Production methods Muscovado is made from the juice of sugar cane that is evaporated until crystallisation occurs. The viscous suspension of crystals and mother liquor (molasses) is called massecuite. In the 19th century several techniques were used for sugar production. Muscovado is today produced by three main methods: • The manual production method is to
crystallise (granulate) massecuite by cooling it in pans and continuously
shearing it by stirring with a large spatula (typically used in India) or by pressing it with the feet (typically used in Africa). • The industrial
centrifuge method invented in late 18th to early 19th century, in which massecuite is crystallised using a centrifuge to separate a crystal-rich mush that is drained of its molasses in a vessel under gravity. • Modern industrial methods using a
spray drier. Massecuite is also used in the production of jaggery, in which it is set into moulds directly (without shearing, centrifuging, or spray drying). The production of muscovado in the Philippines,
Barbados, and elsewhere had experienced a long period of decline when large mills took over sugar production from small farmers with small mills. In recent years an increased consumer interest in healthy and organic foods has revived interest in muscovado, creating a new market for small mills. ==Nutrition==