger and stronger.

So, What’s the Difference Between Honey and Molasses?

Concluding the above-mentioned articles into key points:

1. First of all, both are used as sweeteners in baking products. Both of them are known to have different tastes and colors.
2. Honey is comparatively lighter and has a fruitier taste. On the other hand, molasses is heavier and have a more bitter taste.
3. Molasses is also relatively higher in vitamins like calcium, potassium and zinc. Moreover, they are richer in magnesium when compared with honey.
4. Honey is higher in calories, especially carbs, yet low in fats; on the other hand, molasses is low in calories but high in sugar.

Sources:

• Foodsguy
• Foodstruct
• Nationalviews