How to Make Molasses With Sugar Beets

Sugar beets are biennial, root vegetables named for the high sucrose content of their tubers. You can make a thick molasses from sugar beets using the same process that is used to make beet sugar. Though beet sugar molasses is sweet, it isn't very palatable because of its strong, bitter taste, and you should use it sparingly. Another common use for sugar beet molasses is mixing it with feed to make it more appealing to cattle and other livestock.

Cut the tops off of your sugar beets with a sharp knife. Discard the leafy bits or save them to eat as greens.

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Wash the beets thoroughly under warm running water. Scrub them with a clean plastic dish scrubber to remove all dirt.

Cut the beets into thin slices or shred them in a food processor. Add your beets to a large saucepan and cover them with water 1.

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Cook the beets over medium heat until tender. Stir your beets every five minutes to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.

Pour the beets through a colander and reserve the boiled beet water. Use the cooked beets in a recipe immediately or allow them to cool before storing them in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Boil the reserved beet water in a medium saucepan until it turns into a thick molasses syrup. Store the cooled syrup in an airtight container.

Tips

As the homemade beet molasses age, the top layer starts to crystallize, creating what's known as beet sugar. Remove the beet sugar every so often, crush it and store in a separate airtight container.

Warnings

Beet molasses is used sparingly; avoid making a big batch unless you want it for livestock.