Sweet sorghum

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A jar of sweet sorghum syrup Sorghum jar.jpg
A jar of sweet sorghum syrup

Sweet sorghum or sorgo [1] is any of the many varieties of the sorghum grass whose stalks have a high sugar content. Sweet sorghum thrives better under drier and warmer conditions than many other crops and is grown primarily for forage, silage, and syrup production.

Contents

Sweet sorghum syrup is known as sorghum molasses in some regions of the United States, though in most of the U.S. the term molasses refers to a sweet syrupy byproduct of sugarcane or sugar beet sugar extraction. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Cultivation

Sweet sorghum has been widely cultivated in the U.S. since the 1850s for use in sweeteners, primarily in the form of sorghum syrup. In 1857 James F. C. Hyde wrote, "Few subjects are of greater importance to us, as a people, than the producing of sugar; for no country in the world consumes so much as the United States, in proportion to its population." The price of sugar was rising because of decreased production in the British West Indies and more demand for confectionery and fruit preserves, and the United States was actively searching for a sugar plant that could be produced in northern states. The "Chinese sugar-cane" as it was called was viewed as a plant that would be productive and high-yielding in that region. [6]

In the early 1860s, the American Civil War not only disrupted both interstate and maritime commerce but also diverted commodities from civilian to military purchases; these factors rendered some food and fiber supplies, including sugar cane and the sugar and molasses made from it, unreliable and expensive. In particular, the South was under naval blockade by the Union navy, making importation of Caribbean cane sugar and molasses expensive and scarce via blockade running. Under these conditions, some farms grew sweet sorghum for syrup to substitute for cane sugar and molasses, which helped ensconce sweet sorghum in Southern food culture. At the same time, anti-slavery families boycotting sweeteners made under slavery as "blood-stained" [7] could grow sorghum and make the syrup in the North, so it was not solely a Southern foodstuff.

By the early 1900s, the U.S. produced 20 million US gallons (76,000 m3) of sweet sorghum syrup annually. Making syrup from sorghum (as from sugar cane) is heavily labor-intensive. Following World War II, with the declining availability of farm labor, sorghum syrup production fell drastically. Currently,[ when? ] less than 1 million US gallons (3,800 m3) are produced annually in the U.S.[ citation needed ]

In Central India it was introduced in the early 1970s by Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute [8] [9] for ethanol and syrup production. Sweet sorghum syrup has shown good antioxidant properties and is found to be useful in food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. [10] Presently it is grown on large area as a fodder crop.

Most sorghum grown for syrup production is grown in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Missouri, and Tennessee. [11]

Uses

Sorghum syrup and hot biscuits are a traditional breakfast in the Southern United States. Sorghum syrup is also used on pancakes, cornmeal mush, grits and other hot cereals. It can be used as a cooking ingredient with a similar sweetening effect as molasses, though blackstrap molasses still has a higher nutritional value than sorghum syrup in most regards. [12] In India sweet sorghum syrup is promoted as a health food. [13] [14]

In the U.S. since the 1950s, sorghum has been raised primarily for forage and silage, with sorghum cultivation for cattle feed concentrated in the Great Plains (Texas, Kansas, and Nebraska are the leading producers), particularly in areas where insufficient rainfall and high temperature make corn production unprofitable.

Grain sorghum has also been used by the ethanol industry for quite some time because it yields about the same amount of ethanol per bushel as corn. As new-generation ethanol processes are studied and improved, sorghum's role may continue to expand. [15] Texas A&M University ran trials to ascertain the best varieties for ethanol production from sorghum leaves and stalks in the USA. [16]

In India and other places, sweet sorghum stalks are used for producing biofuel by squeezing the juice and then fermenting into ethanol. [17] The crop is particularly suitable for growing in dryland conditions, as it only extracts one-seventh of the water used by sugarcane. [18]

A 2015 study by researchers at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) found that growing sweet sorghum instead of grain sorghum could increase farmers' incomes by US$40 per hectare per crop because it can provide food, feed, and fuel. With grain sorghum currently grown on over 11 million ha in Asia and on 23.4 million ha in Africa, a switch to sweet sorghum could have a considerable economic impact. [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double sugars, are molecules made of two bonded monosaccharides; common examples are sucrose, lactose, and maltose. White sugar is a refined form of sucrose. In the body, compound sugars are hydrolysed into simple sugars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugar beet</span> Plant grown commercially for sugar production

A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and which is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet. Together with other beet cultivars, such as beetroot and chard, it belongs to the subspecies Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris but classified as var. saccharifera . Its closest wild relative is the sea beet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sucrose</span> Disaccharide made of glucose and fructose

Sucrose, a disaccharide, is a sugar composed of glucose and fructose subunits. It is produced naturally in plants and is the main constituent of white sugar. It has the molecular formula C
12H
22O
11.

<i>Sorghum</i> Genus of flowering plants

Sorghum or broomcorn is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Sorghum bicolor and some other species are grown as cereals for human consumption and as animal fodder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molasses</span> Viscous by-product of the refining of sugarcane, grapes, or sugar beets into sugar

Molasses is a viscous byproduct, principally obtained from the refining of sugarcane or sugar beet juice into sugar. Molasses varies in the amount of sugar, the method of extraction and age of the plant. Sugarcane molasses is usually used to sweeten and flavour foods. Molasses is a major constituent of fine commercial brown sugar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syrup</span> Thick, viscous solution of sugar in water

In cooking, syrup is a condiment that is a thick, viscous liquid consisting primarily of a solution of sugar in water, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars but showing little tendency to deposit crystals. In its concentrated form, its consistency is similar to that of molasses. The viscosity arises from the multiple hydrogen bonds between the dissolved sugar, which has many hydroxyl (OH) groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaggery</span> Unrefined cane sugar

Jaggery is a traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Central America, Brazil and Africa. It is a concentrated product of cane juice and often date or palm sap without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can vary from golden brown to dark brown in colour. It contains up to 50% sucrose, up to 20% invert sugars, and up to 20% moisture, with the remainder made up of other insoluble matter, such as wood ash, proteins, and bagasse fibres. Jaggery is very similar to muscovado, an important sweetener in Portuguese, British and French cuisine. The Kenyan Sukari ngutu/nguru has no fibre; it is dark and is made from sugarcane and also sometimes extracted from palm tree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethanol fuel</span> Type of biofuel

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden syrup</span> Thick amber-colored form of inverted sugar syrup

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corn kernel</span> Fruit of corn

Corn kernels are the fruits of corn. Maize is a grain, and the kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable or a source of starch. The kernel comprise endosperm, germ, pericarp, and tip cap.

<i>Sorghum bicolor</i> Species of plant

Sorghum bicolor, commonly called sorghum and also known as great millet, broomcorn, guinea corn, durra, imphee, jowar, or milo, is a grass species cultivated for its grain, which is used for food for humans, animal feed, and ethanol production. Sorghum originated in Africa, and is now cultivated widely in tropical and subtropical regions.

Biofuel is fuel that is produced from organic matter (biomass), including plant materials and animal waste. It is considered a renewable source of energy that can assist in reducing carbon emissions. The two main types of biofuel currently being produced in Australia are biodiesel and bioethanol, used as replacements for diesel and petrol (gasoline) respectively. As of 2017 Australia is a relatively small producer of biofuels, accounting for 0.2% of world bioethanol production and 0.1% of world biodiesel production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commercial sorghum</span>

Commercial sorghum is the cultivation and commercial exploitation of species of grasses within the genus Sorghum. These plants are used for grain, fibre and fodder. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Commercial Sorghum species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugarcane</span> Several species of grass used for sugar production

Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, perennial grass that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sucrose, which accumulates in the stalk internodes. Sugarcanes belong to the grass family, Poaceae, an economically important flowering plant family that includes maize, wheat, rice, and sorghum, and many forage crops. It is native to the warm temperate and tropical regions of India, Southeast Asia, and New Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sustainable biofuel</span> Non-fossil-based sustainable production

Sustainable biofuel is biofuel produced in a sustainable manner. It is not based on petroleum or other fossil fuels. It includes not using plants that are used for food stuff to produce the fuel thus disrupting the world's food supply.

Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) is a non-governmental organization and non-profit research and development institute in Phaltan, Maharashtra, India. (NARI) undertakes research and development in the fields of agriculture, renewable energy, animal husbandry and sustainable development. Shri B. V. Nimbkar founded the institute in 1968 and remained its president until 1990. Currently, Dr. Anil K. Rajvanshi is the director of the institute, whereas Dr. Nandini Nimbkar is the president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Non-centrifugal cane sugar</span> Traditional raw sugar obtained by evaporating water from sugarcane juice

Non-centrifugal cane sugar (NCS) is the technical name given to traditional raw sugar obtained by evaporating water from sugarcane juice. NCS is internationally recognized as a discrete and unique product by the FAO since 1964 and by the World Customs Organization (WCO) since 2007. WCO defines NCS as "cane sugar obtained without centrifugation". It also states that "the product contains only natural anhedral micro-crystals, of irregular shape, not visible to the naked eye, which are surrounded by molasses' residues and other constituents of sugar cane". NCS is produced in most sugarcane-growing regions of the world, being known by many different names such as panela, jaggery, or gur. Some varieties of muscovado are non-centrifugal.

References

  1. ↑ "sorgo noun". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  2. ↑ Rapuano, Rina (12 September 2012). "Sorghum Travels From The South To The Mainstream". NPR.org.
  3. ↑ Bitzer, Morris. Sweet Sorghum for Syrup. Publication. N.p.: U of Kentucky, 2002. Web. 22 May 2014. <http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CCD/introsheets/swsorghumintro.pdf>
  4. ↑ Curtin, Leo V. MOLASSES - GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. Publication. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and University of Florida, n.d. Web. 22 May 2014. <http://rcrec-ona.ifas.ufl.edu/pdf/publications/molasses-general-considerations..pdf Archived 2018-09-21 at the Wayback Machine >.
  5. ↑ "Indiana State Department of Health Division of Consumer Protection Food Protection ProgramGuidance on Sorghum Production–March 19, 2008" (PDF). in.gov.
  6. ↑ Hyde, James F.C. (1857). The Chinese Sugar-Cane: Its History, Mode of Culture, Manufacture of the Sugar, Etc. with Reports of Its Success in Different Portions of the United States, and Letters from Distinguished Men. Boston: J. P. Jewett.
  7. ↑ McWorter, Gerald; Williams-McWorter, Kate (2018). New Philadelphia . p. 80.
  8. ↑ "Sweet sorghum R&D at the Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI)". ResearchGate.
  9. ↑ "Do You Know About This Wonder Crop That Can Be Used As Fuel, Paper And Delicious Bread Spread?". The Better India. 12 January 2015.
  10. ↑ "Sweet Sorghum Syrup R&D in India" (PDF). Current Science. 25 December 2020.
  11. ↑ "Did You Know?: Farm Facts About Sweet Sorghum". Archived from the original on 2014-11-11. Retrieved 2014-08-13.
  12. ↑ "Sorghum Syrup". Spiritfoods. Archived from the original on 27 August 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  13. ↑ "Sweet Sorghum Syrup R&D in India". Current Science. December 2020.
  14. ↑ "From Food to Fodder, Here's How This Magic Plant Can Take Care of Our Needs". The Better India. 20 December 2018.
  15. ↑ "Sweet sorghum – Opportunities for a new renewable fuel and food industry in Australia". RIRDC. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  16. ↑ Ceres and Texas A&M to Develop and Market High-Biomass Sorghum for Biofuels Archived July 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  17. ↑ "Sweet Sorghum : A New "Smart Biofuel Crop"". Agriculture Business Week. 30 June 2008. Archived from the original on 27 May 2015.
  18. ↑ "Icrisat embarks on biofuels initiative for dryland farmers". International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). Mar 14, 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  19. ↑ Sweet sorghum for food, feed and fuel Archived 2015-09-04 at the Wayback Machine New Agriculturalist, January 2008.
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