Varieties of Molasses.—New Orleans Molasses.—The real New Orleans molasses is the product of the manufacture of sugar in the old-fashioned way in the open kettle and without the aid of vacuum pans. In this process the crystallization of the sugar does not take place during the boiling but the concentrated liquid is placed in tanks where the crystallization takes place. When this is complete it is broken up into small fragments and placed in a hogshead standing in an upright position, the bottom of which is perforated and covered with straw or fragments of sugar cane. When the hogshead is filled with the crystallized mixture, through the action of gravity the liquid portion gradually sinks and passes out at the bottom of the hogshead. This natural separation of the molasses makes a product of exquisite palatability and one of a character which it is difficult to equal even by the production of high-grade sirup. Before the Civil War this kind of molasses was used throughout the United States. At the present time only extremely small quantities of it are made inasmuch as the open kettle process is practically a lost industry in the South. The term "New Orleans molasses" as used at the present day, therefore, applies to a product of quite a different character.
Sugar Cane Molasses.—Since the introduction of modern processes of making sugar, namely the vacuum pan and centrifugal process, the character of molasses from the sugar cane factory has constantly deteriorated. This is a natural deterioration due to the improvement in the method of sugar making. Much larger quantities of sugar are now obtained in a crystallized state than formerly. The molasses is to this extent impoverished and the impurities contained therein increased proportionately. It is quite common now in the process of manufacture of sugar from sugar cane to secure at least three crystallizations.
First Molasses.—When the sugar is crystallized in the vacuum pans and separated from the molasses in the centrifugal the product which is obtained is called "first molasses." Usually this molasses is diluted to a sirup and reboiled in connection with the clarified juices direct from the sugar cane and thus a second portion of sugar is obtained or the molasses may be boiled separately and a second crystallization of the sugar separated by the centrifugal. The molasses from this product is called "second molasses" and is inferior in quality to the first molasses.
Third Molasses.—The second molasses is reboiled to a thick consistency and placed in wagons, transferred to a warm room where it is allowed to remain, sometimes for two or three months, when a third crystallization takes place. The sugar from this crystallization is separated as usual by the centrifugal, and a third molasses produced of still greater inferiority. Thus, in the best sugar factories high-grade molasses is not made in the United States but only that of inferior quality. This molasses is largely used for
