Treacle origins uses recipes

Ingredient of the Month

May   2003

Scroll down for recipes

Click here for more Ingredients of the Month

This is another one of those “minefield” ingredients. Strictly speaking, Treacle is the British generic name for any syrup made during the refining of sugar cane. Therefore, theoretically,  Treacle, Black Treacle, Molasses, Golden Syrup and Blackstrap are all treacles. 

In practice however,  there is a technical difference between  “treacle” and “Molasses” in that molasses is obtained from the drainings of raw sugar during the refining process and treacle is made from the syrup obtained from the  sugar.

In an effort to simplify matters, rather than start with the history of treacle, as with most of the Ingredient of the Month features, we are going to start with how the various treacles are obtained. The various types of treacle and Molasses are, in culinary terms, completely substitutable. Only the type of treacle/molasses used is of any importance when cooking.

Production/Processing

As mentioned above, treacle is a by product of sugar refining.  During the refining process, raw sugar cane is first crushed then boiled in stages until it has thickened sufficiently to facilitate the growing of sugar crystals which will eventually become refined sugar. There are two main types of treacle:-

Light Treacle better known as Golden Syrup (equivalent = Light Molasses), is made from the syrup obtained during the first boiling of the sugar cane/beets. About 65% sucrose, it is the lightest in colour and the sweetest of all the treacles and is usually unsulphered.

Black Treacle, (equivalent = dark molasses)  is made from the syrup obtained from later boilings and is about 55% sucrose. 

Origin and History

Treacle was originally the name of a medicinal mixture which was most likely used as an antidote against poisons, in particular venomous bites.  The name is derived from Old French  triacle, in turn from Latin theriaca  meaning “antidote to poison”. This medicine originally had honey as its base, but at some point the honey was replaced with treacle. 

Over time the  pharmacological meaning died out, and around the 17th century in Britain the word ‘treacle’ took on its present day meaning, and was used chiefly as a cheap form of sweetener. Interestingly enough, name ‘molasses’ comes from the Portuguese word melaço which is derived from the Latin mel, meaning honey.

The increase in free man power (i.e. slavery) in the British colonies in the mid/late 1600s enabled cane to be gathered and processed more economically and by the late 1700s, refined sugar became affordable to the masses in Britain and overtook treacle as a general sweetener. By the mid 1800s  treacle was used more as an ingredient in recipes, giving certain added qualities (colour, taste, moisture etc) to dishes.

Treacle in Cooking

General

• When measuring out treacle, lightly coat the measuring utensil with a bland vegetable oil so it slips off the spoon or out of the measuring cup more easily. Alternatively, dip the measuring utensil in hot water before measuring.
   

• Baked goods using Black Treacle tend to darken more quickly
   

• In most recipes, do not substitute Black Treacle for Golden Syrup as the flavour will be too overpowering.

Golden Syrup has a clear golden colour and a sweet, rich, distinctive buttery flavour. It can be used just as it is, spread on bread or poured ice cream or pancakes, but in Britain has always been widely used baked goods and desserts, in particular the famous treacle tart, flapjacks and treacle pudding. It can also be used in many savoury recipes calling for sweetness, in particular sauces and glazes.  It can be used as a substitute for corn syrup in most recipes.

Black Treacle has a slightly burnt caramel flavour that is a bit stronger than that of medium molasses. As the name would suggest, it is black (to all intents and purposes). It is most often used in confectionery such as toffee and baked goods such as breads, cakes and biscuits where it lends colour and flavour, but can also be used in savoury recipes such as glazes, sauces and stews or casseroles. It can be used as a substitute in most recipes calling for dark molasses.

Click here for lots of Treacle recipes

Recipes4us.co.uk is not a medical site. All recipes are published for your convenience and are both suitable and tasty enough to be eaten by anyone without  food  allergies,  as  part of a normal diet. We  advise you to consult a qualified doctor before starting any special diet.   If you suffer from and food allergies, always check the ingredients on the label  of commercially prepared products.   Sorry, unfortunately no correspondence can  be entered into regarding medical matters.

Find UK Holiday Cottages Click here to sign up to our FREE Monthly Newsletter for recent site updates &  food articles Culinary Videos New Section ! Concise, quality " how to" culinary videos featuring preparation & techniques. No  downloads  required. Find Cookery Courses Choose from over 30 cuisines in 30 countries from single lessons to complete vacations Online learning for Everyone

Whilst this is not meant to be a site about calorie counting,  we are confident that there is something for everyone and we are constantly adding new recipes and other cooking related material such as growing herbs and vegetables, culinary terms, ingredient analysis, UK Online Food shopping directory plus, we think, the best conversion charts on the net. For ease of reference,  below are direct links to most  sections on this site.   Soups & Starters            Soups        Fish        Other      Vegetarian        Gluten Free   Main Courses         Barbecues  and  Picnics       Beef  and Veal       Casseroles Fish and Shellfish      Lamb     Offal    Pasta, Rice and Pulses      Pork and Bacon    Poultry & Game    Salads      Stews      Vegetarian

Side Dishes             Dips and  Dressings      Jams,  Pickles  and  Preserves     Marinades      Pasta and  Rice        Side Salads      Salsas and Relishes        Sauces    Savoury  Sauces      Sweet  Sauces       Stuffings            Vegetables

 

Desserts, Puddings      Cold Desserts     Hot Puddings                Cakes & Bakes        Cakes, Breads, Biscuits (Cookies), Pastry  and Pastries

 

International           Cooking by Country      Chinese       Indian                  Special Diets       Dairy Free    Gluten Free     Vegan        Egg  Free

 

Other Recipe Sections    Cooking with Alcohol    Edible Flowers    Food in Film   Ingredients   Meals in Minutes   Party Food and Cocktails      Slow Food      Smoothies Section      Special days & Holidays      Sports Recipes   Summer Recipes   Weekday Menus      What's in Season

 

Reference Pages        5 - A -Day Portions    Cooking Holidays & Schools    Conversion Charts     Directories       Farmers Markets     Food Celebration Days     Growing Veg    Growing Herbs    Guide to Kitchenware      Holidays    Ingredients      Online Shop     Preserving Fresh Produce    Special days     UK Food Shopping Directory     What's in Season 

   

Search     About Recipes4us     Links     Contact Us     Advertise/Sponsor       Disclaimer/Private Privacy     Media Resources

 

Enter your search terms Submit search form

This Web Site was designed and created by Recipes4us.co.uk. Copyright © 2000-2008 [Recipes4us] All rights reserved.

Clipart © 1999 (2000) www.arttoday.com  Some Photos ©  www.fotolia.co.uk