January 15, 2010

Cane Syrup Cookin’

Homemade Southern Style Biscuits 7:29
My dad skimming the syrup
My siblings and sister n law all gathered around the syrup kettle
Hamp catches a nap on top of the cane syrup scraps. Chasing cows is hard work.
Edward and I skimming the syrup.
My brother, Payton, getting a cooking lesson from the expert, Rusty.
My dad's cane syrup and homemade biscuits

Every year my dad makes homemade cane syrup at the farm down in south Georgia. It is probably more fair to say that he calls some folks who really know how to make syrup and has them come to the farm to give him a lesson. Rusty Davis and his father have been making syrup for years and know the process like the back of their hand.

On the Friday after Thanksgiving, Rusty arrived at the farm with a trailer load of sugar cane from Pelham, Georgia. Over the years, my dad has collected all the tools and equipment necessary to make old fashioned cane syrup. He has a cane press which squeezes the juice out of the sugar cane and a large cast iron syrup kettle that is built over a brick fireplace of sorts. Making syrup is an all day event and takes lots of friends, good food, hard work, and really good scotch to get through the day and into the evening.

Rusty, my dad, and Mr. Edward, started early Friday morning and all the sugar cane was pressed by lunch time. The rest of us just watched and pitched in whenever we were needed, but for the most part we just hung out and exchanged stories. Exhausted from chasing cows, the boykin spaniels bedded down in the pressed sugar cane scraps for an afternoon nap. My sister-n-law, Leslie, who is an excellent cook, brought freshly ground buffalo meat from Ted Turner’s ranch. She made some fine bison burgers, a nice change from all the turkey we had the day before.

After pressing the sugar cane, we started with about 80 gallons of pure cane juice. Rusty poured it into the large cast iron syrup kettle that was set over a fire. By reducing the cane juice for several hours, a rich, dark syrup is made. Using mesh strainers with very long handles, the impurities are skimmed off the surface of the cane juice. Once the syrup reaches 210°F it is poured through a strainer in order to achieve a silky smooth syrup. The strainer is usually nothing more than a cloth baby diaper stretched across a wooden frame and stapled around the edges. After straining, the syrup is hand bottled, labeled, and ready to go.

Like honey, I use cane syrup as a natural sweetener in many dishes. Of course it tastes best just drizzled over homemade biscuits, but I do love to use it in baked goods, salad dressings, and marinades. The flavor is so rich, unique and delicious.

While at the farm, my mom makes a fresh batch of homemade biscuits every morning. After a few hands on lessons from our mom, my siblings and I have mastered the technique. They truly are heaven on a plate.

You can get a personal lesson from my mom by viewing the video link to the right. Give them a try and once you get the hang of it – you will be able to make them with your eyes closed. You must have a bottle of cane syrup on hand to enjoy them to the fullest and no, Aunt Jemima does not do the trick. We don’t sell our small batch syrup, but you can buy a bottle or two (plus some really good sausage) online at Stripling’s which is just up the road from our farm.

Recipes: