Sorghum seed to make molasses

paulc_gardener

17 years ago

Where could I find seed to grow sorghum and make molasses?

How large a patch would I need to make at least 1 galon? It's been over 50 years since I grew it and need some info.

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Comments (8)

jimster
17 years ago
Sandhill Preservation Center has quite a few varieties of sorghum. Their packets are just 1 oz., but they say that will plant a 100 ft. row. and the packets are not expensive. I don't know how much you will need.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Sandhill Preservation Center
Linda_Lou
17 years ago
You can check here, too. I have never known anyone who grew their own.
Here is a fun site, complete with pictures on how to grow and make it.
http://www.ltl.appstate.edu/436/schools/beech/community/molasses/molassesmake.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: sorghum seeds
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mscratch
17 years ago
I am by no means near being an expert on this..I did watch a neighbor in Mo. do this..It takes ALOT of cane and you must be able to press the juice out, dont forget that, then it has to be boiled correctly in a large pan..this was all performed outside in Oct. I do not have any idea how this could be made inside a house.. It's very time consuming and one has to know exactly what they are doing in order to not scorch the juice..there was a shed used that housed the large pan and a fire was kept burning beneath the pan.. My suggestion is to go online and research the making of this and see what and all you would require. There was two operations that made homemade sorghum in our area and one man used a mule and wheel to extract the juice and another used a tractor with a 3 point hitch hooked to his extractor as the cane has to be crushed severely to get the juice.
paulc_gardener
Original Author
17 years ago
When we grew it 50 plus years ago, we could take to a very large mill here which is no longer in business. I have a large fire pit I can use for the cooking. A 14 ft hay wagon stacked high with stripped cane would yeild about 4 gallons.
jimster
17 years ago
Could you improvise a way of crushing the cane? Maybe driving over it with a vehicle or lawn roller? The hard part would be devising a way to collect the juice. But maybe a bit of imagination could solve that.

Jim
paulc_gardener
Original Author
17 years ago
I have thought of using a vinyl roller. They are about 80 pounds and 6 inches in dia, 12 inches wide. I have an old ringer washer but I don't think it would create enough pressure.
kmatcek
17 years ago
You gotta have a cane press for getting the juice.
Making sorghum is a dying art. Look on e-bay for a cain press and you will have to use that to extract the juice.
I have wanted to get into this for years and want to learn the trade but it is dying.
ksrogers
17 years ago
Maybe a new, clean, stainless steel type, electric garbage disposal will work. I do know that there is a person who uses one to grind up apples for cider.

Sorghum seed to make molasses

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Sorghum seed to make molasses

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