Molasses, one of the sweeteners that won’t go bad if stored well, doesn’t last forever. Although it can be stored for many months, if not years, its flavor might not be good enough to use.
You might decide to dispose of it because you don’t like the idea of using molasses more than a year or five years old. This is also an option.
This article will help you learn more about Molasses. It includes how to tell if it is spoilt, how to get the label date right, and whether or not to refrigerate it.
Note: This article does not discuss sulfured or unsulfured Molasses because nearly all store-bought Molasses is unsulfured.
Is Molasses a Bad Food?
If you properly store molasses, it will last for many years. Molasses is high in sugar and has very little water. This makes it difficult to grow microbes in such an environment.
It’s almost like maple syrup or corn syrup.
It can still go bad, but that doesn’t mean it should. It might become moldy if it is left unsealed for too long or if it has been infected with bacteria or fungi.
You might also need to throw it out if it is left in storage for too long. Technically, it’s not spoilage but the consequences are the exact same: throw the bottle out.
Let’s say you are looking to make use of your molasses but it has been more than a year since you last used it. Before you use it in your baked goods, or in BBQ sauce or gingerbread, you need to check that it is safe to use.
Let’s get started.
Spoilage signs
Here are some tips to make sure your molasses is safe.
- Check for mold. I recommend that you throw out the bottle if there is mold. If the mold is only a thin layer, you can remove it and reuse the rest. This solution is acceptable if you are comfortable with it. I’m not. (Want to see what mold looks like when maple syrup is added? You can find my article about it.
- Take a whiff of the product. Get rid of it immediately if it is sour, funny, or offensive.
- Try it. Discard the sweetener if the taste is not what you expect. There are many types of molasses. Each one has its own flavor. The easiest way to find out how molasses should be tasted is to try a little bit after opening a new bottle.
If you are on the fence about something, it is a good idea to get another person’s opinion. If that fails, you can always ask someone else for their opinion.
Different types of Molasses
There are three types available in molasses:
- Light Molasses. It is the sweetest, lightest flavor and most delicate.
- Dark Molasses. This flavor is stronger but less sweet. It is also denser that light molasses. It’s the middle brother to all three.
- Blackstrap Molasses. This is the most dense and sweetest of all three. It can also be bitter, so it is not recommended as a substitute for light or dark molasses.
These differences can be useful when trying to determine if your molasses tastes right. If your light molasses contains bitter notes, it is not good.
How to Use Molasses
You might have bought molasses to make a cake, pancakes, or just because you wanted to know how it tastes.
It was used once or twice and then the bottle was left in storage. It’s not something you want to throw away, but it’s also not something you want to keep there for more than a year.
You are looking for an easy way to use it.
You can make brown sugar with light or dark molasses if you have it .
To make brown sugar, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of Molasses to 1 cup of granulated sugar. In most cases, you don’t need to mix the ingredients together - you can combine them with other ingredients.
Depending on how much molasses is added, you will end up with either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar.
Don’t replace all the sugar with molasses when you are replacing it. Start slowly, replacing only a third to a fourth of the sugar. Then, you’ll be able to see how it changes the flavor.
You’ll eventually feel whether substituting molasses with sugar will make the recipe better or worse (molasses isn’t sugary).
How long does molasses last?
Molasses has a shelf life of up to 4 years. It can be kept for as long as a few months after the printed date.
The bottle will retain its best quality for up to half a year after opening it. However, it will last much longer if it is sealed properly.
This is the basic idea. Let’s get into the details.
After Opening
There isn’t consensus about how long molasses will last after being opened.
Some brands recommend that you use it before its printed date regardless of when it is opened. Some brands recommend that you use it within half an year of opening the bottle.
All of these recommendations concern the quality of sweetener. Molasses is not easily spoiled, and it can be stored for a long period of time if you have good storage habits (more details later).
This means that molasses should be safe to consume if it has been opened for at least half a year, nine or more months, and even half a decade. The worst thing that could happen is that the flavor will not be the same as when it was opened.
Give your molasses a taste immediately after opening it for the first time . This will allow you to taste the freshness of the molasses and give you a baseline to judge its flavor over time.
Expiration date
Some brands sell their Molasses within a very short time frame, such as a year or so. Others go for a longer shelf life of up to four years. This is just a starting point.
The expiration date printed on the label is not an expiration date, but a best-by or best-if-used by date. It’s not about safety, but food quality.
The brand is stating that their molasses must taste good up to that point. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the product will soon go bad or that the quality will suffer.
It’s impossible to predict how long your molasses will keep its taste after the date printed. Although it might only be a few months, most likely it will last for more than a full year.
It should be safe as long as you are comfortable using the molasses (see my guidelines earlier).
Warning: Never use “expired” molasses without first inspecting it for signs of spoilage.
Do Molasses need to be refrigerated? How do you store it?
Keep molasses in cool, dry places such as a pantry or in the kitchen. After opening it, seal it tightly and keep it out of direct sunlight.
Molasses can be refrigerated, unopened or opened, but it’s not required.
Molasses is viscous when it’s room temperature, but even more so when it’s stored in the fridge. (Even heard the expression “slow as molases in January “?).? This viscosity makes refrigerated Molasses very slow and difficult to pour. It is difficult to use, to put it mildly.
This is why I recommend thinking twice about refrigerating your molasses .
Molasses can be preserved for longer periods of time by refrigerating. If you aren’t bothered by the slow pouring, you might consider it if yours will be stored for several months.
Tip: Cold molasses can be reduced in thickness by placing it on the counter for several hours or heating it up in warm water. You can do the same thing with peanut butter or tahini.
Finally, wipe the bottle’s lips with a paper towel after sealing it. You should do this every time you use molasses. However, if you have to, wipe it with a paper towel.
