Giving Thanks for Molasses Tanks

As we approach the holiday season, it is easy to overlook the role of tank terminals in our family gatherings. Most people if they think about bulk liquid storage tanks at all, think they only house petroleum goods or chemical. But the truth is that a lot of what we eat passes through such facilities as well!  Many liquid agricultural goods, like molasses, dairy products, high fructose corn syrup and more find their way through liquid terminals at some point in their journey to market.

Most molasses, the sweet black syrup byproduct of the extraction of sugars from sugarcane that is used in many holiday recipes, is stored at least intermediately in large liquid tanks. In total, over 50 million tons of molasses are produced globally each year, a $13 billion worldwide market. Molasses comes in multiple varieties and is a staple in many winter holiday foods, such as glazed sweet potatoes, glazed turkey, or pumpkin pie. 

In whatever ways you use molasses, the fact is that you would very likely not have it in your cupboard or pantry without bulk liquid storage tanks. So, as you are digging into your holiday meals, remember to give thanks to the storage industry and its essential workers who helped make your meal happen!

Here are some of our favorite savory holiday recipes featuring molasses. We’ll feature the sweets in one of our next Think Tank blogs:

Sweet Potatoes Glazed with Molasses, Pecans and Bourbon (From Bobby Flay and Food Network)

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/sweet-potatoes-glazed-with-molasses-pecans-and-bourbon-recipe-2106686


 

Molasses-Glazed Turkey (From Caroline Wright at myrecipes.com)

https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/molasses-glazed-turkey

Molasses Pumpkin Pie (From Taste of Home)

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/molasses-pumpkin-pie/