Blackstrap, Treacle and Vitamins

As a component of the human dietary, old-fashioned molasses has largely gone out of use. Under a variety of names it has had a long and varied history in connection with human nutrition. There was a time, not many generations ago, when treacle was regarded as a panacea for a diversity of bodily ailments. It was mixed with various medicaments to provide supposed tonics or otherwise effective remedies. Its ancient glory, however, has given way before the advent of the therapeutic novelties and the dietary innovations of the present day. Formerly molasses was the mother liquor remaining after the removal of one crop of sugar crystals from the boiled-down juice of the sugar cane. As the separation of cane sugar by one crystallization is far from complete, the molasses thus secured was rich in sucrose and contained also much the greater part of the other components of the cane juice.