


































Food Science and Nutrition Studies 

ISSN 2573-1661 (Print) ISSN 2573-167X (Online) 

Vol. 2, No. 2, 2018 

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33 
 

Original Paper 

Production and Characteristics of a Turkish Traditional Food in 

Another Country (Jonkoping-Sweden): Molasses 

Lale S. Akan1* & Yahya Özdogan1 

1 Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, Ankara, Turkey 

* Lale Sariye Akan, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Ankara Yildirim 

Beyazit University, 06450, Ankara, Turkey 

 

Received: September 15, 2018   Accepted: September 28, 2018   Online Published: October 4, 2018 

doi:10.22158/fsns.v2n2p33        URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/fsns.v2n2p33 

 

Abstract  

Pekmez, which has been produced for a long time in Turkey, is one of the popular and traditional 

Turkish foods (Tosun & Üstün, 2003; Celik & Surucuoglu, 2005). Although it is not very common, it is 

being tried in houses and production places in some countries where Turks live. Pekmez is produced 

primarily from grapes (Alpaslan & Hayta, 2002; Sürücüoglu & Celik, 2005; Batu et al., 2007). Grapes 

suitable for fruit juice yield, sugar content, acid value and ripening time are suitable for molasses 

production.Turkey, approximately 4185.126 tons of grapes are produced per year (TUIK, 2012), and 

approximately 30% of the grapes produced in Turkey are used for pekmez, wort and sausage with 

pekmez production in a year. In this study, some information is given on Molasses (produced in another 

country), production stages, effects on health and the relevant regulations and in terms of product 

chemical and microbiological characteristics.  

Keywords 

molasses, traditional food, Kulu, Jonkoping, Sweden 

 

1. Introduction  

Our country has suitable climatic and soil conditions due to its viniculture in terms of its geographical 

position on the world. Almost all regions have Anatolian lacquerware, and the date of the lacquering of 

this region extends to 3000 BC (Şimşek, 2000; Didin et al., 2000; Çelik & Sürücüoğlu, 2005). Anatolia, 

which is the motherland of grape, has been famous for its rich grape varieties since ancient times and 

almost everywhere in the country is suitable for viniculture (Çelik & Sürücüoğlu, 2005). In the past 

years molasses, which is one of the basic nutrients of human beings, has become less productive in the 

changing world conditions. In our country molasses is made between at the end of September and the 



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beginning of October when the grapes are mature and this time is called molasses time. Pekmez is a 

concentrated and extended shelf-life form of several fruit juices, and it is formed by boiling without the 

addition of sugar or other food additives (Yoğurtçu & Kamışlı, 2006; Celik & Surucuoğlu, 2005; Ekin 

& Celikezen, 2015).  

Jonkoping, Sweden’s 10th largest city, is very similar to our country in terms of eating habits. The city 

that is established in the 13th century, is centrally located on the coast of Vattern in south of Sweden. 

Sweden has many immigrants from Turkey, especially from Kulu. Since 1965 it has been migrating. 

The total population of Kulu, which is a district of Konya province, is over 70.000 and this number is 

doubled in summer with the majority population coming from Sweden. Kulu families have adopted 

Swedish culture as well as introducing their diets and traditional foods to the Swedes. Molasses 

consumption is very high, especially in athletes whose has high energy consumption, so it has started to 

be produced at many home. This production is done only to meet their own consumption. Kulu people 

coming to Turkey for the summer period, for the grape harvest in early October period, take grapes 

with themselves which are requested to take along Sweden. Since Swedish families have already made 

wine, vinegar, etc. from grapes, they have quickly adopted this idea together with its taste and energy 

value. (Erişim tarihi: September 12, 2018, https://www.ju.se/en). Pekmez is a good energy and 

carbohydrate source due to its high sugar content (up to 50%-80%) in the form of glucose and fructose; 

therefore, it easily passes into the blood without digestion (Karababa & Isikli, 2005; Akbulut et al., 

2008; Karaca, 2009; Ekin & Celikezen, 2015). According to the Turkish Standards Institute (TS 3792), 

grape molasses are defined as a product that is produced by the addition of dark-matter substances 

obtained by vacuum or lightening according to the method of the present invention, without reducing 

the acidity of fresh or raisin syrup, or by reducing the acidity with calcium carbonate (Tetik et al., 2010; 

Turkben et al., 2010). Table 1 shows the chemical and microbiological properties of grape molasses 

according to TS3792 (TSE, 1989).  

