Sorghum Making

Sorghum Making. . , Making sorghum molasses became popular during the Civil War, when supplies of sugar and corn syrup were interrupted. The practice continues today in many communities, where the sweet smell of boiling sorghum can be enjoyed in the cool October air. , A horse or mule, hitched to a sweep about ten feet long, walks in a circle, turning the rollers of the sorghum mill. As stalks are fed through the rotating rollers, the extracted, bright green juice passes through a cloth strainer and into a barrel. Today, gasoline engines have largely replaced traditional horse or mule power. , The juice is cooked for several hours in an evaporator, or boiler box, similar to the one to your left. As the syrup thickens and turns caramel color, watchful cooks skim the dark foam that forms on the surface. When the batch reaches the desired consistency, it is strained and bottled or canned. About 10 gallons of juice yield one gallon of syrup. Many people prefer the taste of sorghum to molasses made from sugar cane. , [illustration caption] , At harvest, workers strip the leaves and cut the red seed pods, or head, from the cane. Using a hoe or other blade, they cut and then stack the stalks.