For most sorghum varieties, the maturity of the seed also marks the peak level of sugar content present in the juice. Comparatively, a smaller, 100-square-foot crop (two 50-foot rows) would produce about 6 gallons of juice and two-thirds gallon of syrup. Sorghum grows best where summers are quite warm, with daytime temperatures regularly topping 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Developing a new mill design for hand-crank sorghum processing. Send her your sorghum-making memories and recipes and she will post them on her blog, A Modern Missouri Homesteader. That sounds like something that would require special equipment. Understand the three types of sorghum is key to choosing the best varieties to grow. Already a Member? Prepare soil much as you would for corn, and be sure to mix a balanced organic fertilizer into the bed or row before planting. Sorghum seed must be planted, thinned and fertilized in late May to early June, after the ground is warm. It's an annual crop that produces 20+ tons of biomass per acre, which you crush to extract the juice and make sorghum syrup (to me the taste is somewhere between honey & molasses). Read more: Find more step-by-step details from the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture’s guidebook Sweet Sorghum Production and Processing on Sorghum Production: Milling and Cooking and Learn About Growing Sorghum: A Natural Sweetener. When the syrup is complete, the pan needs to be transferred from the heat to a heat-safe surface. Shorter season: ‘Della,’ ‘Rox Orange’ (aka ‘Waconia’), ‘Sugar Drip’, Longer season: ‘Dale,’ ‘M81E,’ ‘White African’. The ground, pressed canes yield a sweet, light green juice that is then cooked into sorghum syrup. Follow us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/SurvivalHT Growing and Harvesting Sorghum for Livestock Feed. You can begin cooking after you’ve pressed at least half of your canes. India is the second largest producer of sorghum in the world, producing ∼10–11 million tons from a … Sorghums are fast-growing, warm weather annuals that will provide plenty of feed in mid-summer when many other forages slow down. Sweet sorghum grows as a cane from 6 to 10 feet tall and makes a cone-shaped seed head filled with BB-sized seeds. The long growing season makes late planting of sorghum risky in cooler climates. The syrup is sometimes incorrectly referred to as sorghum molasses. 24.05.17. I grew up helping my family make sweet sorghum syrup. Sweet sorghum is a perennial crop in areas that don't have a winter freeze. Like to read more content, Join the Mother Earth News Community Today! Many grain sorghum varieties grow to only 5 feet tall, but sweet sorghum and broom corn plants can top 8 feet. Varietal choice The two preferred varieties in Zimbabwe are: SC SILA Place the clean pan over the fire and immediately pour the juice in, adding the remaining juice to the pan as you press. I remember the sorghum canes growing in our garden, and the late summer day we harvested our crop. Undercooking can cause it to develop mold, and leaving the “green” foam can make the syrup go rancid. (I’ve shared many of these stories in my blog, A Modern Missouri Homesteader.) You must decide when the syrup is finished based on thickness and taste, which is a learning process. These machines were traditionally powered by animal labor, but a small tractor or electric motor is now more common. Sorghum is fairly drought-tolerant and grows quickly following a rain, so irrigation shouldn’t be necessary in most climates. Sweet As is great for grazing and also makes excellent silage. Growing sorghum is a good choice as a rotation crop due to its high heat and moisture stress tolerance. These aren’t only old, nearly forgotten memories. Learn techniques for growing sorghum and for processing your sorghum harvest into syrup for a healthy sugar alternative. Similar to sugar cane molasses in flavor and use, sweet sorghum syrup contains healthy doses of calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron. Thick, juicy stalks make for mighty fine sorghum syrup once squeezed and boiled down over a wood fire. Fertilize and cultivate your sorghum planting as you would a crop of corn, though sorghum won’t require as much nitrogen. It has been proven to be highly palatable due to its large leaf and medium sized juicy sweet stalks which also increases its energy value. Check around for sorghum festivals in your area, and visit the website of the National Sweet Sorghum Producers and Processors Association to get in touch with folks near where you live. When made at home, every batch of sorghum syrup turns out a little different because many variables play a part in the process. Canadian subscriptions: 1 year (includes postage & GST). Already a Member but Sweet sorghum is harvested about two weeks after the milk stage by cutting off the canes at ground level, stripping off the leaves, and setting aside the green canes. Survival Skills, Garden Planning, Seed Saving, Food Preservation, Natural Health – Dozens of courses, 100+ workshops, and interactive Q&As. Another positive climate change value of this crop is that it consumes less water. Skills — especially sorghum-making, market gardening and hog-raising which is a perennial crop in areas that do have... Rotation crop due to its high heat and moisture stress tolerance sorghum go through an immature “ milk stage. With a high-nitrogen liquid fertilizer to invigorate new growth approximately 1 gallon of syrup syrup. The fire is built higher, kids are playing hide-and-seek, the pan needs to be.... Moisture stress tolerance growing advice for many more garden crops, check out our crops. 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