Growing Sugarcane

[socalgardengal]

Has anyone grown sugarcane and processed it? I'm very interested in doing so. When I was a small kid I had a neighbor that grew it here. They were an elderly japanese couple. It was the best! If you have any links or info, I would appreciate it. Thank you.

[epsilon]

I remember my grandma growing it out in los Angeles. It really just needs water and maybe some steer blood ( was her favourite) . Other than that it's like growing very large grass

[kurt]

Here i s Miami it is a staple in almost every yard.It can get unruly.All you need to do is buy some stalks at a market,some prop it up at 30-45 degrees,some lay it down and at each node a plant will emerge.It does attract vermin since it is good coverage(the papery dead leaves) and good sweet food.It does burn(a favorite harvest technique).I have a clump of a purple cane(most popular for rum in the islands).We just strip it,cut the center into square 4-6 inch, 1 inch pieces,put into a baggie,refrigerate and use a "pick me up"for lunching and snacking.You kinda just chew and suck the sap out(the vegetable matter really has no use and tastes like xxxx.The islanders say it is better for your teeth than refined,bleached sugar.It is a nice ornamental that can reach 10-15 foot.You would need a mini refinery to extact juice,dry,filter,grind.In Little Havana up in Miami it is sold on street corners in chunks and at the coffee windows it can be ordered as a juice .They run it through a two wheeled press by the stalk and it is captured in a cup and you drink it like that.It does energize you on a hot,balmy summer afternoon to get you through the day,along with the Cuban coffee shots at the same time.Mo better than REDBULL and a lot cheaper.

[luigiwu]

and a lot more NATURAL! that was very informative Kurt! I learned a lot from it.

[Tracydr]

I saw them use sugar cane on chopped recently. The most successful contestant peeled it and ran it through a juicer to get the syrup out.

[socalgardengal]

Wow, thank you for the info. Now I just have to call around and see who has some for sale.

[kurt]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PURPLE-SUGAR...-/321372066690

[Durgan]

Originally Posted by kurt

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PURPLE-SUGAR...-/321372066690

The brown is the best as opposed to the green stalks. But both are acceptable. I love it. My expedience has been in the Dominican Republic.

[Worth1]

One cant think of sugar cane without thinking of the west indies and the sugar trade.
How the English traded opium for tea in china and colonized the Caribbean to grow sugar cane to sweeten it.
In part an industry that is still booming.
Sugar cane is still the number one crop grown in the world.

Here is a link you might find of interest.

Worth
http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j...97571282113560

[socalgardengal]

Great big hug to you Worth! Thank you both for the info. That purple cane sure is beautiful.

[kurt]

We are having a ongoing situation here in Fl with the corn/sugarcane/ethanol/ pundits.Big oil,big sugar and the corn lobbyists are fighting for the bragging rights on who will provide the best outcome and resource for the new "gasoline"I hear in Brazil sugar cane ethanol costs no more than a buc a gallon(liter conversion).All suger cane did for us here is ruin our land and water with the pesticide run off.It is a never ending cycle of who to believe on the good of one or the other

[Worth1]

One of the many things people dont know is that ethanol is less economical to run.
Your car will burn more of it per mile compared to gasoline.
Build a race engine that runs on alcohol and see what I mean.
Also you cant start an engine on pure alcohol that is why it is 15% gasoline.
With a race engine you just squirt gas in it till it starts and it will then run on pure alcohol.
If you read to the bottom of the link you will also see that the Co2 put out by E85 is almost exactly the same as gasoline.
In other words you are doing nothing to help the environment and causing more damage due to the fertilizers and chemicals use to grow the stuff.
Which by the way come from oil.

It would do many of us good to look past the ignorance and smoke and mirrors many of us are doomed to encounter with flex fuels.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...6_2wiwT7Z9Xmpw

I think sugar cane should stay where it belongs.
In our tea and coffee.
I think Ill have another Mojito
Rum.
Lime.
Mint.
Club soda.
And sugar.

http://www.esquire.com/cm/esquire/im...to-005-de1.jpg

Worth

[Worth1]

One of the many things people dont know is that ethanol is less economical to run.
Your car will burn more of it per mile compared to gasoline.
Build a race engine that runs on alcohol and see what I mean.
Also you cant start an engine on pure alcohol that is why it is 15% gasoline.
With a race engine you just squirt gas in it till it starts and it will then run on pure alcohol.
If you read to the bottom of the link you will also see that the Co2 put out by E85 is almost exactly the same as gasoline.
In other words you are doing nothing to help the environment and causing more damage due to the fertilizers and chemicals use to grow the stuff.
Which by the way come from oil.

It would do many of us good to look past the ignorance and smoke and mirrors many of us are doomed to encounter with flex fuels.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...6_2wiwT7Z9Xmpw

I think sugar cane should stay where it belongs.
In our tea and coffee.
I think Ill have another Mojito
Rum.
Lime.
Mint.
Club soda.
And sugar.


Worth

[chiefbeaz]

That's what I'm talking about, I like the way you think