How To Make Molasses From Sorghum

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Autumn, to me, is the best time of the yr. I love baking, and autumn, with it's absurd temperatures, is the best time to bake. It warms the house and smells incredible. In my recipes I use a lot of molasses, but it's difficult to notice locally made molasses and when I do, it's so expensive (although non-local is relatively cheap). So, I fix out to larn how to make molasses from sorghum juice. True molasses is made from sugar cane, but sorghum juice boiled downwardly has come to be called molasses likewise. That's what nosotros're after here.

Why Utilise Molasses?

Molasses comes from several sources, and all of them have dissimilar attributes. Well-nigh of them lend wet to baked dishes like pecan pie and chocolate-brown breadstuff. It also adds considerable flavor to baked beans. In addition to these, molasses has the following benefits:

• rich in copper
• rich in atomic number 26
• low glycemic index (digested slowly past the torso)
• natural stool softener for constipation
• loftier in calcium
• high in magnesium
• loftier in Vitamin B6

How to Make Molasses From Sorghum Juice

Most commercial molasses is made from sugar cane, which merely grows in tropical and sub-tropical areas. Hither in North Carolina, sugar cane may grow well in the summer, simply it doesn't get to the size it needs to produce a lot of juice. So nosotros use sorghum, since it grows well in temperate regions.

Sorghum is a grass that grows well in most climates. "Sugar Drip" and "Rox Orange" are two good varieties and it's inexpensive to purchase these seeds. Constitute as yous would corn and harvest the canes when set to make molasses.

Annotation from Matt and Betsy: If you lot don't have access to sorghum, non-local molasses is relatively cheap to purchase. Y'all can find an organic variety hither.

Procedure

1. Cut the canes off about 6 inches from the basis. These need to be juiced. Often a crushing mill is used and can sometimes be borrowed from neighboring farms. If you lot don't have access to one, a cider press will work equally volition an herb press. And if yous don't have one of these, you can boil the cane in a chip of water and beat in a chinois, the conical sieve used for straining fruit peels and seeds for jam.
2. It takes almost ten gallons of juice to make a gallon of molasses. I go along several gallon jugs on hand when I make molasses. Crush enough cane to make 10 gallons of juice. Then, in a big kettle, beginning simmering role of it. I first with about 4 gallons. Plow it on depression and warm it slowly. Recollect, there is a lot of natural sugar in cane juice and it tin can scorch easily. Bring the juice to a simmer and proceed it at that place for several hours. This can also be done exterior to reduce the energy used. I use my firepit and continue it topped off with wood. (Incidentally, I use the wood char for biochar subsequently.) A splatter screen used for frying foods works well to keep any ashes out of the pot.
3. As the juice simmers, you'll notice a foam starting to grade on the top. Skim this off. (I keep this cream and add information technology to water for my plants. Remember, the foam is full of nutrients likewise.) As the juice starts to reduce, add more than until information technology'southward all in the pot. It volition be clear or greenish at starting time, working downward to green and so finally to brown. This is a event of the sugars in the pikestaff juice oxidizing. Several factors may play into the colour of the juice, including content of the soil, moisture, and fifty-fifty seed variety and quality. So your end product may be unlike in color. You'll know it'south done when it no longer tastes like the raw juice and is thick like corn syrup. The stop result will exist fifty-fifty thicker when it cools. Be certain to bring it all the way to this phase as undercooking it tin crusade it to spoil and tin can cause mold to grow.
4. When the juice is reduced to about 10% (1 gallon from ten gallons), it'southward set up to can. Pour into make clean jars and seal in a hot water bath every bit you would for canning tomatoes. Then to utilize, use as y'all would whatsoever other molasses.

Do you lot use molasses in your cooking? What'southward your favorite use for information technology?

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Debra is a master gardener, a certified herbalist, a natural living teacher, and more. She taught Matt and Betsy how to make soap so they decided to bring her on as a staff writer! Debra recently started an organic herb farm in the mountains of Western N Carolina. You lot can even purchase her handmade products on Amazon!

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