We hope you’re excited to try natural sucrose from the source! Commonly mistaken for bamboo, sugar cane is native to the tropics and important on our farm. We are able to plant other crops, which need some partial shade, in between rows of the cane, like the mizuna shown in the picture below.
Cutting this tropical grass is not as cumbersome as you might think! Once you get through the husk, it’s easier to cut, no machete required! You’ll want to avoid the “joints,” because they’re very fibrous. It’s easiest to cut into cubes or sticks and we found some creative ways to enjoy fresh cut cane!
Later this season we plan to press the juice and boil it down into traditional cane syrup. You may also have seen our hand sanitizer at market, a high-proof ethanol distilled from our own sugar cane juice.
Chew on the pieces to discover the flavorful juice of the cane stalk, then take pleasure in spitting out the fiber once the juice is consumed. Did you know sugarcane contains essential nutrients like iron, magnesium and phosphorus, and the juice is beneficial for the digestive system?!
*Check out this recipe which uses the little sticks we cut as skewers to grill up some shrimp! You can cut the sticks to make more of a pointed tip. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sugar-came-skewered-shrimp-recipe-1946070
*Put a twist on a classic cocktail by using the swizzle stick to hold a garnish!
*Use the swizzle stick to stir your favorite tea.
Wonderful tutorial and suggestions!