A self sufficiency goal achieved....
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I was thinking of the molasses left over from the sugar making process being distilled into rum.
I'm struggling with the coffee plant to be honest - just not hot enough here. I am tempted to try tea though....it suits our climate well
In the Civil War and both world Wars, roasted chickory root was used as a coffee stretcher or even as a total substitute in some cases. Still makes a really good additive for Cajun coffee. It gives it a nice bite.
Both are possible santaman - the molasses is a by product of a fairly complex refining process. But at its simplest you can dissolve out the sugar into solution and ferment the solution in a lot less manufacturing steps. Both work.
and boiled it down to
Yeah commercial prcesses are complex. But when I was a kid the local (Mississippi not Florida) cane mills just pressed the cane to remder the juice (an old wine press should work) then boiled it down into molasses. They never deliberately went further to refine sugar though as the molasses itself was their goal. They also sold raw cane juice by the gallon jug for drinking as is.
IIRC you're using sugar beets though? Is their a difference in the process? I know they have a lot of commercial beet farms and sugar refineries out West here (Utah, Wyoming, etc.) but I never visited them so I know absolutely nothing about the process there.
Yeah its a lot more complex getting the sugar out from something of a turnip like consistency. Cane would be simpler - but I don't think the climate would be suitable here. I'll do a write up when I get a minute
I'm struggling with the coffee plant to be honest - just not hot enough here. I am tempted to try tea though....it suits our climate well
I've grown both and even managed a few coffee beans
but about a tenth of the size of commercial ones. I don't think it requires too much heat but I haven't got the space at the moment.The tea grew well and now I'm in Devon I'll get some more plants as camellias see to grow well down here, processing is a bit of a faff.
Did your yacon survive? Ours sulked for much of the year but has put a spurt on in the last couple of months.
Yes thank you sir, the Yacon seems to be doing very well - its tucked up next to the Oca...probably 5' or a bit more in height now...I have high hopes....
If yours doesn't pan out - I'll be delighted to return the favour of some starts
Thanks, I expect I'll have a good few tubers for next year for myself and to give away. Don't forget to take care overwintering them, they don't like much frost. I tend to leave a bit of stem on the crown of growing shoots, in a pot of dryish soil in a cool place and protect from mice.
Sorry for the slight thread hijack.
Meh, I love thread drift - its just a conversation between interested people. I'm looking forward to trying the Yacon - I want to make a sort of "maple syrup".......
xylaria
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
That is excellant, i am really interested in growing my own sugars, when I found out how much mercury gets lost in making some types of the "white stuff" and sugar that is added to food, i was horrified http://www.iatp.org/files/421_2_105026.pdf
Some native grasses have sugaryness that can be chewed out of the base, but i doubt there would be enough to process the sugar out. Sugar cane is oozing juice, the native sweet grasses are much shorter and drier.
Brown unrefined sugar is better than white, it has more goodness like iron and other minerals.
Some native grasses have sugaryness that can be chewed out of the base, but i doubt there would be enough to process the sugar out. Sugar cane is oozing juice, the native sweet grasses are much shorter and drier.
Brown unrefined sugar is better than white, it has more goodness like iron and other minerals.
I do like a muscavado myself This is....not like any sugar I have ever eaten to be honest. Somewhere between demerara and toffee in taste (I kid you not)
This is....not like any sugar I have ever eaten to be honest. Somewhere between demerara and toffee in taste (I kid you not)
xylaria
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Muscavado is good stuff, proper black strap added to bread is good, but malt syrup my fav. I would love to know how to make home grown malt syrup.
Anyone smell white sugar, then smell any of the unprocessed sugars, what do you notice?
Anyone smell white sugar, then smell any of the unprocessed sugars, what do you notice?
