Syrups - Sweeteners: Nutritional Aspects, Applications, and Production Technology - page 169

biotin(vitaminHorB7),andothercompounds(betaine,trisacchariderafinose)asaresultofthe
concentrationprocessand/orotherreasons.
Someofthemanysubstitutionsmadeformolasseswithagreatdegreeofsuccessarethefollow-
ing:blacktreacle,darkcornsyrup,maplesyrup,andhoney.
Inaddition,becauseofitsspecialproperties,molasseshaswideapplicationsinthefollowing
foodandnonfoodproducts(Olbrich1963):

• Foodandconsumptionderivatives

•

Asthemainbaseforfermentationpurposes(e.g.,rum)

• Asanadditivetodarkbreweddrinks(e.g.,darkales)

• Asalavoringagenttospecialtobaccoproducts(e.g.,thosesmokedinanarghileorhookah,

suchasshisha)

• Asanironsupplement

• Asanadditiveinlivestockgrains

• Asgroundbaitinishing

• Chemicalandindustrialconditions

•

Asacarbonsourceforinsituremediationofchlorinatedhydrocarbons

• As an alternative source base (fermentation) for ethanol production (used as fuel in motor

vehicles)

• Asachelatingagentforremovingrustinaratioof1:10molassestowater

• Asacomponentofmortarforbrickwork

• Asamicrobialactiveagentinthesoilofmostplants

• Asaloweringenhancer—doesnotapplytohydroponicgardeningbecausemolassescontains

sucrose, which cannot be used by the plant for cellular production like other sugar boosters
(xylose,ribose,andlyxose),whichdeliverusableenergytoplants

6.13 BeVeraGe SYrUp

Beverages and other drinks usually use various sweeteners to offset the tartness of drink
recipes.Syrupsasliquidsaremoreeasilyusedinmixeddrinksandbeveragesthangranulated
sugar.However,syrupsforbeveragesarevariedaccordingtotheirusageandcanbeclassiiedas
follows:

• Simplesyrupisasugar-watersweetenermadebydissolvinggranulatedsugarinhotwater(1:1or

1:2)bystirring;itisalsoknownassugarsyrup,simplesugarsyrup,andbarsyrup.

• Flavoredsyrupisatypeofsyrupthatismadebyaddinglavorstosimplesyrup,suchascinnamon,

vanilla,andchocolate.

• Gommesyrupislikesimplesyrupbutithasaddedgumarabic,whichpreventscrystallizationwhile

addingasmoothconsistency.

• AgavesyrupisasweetenerfoundinMexicoandSouthAfrica—madefromvariousspeciesofthe

agaveplantsuchastheblue,green,grey,salmiana,orthornyagave—thatissweeterthansugar(1.5
times)andhoneybutlessviscous(KamozawaandTalbot2009).

Agavesyrupconsistsmainlyoffructose(56%)andglucose(20%;Johannes2009).ItsGIrat-
ingiscomparabletofructoseandmuchlowerthansucrose.Thus,largeconsumptioncouldtrigger
fructosemalabsorption,decreasedglucosetolerance,andhyperinsulinemia.Itsphysicalproperties
allowittobeusedincoldbeverages(iceteas)andasaveganalternativetohoneyincooking.Agave
syrupisfoundinmanycolorformssuchaslight,amber,dark,andraw(Eskanderetal.2010).The
light one has a mild to neutral lavor and is used in delicate foods and drinks, whereas both the
amberanddarkformshavemediumtostrongcaramellavorandareusedasatoppingtopancakes
orasanenhanceroflavortomeatandseafooddishes.Agaveisproducedfromthe Agave tequilana