We cook our syrup to between 220*F-225*F on a candy thermometer depending on how thick we want it. Cut the canes when the seed reach a hard dough stage, strip the leaves and let them sit for about 4 to 7 days before pressing. This will allow some of the starches to convert to sweeter sugars. If the weather is warm, go for the four days, if it’s cool, let them sit about seven days. We live in Tennessee and everyone around here has their own way of processing and cooking sorghum. Everything from lighter syrup to thick black strap molasses. You will develop your own methods over a few seasons based on your preferences. I should also mention to keep anything on top skimmed off all through the cooking process. It will actually cook into the syrup if not skimmed often and will then be impossible to remove.
Thank you for all the great tips! We did know a bit about skimming the foam off the top but the letting the canes sit for a few days after cutting is new to us! Looking forward to giving this a try again next year, this is only our second year growing the Mennonite sorghum so still a few tweaks to work out etc. The candy thermometer is also something we need to invest in because it would work well for this and other syrups. Thank you for sharing these pointers!
I don't have a press or juicer of any sort, so I split the canes lengthwise and use water extraction. Water extraction definitely creates a pretty strongly flavored product compared to sorghum syrup from the grocery store. It's pretty salty, actually, which might indicate a high mineral content. One step I do which eliminates most of the foaming and creates a clearer syrup is to clarify the juice before boiling it down. I add a small amount of bentonite (home brew product, used in fining wine), and store the juice in the refrigerator until it has settled, then decant and reduce the clear liquid. If there's a lot of juice, I will do a partial cook before fining. I usually harvest my small batch of canes early during seed set, before the plants have invested their stored sugars into making starches to fill the grain.
This was a crop common over 100years ago and was taken to a local mill by the wagon load by my Grandfather, my cousin has dairy cows and grew some for sileage. Thanks for sharing.
I love learning new things! I had no idea it was grown as a crop in Ontario so that's very interesting! It certainly does have a lot of promise on a small scale.
My grandparents were Americans and ate sor ghum ,molasses almost inter changeable thought maple syrup was too sweet lol this brought back some nice memories thanks
That's really cool! its so funny how things fall out of favor sometimes. We are finding that each of the sweet syrups have slightly different uses which is kind of fun!
I am Joe from Springfield Missouri. Just found your video and watched it. I’m betting that the pioneers did it that way first before they ended up making machines doing a lot easier anyway yeah you were saying about the information and everything like that you can’t find it or enough of the information, as far as I know, there’s a few different crops out there, but it doesn’t say what crop makes syrup I seen ones that say sorghum sun grass, but it’s not as high as the ones with the seeds on top and that’s what I’m looking for. Do you have a name of that crop only what it’s cause I’m gonna try put some in the backyard of my house.
We do harvest the grain from them but this variety is a bit long to mature for our area so we don't always get viable grains off them (this year is looking promising though!), or not enough to use for human eating (i.e., usually just enough to plant more the next year kind of thing).
the original seeds came from Annapolis Valley seeds but we have brought some seeds in from Heritage Harvest Seeds both of which are Canadian seed companies.
Sent you 3 emails hope you can read them. They are laid out in order just start with the first email and first photo, 2nd photo etc. Hope this is some help for you guys.
We cook our syrup to between 220*F-225*F on a candy thermometer depending on how thick we want it.
Cut the canes when the seed reach a hard dough stage, strip the leaves and let them sit for about 4 to 7 days before pressing. This will allow some of the starches to convert to sweeter sugars. If the weather is warm, go for the four days, if it’s cool, let them sit about seven days. We live in Tennessee and everyone around here has their own way of processing and cooking sorghum. Everything from lighter syrup to thick black strap molasses. You will develop your own methods over a few seasons based on your preferences.
I should also mention to keep anything on top skimmed off all through the cooking process. It will actually cook into the syrup if not skimmed often and will then be impossible to remove.
Thank you for all the great tips! We did know a bit about skimming the foam off the top but the letting the canes sit for a few days after cutting is new to us! Looking forward to giving this a try again next year, this is only our second year growing the Mennonite sorghum so still a few tweaks to work out etc. The candy thermometer is also something we need to invest in because it would work well for this and other syrups. Thank you for sharing these pointers!
Looks like sugar cane juice 😍😍😍😍😍😍
I don't have a press or juicer of any sort, so I split the canes lengthwise and use water extraction. Water extraction definitely creates a pretty strongly flavored product compared to sorghum syrup from the grocery store. It's pretty salty, actually, which might indicate a high mineral content.
One step I do which eliminates most of the foaming and creates a clearer syrup is to clarify the juice before boiling it down. I add a small amount of bentonite (home brew product, used in fining wine), and store the juice in the refrigerator until it has settled, then decant and reduce the clear liquid. If there's a lot of juice, I will do a partial cook before fining.
I usually harvest my small batch of canes early during seed set, before the plants have invested their stored sugars into making starches to fill the grain.
This was a crop common over 100years ago and was taken to a local mill by the wagon load by my Grandfather, my cousin has dairy cows and grew some for sileage. Thanks for sharing.
I love learning new things! I had no idea it was grown as a crop in Ontario so that's very interesting! It certainly does have a lot of promise on a small scale.
My grandparents were Americans and ate sor ghum ,molasses almost inter changeable thought maple syrup was too sweet lol this brought back some nice memories thanks
That's really cool! its so funny how things fall out of favor sometimes. We are finding that each of the sweet syrups have slightly different uses which is kind of fun!
What about turning the stalks into bio-char?
Beautiful farm. I just ordered 100 seeds of Rox Orange here in Texas see if I can get some syrup next year. When is the best time to pick for syrup?
Would a steam juicer work?
Aren't you supposed to remove the leaves? I heard it makes for a bitter taste.
I am Joe from Springfield Missouri. Just found your video and watched it. I’m betting that the pioneers did it that way first before they ended up making machines doing a lot easier anyway yeah you were saying about the information and everything like that you can’t find it or enough of the information, as far as I know, there’s a few different crops out there, but it doesn’t say what crop makes syrup I seen ones that say sorghum sun grass, but it’s not as high as the ones with the seeds on top and that’s what I’m looking for. Do you have a name of that crop only what it’s cause I’m gonna try put some in the backyard of my house.
Do you harvest them for the juice or the grain as well?
We do harvest the grain from them but this variety is a bit long to mature for our area so we don't always get viable grains off them (this year is looking promising though!), or not enough to use for human eating (i.e., usually just enough to plant more the next year kind of thing).
A paint strainer bag should fit your collection pot and then you can strain the juice by removing the bag.
Fantastic idea. We shall have to get one for this year's harvest. Thanks for the tip.
Where did you get the Mennonite sorghum seeds?
the original seeds came from Annapolis Valley seeds but we have brought some seeds in from Heritage Harvest Seeds both of which are Canadian seed companies.
Where could we buy this seed for next year?
Annapolis Seeds annapolisseeds.com/ have them as well as Heritage Harvest Seeds heritageharvestseed.com/pages/heirloom-vegetables
Sent you 3 emails hope you can read them. They are laid out in order just start with the first email and first photo, 2nd photo etc. Hope this is some help for you guys.
Thank you very much for the information! looking forward to reading through it all.