Sorghum cane as it looks today

Richard G. · Oct 6, 2013

This is the best it has looked in October in years. Has blown down in storms most years. I hope it looks this good tomorrow after the storms go through tonight. Hope to cut it in about 10 days and cook about November 1.
Richard in NW SC

Anonymous-0 · Oct 6, 2013

Hope it makes it harvest ok, Do you cook it in a evarator pan or a boiler? Good luck .

Frank 41 · Oct 6, 2013

Looks good but hope it doesn't spread into other fields.

Had a friend go to West Liberty, KY for an annual event.

RayP(MI) · Oct 6, 2013

"Cook" it? Dare ask I what the end product will be?

Richard G. · Oct 6, 2013

I cook it in a pan about 9 feet long.
Richard

Richard G. · Oct 6, 2013

Makes sorghum syrup which goes great on hot buttered biscuits.
Richard

ShadetreeRet · Oct 6, 2013

A.K.A. MOLASSES! Good soppin with a hot biscuit!

RayP(MI) · Oct 6, 2013

Can I contract you biscuit needs?
Looks like a lot of syrup there!

rrlund · Oct 6, 2013

You need to get down south more Ray. You know how much I love to get down there and just talk to people. One of the best stories I ever had told to me was about a sorghum press. I'll shorten it since the old guy went in to a lot of detail,but he was telling that his dad had a press. Said he had two older sisters who were old enough to run it. Said he decided one year that he was big enough and stood between them and it,and wouldn't let'em near it. Seems they had other ideas and hit him in the head with something to move him out of the way. He showed us the scar. Said his mother wrapped his head up with turpentine and lard to keep him from getting blood poisoning.

That old guy must have told us stories about his life for close to an hour. Glad I got to hear'em. He's probably gone by now.

Richard G. · Oct 6, 2013

Lots of folks call it molasses, but molasses is made from sugarcane. This is a somewhat different type of sweet sorghum. Makes a milder syrup if cooked right. We try to make between 15 and 20 gallons each fall.
My Grandpa used to make at least 100 gallons a year to hold the family of 10 over the winter.
Richard

J3cub · Oct 6, 2013

I'm 74 years old and I can still remember coming in from the field and my Mother had made a pan of big fat biscuits and I would stick my finger in the side of the biscuit and make a hole and fill the hole with butter and sorghum syrup. Sure was good!

GarryinNC · Oct 6, 2013

Richard, when do you strip the fodder off? When it is still standing or after you cut it? Is there any other way now days other than by hand? Was talking to my dad about the art of syrup making the other day. He fixed up a Chattanooga cane mill for a friend a few years ago. Made it engine driven instead of animal powered. I did not know the difference between the types of cane and syrup.

Dad said that my grandfather had a long pan with partitions for the cooking part.

They usually have a cane mill set up at the Dixie Classic Fair in Winston-Salem, run off of a Ford 8N. The fair is going on this week.

Garry

Richard G. · Oct 6, 2013

Wow, after reading that I just got hungry.
Just looked at the radar and I sure hope those storms calm down before they get here.
Richard

John M · Oct 6, 2013

You working with Kevin? I know he made a press out of the rear end from my great grandpappys tractor.

Tim Barnes · Oct 6, 2013

Richard, that's some pretty cane. Do you make enough syrup to sell? I recall my Granny whipping syrup and butter together to sop biscuits in, Nothing finer!

Richard G. · Oct 6, 2013

I taught Kevin how to cook syrup. He lives about 2 miles from me. He is going to cook his on Nov. 9 as I recall.
Richard

Richard G. · Oct 6, 2013

I like to strip it standing using a wooden paddle about 2 fingers wide. I don't sell it as no one could afford to pay what it is worth with all the work that goes into it. LOL
I give some away and try to eat some along.
Richard

ShadetreeRet · Oct 6, 2013

Richard, I didn't know that! Around here it's called molasses but it is made from sorghum cane. My sister and her spouse were supposed to have made some yesterday. I don't know how much cane they had.

Richard G. · Oct 6, 2013

Shadetree, where are you located?
Richard

hermit · Oct 7, 2013

j3cub,
We did the same thing. Called it syrup (surp) in hole.

Sorghum cane as it looks today

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