sorghum

[jerseycub]

I have been looking for the post on sorghum and couldn't find it, I wanted to post some information on sorghum that I was reading in the January/February issue of Hobby Farms. In regard to the different types of sorghum. There are seed types that are grown for various wildlife including birds. One grain sorghum head houses approx. 750 to 1,250 seeds. Sweet sorghum can produce $2,000 per acre and the US is the worlds largest sorghum producer.

Sorghum doesn't require fertile soil and would be a good crop to grow on spent fields.

The sweet sorghum verities can grow up to 12 feet

Before 1940 most grain-sorghum verities stood 5-7 feet

today thanks to dwarfing genes, most grow to 2-4 feet

Sorghum is a member of the grass family and the grains and leaves can be used as silage.

Plant grain sorghum at a depth of 1-2 inches and 10 lbs per acre if using a seed drill or 15-20 lbs per acre if broadcasting

Grain sorghum thrives in dry hot conditions soil temp. at planting 60-65 deg. Average July temp. at least 80 deg. Average daytime temp. at least 90 deg.

A. Member of the grass family, sorghum is similar to corn and other cereals in terms of vegetative appearance, growth and development. It's verities are classified into four groups.

1. Grown for it's seed, Grain Sorghum is used primarily as a livestock feed in the U.S. However, thanks to a growing demand for gluten-free baking staples, American farmers can cash in on sorghum for human consumption, too.

2. With lower yields than grain sorghum and tall, juicy stalks, sweet sorghum (aka sorgo ) is grown for syrup production.

3. Grass sorghum is grown for feed and hay and developed for rapid growth ( aka sudex ).

4. Introduced to the U.S. by Ben Franklin in the mid-18th century, broom corn is grown for it's fibers, which are used to make brooms and other farm based crafts.

For more information on sorghum try your local county aig agent.
or you can visit Hobbyfarms.com and type in sorghum in the search window.

[Deleted]

As a kid growin up just about everyone grew some sorghum cane.....it was used to make molasses to replace surgar cause phople could'nt afford sugar....the leaves, crushed stalks and seed heads fead the critters on the farm.
I stiil eat it today...i've got 2 quarts right now. Good stuff.

[jerseycub]

Jan 5, 2013 13:05:10 GMT -6 @rumbuzzn said:

As a kid growin up just about everyone grew some sorghum cane.....it was used to make molasses to replace surgar cause phople could'nt afford sugar....the leaves, crushed stalks and seed heads fead the critters on the farm.
I stiil eat it today...i've got 2 quarts right now. Good stuff.

Cave Man the only form of sorghum I have grown in suden grass used for cover crop....that stuff grows fast lots of biomass good for early summer tillage. Do you know what you can do with the see heads of seed sorghum?.....like can you dry it and eat it as cereal?

[Deleted]

I don't know about seed sorhgum, no one ever grew that kind around here.......but the ag commish is tryin to get it legal to grow hemp again.

[jack]

Gidday

Jan 5, 2013 13:05:10 GMT -6 @rumbuzzn said:

As a kid growin up just about everyone grew some sorghum cane.....it was used to make molasses to replace surgar cause phople could'nt afford sugar....the leaves, crushed stalks and seed heads fead the critters on the farm.
I stiil eat it today...i've got 2 quarts right now. Good stuff.

How did they used to make make the molasses and sugar subsitute?

[Deleted]

Like this jack.....only in the old days phople used s mule or horse to run rhe mill.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpbUdAcpA20

[jerseycub]

Jan 6, 2013 5:22:45 GMT -6 @rumbuzzn said:

Like this jack.....only in the old days phople used s mule or horse to run rhe mill.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpbUdAcpA20

There is some good information on making brown sugar in there too.

Looks like an old Farmall running that mill, nice lookin molasses...lots of work making it though.

[Deleted]

Here is how they make sorghum syrup....not the same as sorghum molasses.......

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q87lUGW-G0

[jack]

GIDDAY

O.K. then mate but what is the difference?

[jerseycub]

Jan 9, 2013 2:21:16 GMT -6 jack said:

GIDDAY

O.K. then mate but what is the difference?

Sorghum is syrup and sugar cane is molasses

[ChileFarmer]

JC, molasses is a byproduct from making sugar, from sugarcane or sugar beets. Cane syrup is not the same as molasses by any means. Cane syrup is just like sorghum syrup, light in color and super good. Molasses is added back to white sugar to make brown sugar. Molasses has its place but not as table fare. I grew up making cane syrup and still have a mill. Wish I had the help to grow cane and make syrup. CF

[jerseycub]

Jan 9, 2013 16:35:27 GMT -6 ChileFarmer said:

JC, molasses is a byproduct from making sugar, from sugarcane or sugar beets. Cane syrup is not the same as molasses by any means. Cane syrup is just like sorghum syrup, light in color and super good. Molasses is added back to white sugar to make brown sugar. Molasses has its place but not as table fare. I grew up making cane syrup and still have a mill. Wish I had the help to grow cane and make syrup. CF

OK OK what do you people do hang onto every word. What I should have said was, sorghum is processed into syrup and sugar cane is used to produce molasses or a by product. God please give me a brake. I guess there are no erasers on your pencils. Thanks for setting me straight though.

