The seeds are eagerly eaten by chickens and other animals, and are most palatable when cracked. If the saline-based land and the sorghum-growing land are used for cultivating sweet sorghum, then the planting areas would amount to 970 kha, producing 0.35 million tons of bioethanol. This corn could be very immature when it is harvested. Already a Member but Already a Member? Already a Member but One of the most versatile members of the grass family, sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) can be grown for grain, crafting or for processing into sorghum syrup. Sorghum canes grow throughout summer and form large seed heads that usually turn brick-red as they mature, typically in late summer or early fall. You should plant about a quarter-pound of seed for the initial sowing, and then replant a few weeks later in areas of poor germination. Late planting also puts the crop at risk for hotter weather and drier conditions and commonly produces a smaller yield than spring-planted crops. Growers are also raising cane, so to speak: Sweet sorghum, sometimes called cane sorghum, yields a mild syrup similar in consistency to molasses. growing period, short reaping and storing time are the main problems for biofuels. don't have an online GrainMaker  Step aside, honey and maple syrup — there’s a new sweetener on the block, and it can be grown and processed right at home. Ten gallons of sorghum juice will make approximately 1 gallon of syrup. As you start squeezing the canes, build a fire in the pit. This pan holds up to 50 gallons and can cook as few as 30 gallons without scorching the syrup. Cut a stalk every week during the last few weeks of maturity, strip away the cane and chew on the pith to taste the juice as its flavor changes from grassy to sweet. Many factors work together to turn out a unique batch of homemade sorghum syrup each time. Gardeners should prepare their plots when the soil temperatures are at 60 degrees to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. • The National sweet sorghum regional test shows that lodging and low sugar content are the problems for biofuels. Box 588 Poteau, OK 74953 Phone: 918.647.9123 Sweet Sorghum planting in China Sow seeds one-half inch deep and 4 inches apart, and thin to 8 inches apart when the seedlings are 4 inches tall. Sherry Leverich Tucker is inspired and fascinated by country skills — especially sorghum-making, market gardening and hog-raising. Its harvest timing is very different than corn silage if you want to get it right. Sorghum seed must be planted, thinned and fertilized in late May to early June, after the ground is warm. For example, we use a stainless steel pan that’s 6 feet long and 3 feet wide with 6-inch-high sides. At the end of a day of sorghum-making, the pan has been licked clean, rinsed out and set to rest against a nearby tree. I’m helping MOTHER EARTH NEWS lead a sorghum revival so that you, too, can experience the sweet satisfaction of becoming one step closer to food self-sufficiency. Undercooking can cause it to develop mold, and leaving the “green” foam can make the syrup go rancid. Canadian subscriptions: 1 year (includes postage & GST). When made at home, every batch of sorghum syrup turns out a little different because many variables play a part in the process. Sandy soils in warm climates are especially good for growing sorghum because it withstands drought and flooding better than corn does. Leave one narrow end of the pit open for adding firewood, and build out the opposite end with cinder blocks for a stovepipe large enough to ensure a good draw for the fire. Sherry Leverich Tucker is inspired and fascinated by country skills — especially sorghum-making, market gardening and hog-raising. Developing a new mill design for hand-crank sorghum processing. You must decide when the syrup is finished based on thickness and taste, which is a learning process. There is no rush to plant sorghum, which needs warm soil to germinate and grow. Cracked grain sorghum makes excellent animal feed. AGECON 99-055, Univ. Canadian Subscribers - Click Here Fertilize and cultivate your sorghum planting as you would a crop of corn, though sorghum won’t require as much nitrogen. I grew up helping my family make sweet sorghum syrup. Edwards Engineering  We needed another ‘sweet’ option here on the farm too (we tap maple trees and have bee hives). don't have an online Sign in with your online account. When the canes are ready for harvest, call in friends and family — the harvest and processing steps will require extra hands on deck. You say this can be grown and processed at home, but I am left wondering how on earth you grind and press 8-foot stalks at home. 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