Hey livetogarden, I have these two recipes I found that might be of interest to you on using molasses for a cold tea type drink:
Iced Molasses 'Tea'
Ingredients
1 tablespoon molasses
hot water (at most, 3-4 Tbsp)
3/4 cup soymilk (plain, or vanilla flavored) or you could use real milk
3 ice cubes
Directions:
Measure 1 tablespoon of Molasses into a cup and cover with hot water. Mix until the molasses has dissolved. Add ice cubes to the dissolved molasses and cover with the soymilk.
It reminds me of iced tea and is delicious!
Source of recipe: I played around with molasses and came up with this refreshing drink
Makes: 1 serving, Preparation time: 2 minutes, Cooking time: 1 minute
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Molasses Switchel
While many harvest drinks relied on fruit juices, switchel
was a spicy, vinegary drink without fruit juice. It proved
unusually thirst-quenching, and aided in digestion after the
heavy harvest meals. The switchel served during the work harvest
was nonalcoholic, meaning that the harvest hands could successfully
negotiate the evening dance that followed the elaborate picnic, or
"supper on the ground." Although this switchel recipe is noncarbonated
as well as nonalcoholic, the recipe may be modified to create a
carbonated drink, or a beer or wine type alcoholic beverage if desired.
3 to 4 quarts water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup light molasses
2 oz fresh grated ginger-root
1. Combine 1 quart water, the vinegar, sugar, molasses, and
ginger-root and simmer for 15 minutes uncovered. Remove from
heat, cover, and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
2. Pour slowly into a glass jug containing 2 1/2 quarts water.
Top off with water to make 1 gallon.
3. * For a traditional non-carbonated switchel
* : Chill immediately
Bottling and capping is optional.
4. * For a carbonated drink
* : Place 1/8 teaspoon granulated ale
yeast into a teacup containing 1/4 cup lukewarm water and allow
to rehydrate a few minutes. After verifying that the temperature
in the jug is not hotter than lukewarm, add yeast water to the
jug, cap, and invert to mix contents. Bottle, then store the
bottles in a dark place.
Check carbonation after 48 hours and again after 72 hours. When
carbonation is right, refrigerate.
5. * for a wine type switchel
* follow the carbonated drink but
ferment instead of bottle.
6. * for a beer type switchel
* ferment then cap after adding more
yeast when the desired fermentation has occurred.
From the book: "Homemade Root Beer Soda & Pop"
by Stephen Cresswell
Tried a batch of non-carbonated switchel and loved it! Fast and easy
to make, tastes along the lines of an iced-tea with lemon and sugar.
