can I use a brand of molasses other than "black strap" as long as it is all natural?
According to this article;
http://www.onlinepot.org/grow/3lbsMolassesManual.htm
Several grades and types of molasses are produced by sugar cane processing. First the plants are harvested and stripped of their leaves, and then the sugar
cane is usually crushed or mashed to extract its sugary juice. Sugar manufacturing begins by boiling cane juice until it reaches the proper consistency,
it is then processed to extract sugar. This first boiling and processing produces what is called first molasses, this has the highest sugar content of
the molasses because relatively little sugar has been extracted from the juice. Green (unripe) sugar cane that has been treated with sulphur fumes during
sugar extraction produces sulphured molasses. The juice of sun-ripened cane which has been clarified and concentrated produces unsulphured molasses. Another
boiling and sugar extraction produces second molasses which has a slight bitter tinge to its taste.
Further rounds of processing and boiling yield dark colored blackstrap molasses, which is the most nutritionally valuable of the various types of molasses.
It is commonly used as a sweetner in the manufacture of cattle and other animal feeds, and is even sold as a human health supplement. Any kind of molasses
will work to provide benefit for soil and growing
plants, but blackstrap molasses is the best choice because it contains the greatest concentration of sulfur, iron and micronutrients from the original cane
material. Dry molasses is something different still. Its not exactly just dried molasses either, its molasses sprayed on grain residue which acts as
a carrier.