[spuds]

Jan 10, 2013 10:12:51 GMT -6 jerseycub said:

Jan 9, 2013 16:35:27 GMT -6 ChileFarmer said:

JC, molasses is a byproduct from making sugar, from sugarcane or sugar beets. Cane syrup is not the same as molasses by any means. Cane syrup is just like sorghum syrup, light in color and super good. Molasses is added back to white sugar to make brown sugar. Molasses has its place but not as table fare. I grew up making cane syrup and still have a mill. Wish I had the help to grow cane and make syrup. CF

OK OK what do you people do hang onto every word. What I should have said was, sorghum is processed into syrup and sugar cane is used to produce molasses or a by product. God please give me a brake. I guess there are no erasers on your pencils. Thanks for setting me straight though.

JC,please dont get upset.Often on forums the written word poorly relays what people are trying to say or add to a conversation,Ive never seen anyone be mean on this board on purpose. I am certain no disrespect was intended.

[mogarden]

Molasses is not table fare? I wish I'd known that 60 years ago, lol. I eat molasses (commercial, "black strap") all along, sorghum (called molasses around here) when I can get it. That reminds me, I think I'm outta both! Never a Mennonite around when you want one, lol.

[spuds]

Jan 10, 2013 12:40:27 GMT -6 mogarden said:

Molasses is not table fare? I wish I'd known that 60 years ago, lol. I eat molasses (commercial, "black strap") all along, sorghum (called molasses around here) when I can get it. That reminds me, I think I'm outta both! Never a Mennonite around when you want one, lol.

I use it in my bacon marinade,good stuff!

[jerseycub]

Jan 10, 2013 12:30:10 GMT -6 spuds said:

Jan 10, 2013 10:12:51 GMT -6 jerseycub said:

OK OK what do you people do hang onto every word. What I should have said was, sorghum is processed into syrup and sugar cane is used to produce molasses or a by product. God please give me a brake. I guess there are no erasers on your pencils. Thanks for setting me straight though.

JC,please dont get upset.Often on forums the written word poorly relays what people are trying to say or add to a conversation,Ive never seen anyone be mean on this board on purpose. I am certain no disrespect was intended.

Spuds:

I take no offense it what CF said, I think he is a good person, I was just joking around......dry humor! I forget people can't see my expression on here. I was thinking about using molasses as a ingredient in my brine, but not sure as to what it would work well with. Like pork or chicken, turkey, fish. I have never tried making bacon. I have smoked quite a few chickens lately and found that you can pretty much mess around with the seasonings and such, as lemon juice, vinegar, and apple juice also. Ive even added a little brown sugar.....yes I know that is molasses and sugar.....but I wonder what straight molasses would do to the taste? I'm to cheep to buy a book on smoked meets and probably should, but it's more fun for me to pick peoples brains here and learn.

OH and sorry CF if I came off like a jack ass that was not my intent. JC

[spuds]

Jan 11, 2013 8:25:57 GMT -6 jerseycub said:

Jan 10, 2013 12:30:10 GMT -6 spuds said:

JC,please dont get upset.Often on forums the written word poorly relays what people are trying to say or add to a conversation,Ive never seen anyone be mean on this board on purpose. I am certain no disrespect was intended.

Spuds:

I take no offense it what CF said, I think he is a good person, I was just joking around......dry humor! I forget people can't see my expression on here. I was thinking about using molasses as a ingredient in my brine, but not sure as to what it would work well with. Like pork or chicken, turkey, fish. I have never tried making bacon.

See,just what I thought,dang printed word comes out all wrong sometimes. Glad to hear.

Yup,molasses in brine,as you say,just like sugar,its very good on bacon brine so any sugar honey type brine I would treat it as same.

LOL,I ran spell check and misspelled molasses,one choice was mole asses!! Yup,I use mole asses in my brine!!

[jerseycub]

Jan 11, 2013 15:16:00 GMT -6 spuds said:

Jan 11, 2013 8:25:57 GMT -6 jerseycub said:

Spuds:

I take no offense it what CF said, I think he is a good person, I was just joking around......dry humor! I forget people can't see my expression on here. I was thinking about using molasses as a ingredient in my brine, but not sure as to what it would work well with. Like pork or chicken, turkey, fish. I have never tried making bacon.

See,just what I thought,dang printed word comes out all wrong sometimes. Glad to hear.

Yup,molasses in brine,as you say,just like sugar,its very good on bacon brine so any sugar honey type brine I would treat it as same.

LOL,I ran spell check and misspelled molasses,one choice was mole asses!! Yup,I use mole asses in my brine!!

Mole ass never tried that If it weren't for spell check I would look like an idiot, my spelling and grammar is terrible.