a picture of stalks cut up in water in a slow cooker i cut up and crack the stalks of the sorghum a week after cutting the grain heads. always before frost, which can make them bitter. cover with water and a slow cook them on high for 6 hours, then on low for 3 days. i top up the water so they are always covered. they will turn brown and soft, and the water will turn light brown by the end.
a photo of a large pot on the stove, filled with browned stalks and water. i then move all the sorghum and liquid to a bigger pot on the stove. i crack and break the stalks more, and on a low boil or simmer, cook until the stalks fall apart when handled. by the end, the liquid will be dark brown and the stalks will be mushy.
a photo of a Dutch oven with dark brown liquid being stirred with a wooden spoon after simmering, i strain all the liquid into a Dutch oven. you want a wide pan or pot for this part. on low heat, i cook down the liquid into thick syrup, stirrring pretty often. it will thicken into a smooth, very dark syrup like molasses almost. this can take a few days on low heat.
a photograph of sorghum grain heads, in a white 5 gallon bucket, with loose grain at the bottom. i thresh the grain this way- i lay the heads out to dry on a cookie sheet for a day or so. then put them head down in a foodsafe bucket. whenever I've got to watch the news i take my aggression out by banging the heads against the walls of the bucket, this knocks all the ready grain off, into the bottom. threshing this way keeps all the grain contained and i can do it sitting on the couch. after the heads are all empty I'll winnow this by pouring the grains back and forth between two buckets on a windy day. occasionally I'll smash the grain with my hands or a paddle to get the chaff off.
the ill-equipped sorghum process!
i love sorghum syrup. my partner likes the grain in hot cereal for breakfast. i grow a patch every year.
#sorghum #smallharvests #preservingfood #gardensky #spokanegarden 🌱 #zone7a
description of process in Alt text per usual!