 

Table 1. Chemical and Microbiological Properties of Grape Molasses 

Chemical properties Limits 

1. Water soluble solids minimum % 65 

2. Sucrose 0 

3. Total ash max % 2.0 

4. The max % of ash that is not soluble in %10 HCl solution 0.3 

5. Artificial colours 0 

6. Preservative 0 

7. Max Arsenic (mg/kg) 0.2 

8. Max Copper (mg/kg)  5.0 

9. Max Zinc (mg/kg)  5.0 



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10. Max Iron (mg/kg)  15.0 

11. Max Tin (mg/kg) 150.0 

12. Max Lead (mg/kg)  0.3 

13. Max sum of Copper, Iron and Zinc (mg/kg)  20.0 

Microbiological properties  

1. Max number of mesophilic aerobic bacteria (Ad / g) 104 

2. The number of yeast and mold (Ad / g) 103 

3. The number of osmophilic yeast (Ad / g) 102 

 

2. Production of Molasses, Regulations and Analysis Methods 

In the production of traditional molasses, the grapes are filled with nuts and the slaves are removed by 

chewing with the feet in boats made of wood or concrete. For deacidification, excess lime, white or 

neaby white molasses soil are used (Guldas et al., 2004; Toker & Hayoğlu, 2004; Tetik et al., 2010; 

Koca, 2014; Ekin & Çelikezen, 2015). The grape syrup is boiled on a strongly burning stove to provide 

easy and quick effect of the soil to the syrup, to prevent the action of the yeasts and to speed up the 

clarification; this is called the curdling of a grape syrup. After the curdling, the syrup is left to rest, after 

resting the clear part is separated from the sediment and clear syrup is obtained. The syrup is darkened 

on the open flame in boilers. In the case of increased acidity in the open boiler method, it is stated that 

the reducing sugars in the medium during the concentration process are decomposed by HMF to formic 

acid and levulinic acid when the pH level is lowered (İzgi, 2011). 

At the beginning of the molasses cooking process, foams are formed on the surface of the must, called 

skimmed fat, and they must be taken from the medium with the flat cheeks in order to provide a clear 

molasses appearance. The syrup which have been cleaned from their skimmed fat are left to boil in their 

own form for a while to darken. Even if there is a sudden foaming on the syrup surface during this time, 

it is only a temporary foaming which does not boil and is not in the form of skimmed fat. However, in 

order to avoid caramelization in this excess molasses, it is necessary to constantly mix it (Vardin, H. & 

Vardin, B. C., 2004; Batu, 2005; Koca, 2014). 

In the modern method, the raisins are first moistened and passed through the mincing machine. The 

minced raisins are extracted according to the principle of reverse flow. In grapes obtained from fresh 

grapes, the grapes that have been cleaned are separated from their stems by being passed through the 

stalk separating machine, pounded, and crushed by passing through the grape crushing mill. In order to 

obtain syrup, the grapes are passed through a separator to separate prestine and coarse materials. After 

the seperation process, molasses soil or calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is added for acidity. The grape syrup 

is heated to 70˚C to provide easy and quick effect of the soil to the syrup, to prevent the activity of the 

yeast and to speed up the clarification. Clarification is carried out so that the grape syrup can be clarified 

and the bitter flavors can be removed. The sieving process can be carried out by applying heat, by 

tannin-gelatin application or enzymatically. After clarification, the syrup is concentrated by vacuum and 



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the desired dry matter value is reached (Aydınlık, 2012; Koca, 2014). 

Acid removal and clarification of fresh grapes after pressed and raisins after extraction become cloudy. 

Grape juice blurring is caused by organic molecules that give rise to a viscous structure in the product 

with the crust particles, the fiber, the cell and the cell fragments in various dimensions of the fruit juice, 

and these suspension particles give stability to the particles (Şengül et al., 2007; Koca, 2014). The 

organic molecules in the colloidal dimensions that are responsible for the formation of a stable 

suspension of turbidimetric particles are: pectic substances, polyphenols, proteins, starch and arabindIn 

these, the pectic substances have a separate prescription due to their protective colloid properties. For this 

reason, for a successful cleaning process, it is first necessary to break down the pectic substances to 

galacturonic acids, which are building blocks with pectolytic enzymes (Kayışlıoğlu, 2001; Batu, 2005; 

Karaca, 2009; Aydınlık, 2012; Koca, 2014). 

