Prater 76 #1 Posted December 18, 2015 I am wanting to order some molasses for the island home and thought one of the Red Square members had a farm somewhere up north but could not remember. Can someone point me in the right direction? I would rather help out a Red Square member if possible. Thanks 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WNYPCRepair 1,923 #2 Posted December 18, 2015 Molasses farm? I would be interested too Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowtieguy 334 #4 Posted December 18, 2015 I think there is a molasses "farm" near Branson, MO....probably sold at Silver Dollar City....We've got a couple RS guys that live near there that "might" know about such a place....probably more knowledgeable about a "white lightin' still" than a "molasses farm" in hills of southern Missouri!!! I got to help a neighbor make molasses when I was about 12 years old....I got to operate the press that squeezed juice out the sugar cane!!! Definition of press operator:" drive a little tractor around in a circle that turned the press"....the tractor replaced the ole grey mule!....lol 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Prater 76 #5 Posted December 18, 2015 Its been a few years, I guess I should have said Molasses operation...LOL!!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,771 #6 Posted December 18, 2015 When I was a young teen a distant relative grew some sorghum and made molasses. I saw the press but never the process. Wish I had... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WNYPCRepair 1,923 #7 Posted December 18, 2015 My mom worked for a farmer that made sorghum molasses when I was just 3 or 4 years old. I don't remember much, but I know it involves a bunch of huge vats of boiling sticky liquid, the perfect place for a 3 year old, LOL 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oliver2-44 10,368 #8 Posted December 18, 2015 It's always interesting how the small question this thread started with dig up our old memories. So here's my "cane sorgum memory" ! As a teenage farm boy I hauled hay for small local farmers in the evenings after my day job (I grew up before round bales). There was a farmer that grew red cane sorghum. The first time I went to his field he has cut and baled everything but about 2 laps around the outside of the field. As we began hauling the baled hay, he cut these outer laps and then fired up the baler and baled it green and wet. ....what was this guy doing bailing it green and wet! Well that partial trailer load of green bales were really heavy to load and I,m sure my buddies and I complained a lot. They were the last load we took to the barn and he had us unload them outside next to an old press and immediately cut them open to "breathe" ...What was this old codger doing? Then he pulled out a quart mason jar of cane cider (white lighting) and my teenage mind understood perfectly. Wish I would have seen him make the cider, boy was it some hi-powered stuff! 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JC 1965 1,532 #9 Posted December 18, 2015 When I was about 12 years old I worked for a farmer putting up hay. He also grew sugar cane to make molasses to sell. I would help him and his son cut the cane with large Knives like machetes. ( back breaking work ) Then we loaded the cane on a farm wagon and hauled it to a molasses press that was sitting outside a shed covered with a tarp. The press had a long pole hooked to the top of it and was pulled by a mule. The mule had a shallow trench wore in the ground around the press where it walked.The juice from the cane ran down a sheet of copper into the shed to a large copper pot. That sit on an old wood stove. The juice was boiled to let the water evaporate. When the water was cooked off there was a thick liquid ( molasses ) that looked like motor oil that was poured into mason jars that he sold for $ 4.00 bucks each. My poor old back hurts just thinking about those days. 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ed Kennell 40,494 #10 Posted December 18, 2015 Not mule powered, but interesting. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
