Grape molasses 

Dibs el ‘inab, or Grape molasses is a thick syrup and an ancient food in the Mediterranean region, known before honey or refined sugar.  It is a natural sweetener with no additives or colorants, usually derived from white grapes. Grape molasses is a common food in the Syrian mountains and is stocked in winter, known as mouneh.

Grape molasses is a viscous product made by boiling grapes, removing their skins, squeezing them through a sieve to extract the juice. This process is repeated several times, and each time a different type of molasses is produced.

You can use any type of grape (red or white). Sometimes molasses of red grapes is preferred when making desserts like cookies because it gives a darker, more appetizing color.

There are a few different kinds of molasses: dark brown and almost black. What differentiates them is the way of boiling. Light molasses is extracted from the first batch of boiled the grape, while blackstrap has been boiled down several times until it becomes a thick syrup.

Grape molasses contains vital vitamins and several minerals. Molasses sugar is often used in chutneys and marinades, as well as in Christmas cakes

To Make Grape Molasses you will need:

2 large cooking pots

A strainer

A weight either wooden or steel

Cheesecloth

Ingredients 

5 kg of grapes

Preparation 

1-Remove most of the leaves, stems or branches.

Wash the grapes very well by letting them soak in a sink filled with water for a few minutes.

2- Transfer grapes to a strainer and let dry for a while.

3-Add grapes to a large pot and press with a weight to release their juices.

4- Lay the cheesecloth inside a strainer and start pouring the juice.

Once all the grape juice is strained and clear add to a large cooking pot and bring to a boil.

5-Reduce heat and skim off all the foam and dirt that rises on the surface.

6-Simmer until the grape juice gets reduced by half and is thick like a syrup (usually takes close to an hour).

7-At this point, you may remove from heat as the grape molasses is ready to store in sterilized glass jars in the fridge for up to a few months.

8-If you want to make it thick and dark just keep simmering until it’s reduced down to 10% of the starting liquid.

Lara Khouli