The obtained juice contains various turbidity materials which cause a large majority to form tartaric acid 

and cause the syrup to have a blurred appearance as well as the free acidity which leads to the pH being 

between 3-4. For this reason, the free acidity of the syrup should be neutralized to the 6-6.5 pH level, so 

that the syrup can be produced at the desired sweetness level. In the meantime, it is still possible to obtain 

a clear view of the molasses by removing the various turbidity materials contained in the syrup. In order 

to accomplish this, a suitable practice is to use a high (over 80%) soil of calcium carbonate content called 

molasses soil (Batu & Aktan, 1993; Batu et al., 2007; Tetik et al 2010; Ekin and Çelikezen 2015). This 

process takes place by adding the soil to the syrup and heating it for 5-10 minutes to neutralize the free 

acidity in the environment with CaCO3 contained in the soil. Thus, the precipitate can be easily separated 

as a result of the reduction of the colloid substances causing the turbidity in the medium, the loss of the 

isoelectric point due to the change of the pH level of the medium and the calcination of Ca ions in the 

medium as calcium tartrate (Zengin, 2006; Turhan et al., 2007; Akaydın, 2009; Koca, 2014; Ekin & 

Çelikezen, 2015). 

2.1 Grape Molasses Production Flow Chart 

 



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Figure 1. Stages of Molasses Production 

 

As a physical analysis, homemade liquid-solid and fabricated liquid-solid molasses samples were 

examined for the presence of foreign substances in the molasses. Fabrikasyon pekmez Türkiye’den Satın 

alınmış olup hazır katı ve hazır sıvı pekmezdir. Sensory analyzes of the molasses samples were evaluated 

for appearance, texture, taste and smell. For microbiological analysis, 10 grams of molasses samples 

were weighed, 90 ml of sterile physiological saline (0.85% NaCl solution) was added to them, and the 

mixture was homogenized for 1 minute and then a dilution series was prepared up to 10-5. 

As a microbiological analysis, the total number of mesophilic aerobic microorganisms of molasses 

samples was measured at 35°C for 48 hours in Plate Count Agar (PCA-Merck), mold-yeast number at 

25oC in Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA-Merck) 5 days, Staphylococcus aureus in Baird Parker Agar 

(BPABiomerieux) at 37°C for 24 hours and the number of Escherichia coli was determined by incubating 

for 48 hours at 44°C in Coli ID (Biomerieux). Determination of microorganism numbers; the most 

probable number method was used for the coliform group and the bulk sowing method was used for the 

others. 

 

3. Results 

3.1 Product Features 

The sensory analysis results of the product characteristics of the molasses samples studied are as follows: 

The samples are suitable for appearance and have no burning odor or foreign matter. Its appearance is 

unique and homogeneous, without sediment and sugar. Solid molasses is not fluid and looks bright.  

Microbiological analysis results of four molasses samples are given in Table 2.  



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Table 2. Microbiological Analysis Results of Molasses Samples (cfu / g). 

Company  

Total count of 

mesophilic aerobic 

bacteria 

Yeast-mold 
Coliform 

(MPN) 
E.coli S.aureus 

A 
Liquid-Homemade 6.7x102 1.5x105 3 Unidentified <10 

Solid-Homemade 4.8x103 1.2x103 <2 Unidentified 1.9x101 

B 
Liquid-fabrication 6.5x102 1.4x103 9 Unidentified 2.1x101 

Solid-fabrication 1.3x102 1.5x104 9 Unidentified 4.0x101 

 

The total number of mesophilic aerobic microorganisms generally provides information on food quality, 

not only the safety of food, but also the quality of food, shelf life and post-heat transmission (Colak et 

al., 2007). The total number of mesophilic aerobic microorganisms in molasses samples ranged from 

8.0 x 101-6.9 x 104 cfu / g and the number of yeast and mold was 1.0 x 102-1.4 x 105 cfu / g.  

The presence of coliform group bacteria in foods is considered a sign of poor sanitation conditions, 

inadequate or incorrect pasteurization practices, re-infection after cooking and pasteurisation (Colak et 

al., 2007). Since all of the coliform group bacteria are not of fecal origin, E.coli has been sought as a 

marker of fecal contamination. E. coli can not be detected in this study. 

The presence of Staphylococcus aureus in foods is considered a sign of personnel hygiene (Colak et al., 

2007). The number of S. aureus in the molasses samples was <10-5.0 x 101 cfu / g. As a result, the 

samples included in the study are scarce to give a general conclusion. However, it is a fact that the 

molasses has some disadvantages in terms of microbiological properties if it does not cause any 

problems in terms of sensory properties. Problems can be solved if hygiene and sanitation rules are 

obeyed in production and marketing and the regulations are taken into consideration. Adversities are 

not encountered in large businesses that fit into hygiene rules and are named for packaging. Grape 

production which occupies the most important place in every period of Turkish history, grape molasses 

which is made with grapes, and many other products are required to be made in conformity with the 

standards and quality. Many companies have been selling molasses through the internet, but there is not 

enough information about their content and product quality.  

 

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