Sweet, sticky molasses

Cat Campbell/For The Madera Tribune

Shoofly bars make good use of molasses.

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I am not sure if the younger folks have ever heard the saying, “Slower than molasses in January,” but I grew up hearing a lot of old sayings. I also grew up loving molasses.

My family had a big barrel of what we called blackstrap molasses, and there was a spigot attached. It was kept out by the barn, and occasionally mixed with crimped and rolled grains to feed to the cattle. I used to sneak some of the crimped oats and drizzle the molasses over it and eat it like a snack. My grandfather, who most of the grandkids thought of as overly stern (but I knew better), actually approved of this, and said it was good for me.

I guess I didn’t need to feel like I had to snitch my little treat. But, the appeal of the molasses dimmed a great deal when I heard the phrase, “That’ll put hair on your chest!” Nowadays, I love to cook with molasses, and it is even good poured over things like pancakes, cornbread or even ice cream.