molasses in recipes...

[keriann_forgoodthistime]

Ok - so I have a question. I have seen a few recipes on Linda's site that call for blackstrap molasses.
Normally it's like 1/2 tsp - or something as insignificant as that.

my question is (and i'm too lazy to google, plus this might be beneficial knowledge to others, lol) - molasses is basically pure sugar.

if it's in a recipe and it's ONLY like 1/2 tsp - spread over 6 servings - obviously it's NOT going to make an impact...but do you all use it? have you done these recipes exactly "as is" WITH the molasses?

Luckily(?), we actually have some in our cupboard as I think dh used it for something a long time ago...so it's not like I have to go buy any, just to use 1/2 tsp...

Is it lower on the glycemic index? Is that why it is used in some low-carb recipes?

Just asking what you guys think!

[mizski]

Great question...I was wondering about that too. I left it out when I made the jicama "apples" because I was on Induction.

[liv]

Since it is sugar. And sugar is ...well sugar I have so far just avoided it or used artificial instread if I thought the sweetener was needed. I think the idea is to blend some blackstrap and maybe artificial sweetener to get some kind of brown sugar effect going. Dana Carpender thinks so in the low carb cookbooks she has publiehed. Also it is supposed to be healthy with some minerals and stuff in it (compared to normal sugar which is not). But the bottom line is that it is still sugar no matter how you dice and slice it.

[imagood1]

I made a recipe a couple weeks ago that called for molasses and just put half of what it called for in the dish - the reason I even added it was because the family was going to be eating it (not me).

[SunnySmile501]

Molasses is very healthy for a sugar. If you are going to use any kind of real sugar, then molasses would be the way to go. It is super high in potassium. Regular table sugar is actually anti-nutrient, with no redeeming value.

Brown sugar is white sugar with molasses added. Dark brown sugar just has more molasses. Linda and Dana use it with "white" artificial sweeteners to give the flavor of brown sugar. I don't think a 1/2 teaspoon in six servings would have much of an impact. It would be no different than all those ingredients that have some dextrose, like iodized salt--dextrose is sugar lite.

I take care of the whole thing by buying Diabeti Sweet brown sugar substitute. I don't use it very often, but you can't tell it from brown sugar. It has zero glycemic response.

[not2late]

Black strap molasses is healthy and people prefer it due to its nutritional benefits. It contains 16.6% of your RDA for iron, 11.8 % for calcium, and 6% for potassium. HOWEVER, to get that RDA you need to eat 2 teaspoons of it.

1/2 teaspoon spread out over 6 servings ain't gonna give you those health benefits. So for those recipes the use of the black strap molasses has probably less to do with nutrition and more to do with taste and appearance.

[keriann_forgoodthistime]

Awesome! Thank you guys! Actually - after I did a google search, I saw that it was actually a "healthy sugar"...

I'm using it - I see no problem with 1/2 tsp in the marinade I'm using it for. So we'll see tonight how my Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes Almost Bourbon Chicken turns out.

I told DH to bring home some rice, if he wants it - and I think I'm actually going to go get a jicama and try making fries out of it. :P

[mizski]

Originally Posted by not2late

So for those recipes the use of the black strap molasses has probably less to do with nutrition and more to do with taste and appearance.

From what I found out from making the jicama apple recipe w/o the molasses, it definitely lacked that brown sugar taste. I think that was the purpose of the molasses. I was just afraid to use it during Induction.

[Elizellen]

Originally Posted by keriann_forgoodthistime

I told DH to bring home some rice, if he wants it - and I think I'm actually going to go get a jicama and try making fries out of it. :P

Or you could use cauliflower and make 'caulirice' to serve the dish with. My hubby actually prefers caulirice to 'real rice'

[keriann_forgoodthistime]

Originally Posted by Elizellen

Or you could use cauliflower and make 'caulirice' to serve the dish with. My hubby actually prefers caulirice to 'real rice'

Yeah - I've tried the cauliflower rice and I think maybe I just didn't make it the right way...but obviously "rice" "goes" with bourbon chicken. lol

I think Linda has a mock "fried" cauliflower rice I may try - or I'll just stick with the jicama...we shall see.
It's either on Linda's website or it's a chleocatra recipe - I don't remember, it's on my hard drive at home somewhere, I think. :P

I know I really want to try the jicama sometime too. I bought one about 2 weeks ago but didn't realize it would go bad, as I tried using it yesterday...there was some mold on it and when I peeled it it was brown...so that's def. a lesson learned! lol. :P