Step 1

Prepare the beets. You should use at least eight pounds of sugar beets if you want at least one cup of molasses. Take a sharp knife and cut the top off of the beets. You can discard the leafy bits, or save them for later to eat as a green. Next, wash the beets under warm, running water. Use a vegetable or clean, plastic scrubber to make sure that all of the dirt is removed.Store the leafy greens in a sealed container in the refrigerator if you plan on eating them later.

Step 2

Cut your clean beets into thin slices. Use a sharp knife to cut the sugar beats into thin slices. Any sharp knife, like a chef's knife or serrated knife will do. If you have a food processor, you can use that to shred them instead.Make sure to cut the beets on a cutting board, or you risk cutting into the counter or table top.

Step 3

Cook the beets. Put the sliced beets into a saucepan and cover them with water. Turn the heat to medium and cook the beets until tender. You can poke them with a fork to make sure they are tender enough. You should stir the beets about every five minutes to prevent them from sticking to the pan.You should use a large or medium saucepan.

Step 4

Separate the water from the beets. Once your beets are tender, pour them through a colander. You should have a container, like a large bowl, underneath to hold the beet water. You can use the sugar beets however you want after you separate them from the water. You can use them in a recipe immediately after, or you can store them in the refrigerator to be used later.You should store the beets in an airtight container. Try to use them as soon as possible.

Step 5

Boil the water. Pour the beet water in a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil. You should boil it until the beet water turns into a thick syrup. Once it has turned into a syrup, turn the heat off and allow the molasses to cool.Allow the molasses to cool for at least thirty minutes.Use a spoon to check the consistency of the syrup.

Step 6

Store the molasses. Once it has cooled, put the molasses into an airtight container. Store the container in a place that maintains a room temperature. It should last for up to 18 months. Once the container is opened, you can store it in the refrigerator, but it often grows thick and harder to pour once refrigerated. As it ages, the top layer will begin to crystallize and become what is known as beet sugar. You will need to remove this top layer.You can crush the beet sugar and store it in another air tight container for use.Write the date that the molasses was prepared on the container it is stored in. The molasses has gone bad if it becomes moldy or fermented.