Sugarcane belongs to the same family as grass. This plant grows tall, has thin stems or is shaped like a stick. Sugarcane is planted in a furrow/trench on the sides/edge, in autumn. Sugarcane is undemanding to care through the winter, and in spring you will be greeted with shoots that will grow as tall as a bamboo tree. Sugarcane crops can be made into delicious syrup.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Planting Sugar Cane
Step 1. Choose a healthy sugarcane plant
Sugarcane is easiest to find during the harvest season, in late summer and early autumn (Note: in Indonesia, in the dry months). If you can't find sugarcane seeds at your local gardening center, they can often be found growing at roadside and farmer's markets. Shops for Asian food ingredients/products abroad (Asian grocery), often also provide sugarcane plants (stems).
- Look for long, thick stems, which are more likely to produce healthy new plants.
- The stem has several nodes (the hard part at the junction of the two segments), and new plants will sprout from each of these nodes. Remember to buy as many cane stalks as you need to produce the amount of harvest you want.
Step 2. Cut the sugar cane into several pieces about 30 cm long
Try to have three to four nodes in each cut, so that it is more likely to produce many shoots. If there are leaves or flowers on the cane stalks, throw them away.
Step 3. Make furrows (long grooves, like trenches) on the part of the land that is exposed to the sun
Sugarcane stalks are planted in a horizontal position on a sloping part of the soil, at a depth of furrows or trenches of about 10 cm. This plant requires full sun, so choose an area that is not shaded. Dig a line that is long enough for each sugar cane you will plant, leaving the lines about 30 cm apart.
- Use a flat-tipped shovel or hoe, rather than a pointed or curved shovel, to make digging or furrowing easier.
- Large-scale sugarcane farmers ideally have more sophisticated equipment for digging trenches.
Step 4. Wet the furrow
Use a hose to water the lines in preparation for planting cane stalks. Make sure the water soaks into the soil and that there are no puddles left before you plant it.
Step 5. Plant sugarcane
Insert the sugarcane stalks into the soil along the furrow in a horizontal position, then cover with soil. Do not plant the cane stalks in an upright position, as they will not grow.
Step 6. Wait for the sugarcane to grow
In the spring, usually in April or May, shoots will begin to sprout from the knuckles of the cane stalks. You will see the shoots suddenly emerge from the ground to form separate sugarcane stalks. The new cane stalks will grow taller and taller until late summer.
Part 2 of 3: Growing and Harvesting Sugar Cane
Step 1. Apply nitrogen fertilizer to sugarcane crops
Sugarcane is a type of grass, because it will thrive if it is given a nitrogen-rich fertilizer. You can fertilize sugarcane with a standard fertilizer for grass, or choose an organic fertilizer, such as chicken manure. Fertilize only once, namely when the first shoots appear. This fertilization will help the sugarcane to grow strong and healthy so you will get good yields at harvest.
Step 2. Weed the plant bed frequently
Sugarcane can be grown under harsh conditions and requires little maintenance, except from weeds or weeds. Don't neglect plant beds as weeds can stunt new shoots before they have a chance to thrive. Continuous weeding is necessary until the cane stalks grow large enough to shade and inhibit most of the weeds in the vicinity.
Step 3. Wait until fall to harvest
Sugarcane crops should be allowed to grow as long as possible before the first frost of the year. However, if the plant is left after the first frost, you will not be able to use it to make sugar syrup.
- If you live in an area with long winters, be aware of these conditions and harvest sugarcane in late September.
- If you live in an area with mild winters, you may be able to let your sugarcane crop grow until late October.
Step 4. Use a large machete/knife with a wide blade to cut the bottom of the cane stalk
Mature cane stalks will be tall and thick, similar to bamboo, so ordinary garden shears won't be able to cut them. Use a machete or saw to cut the stalks as close to the ground as possible, so you can make as much use of the stems as possible.
Step 5. Don't dig deep into the ground
You certainly do not want to damage the roots of the sugar cane plant that is firmly planted. If you leave the cane root in the soil, the plant will grow again next year.
Step 6. Clean the leaves from the cane stalks that have been cut
Make sure you wear gloves because sugarcane leaves are very sharp. Take advantage of sugarcane leaves to cover the beds. The leaves will serve as organic mulch that will protect the sugarcane roots through the winter. If you don't have enough leaves to cover the entire bed, use some extra straw.
Part 3 of 3: Making Sugar Cane Syrup
Step 1. Clean the cane stalks
After a season outside, sugarcane stalks tend to get moldy and soiled. Use warm water and a brush to scrub the soil and other dirt that sticks to the sugarcane stalks until they are completely clean.
Step 2. Cut the sugar cane into several pieces measuring ± 2.54 cm
The cane stalks are very hard, so a large butcher knife is a better cutting tool than a regular knife. Cut the cane stalks into smaller pieces, then cut them in half again, so that you have a pile of small pieces of sugarcane.
If you have a commercial sugarcane press, cutting the cane stalks will not be necessary. In large farms, sugarcane juice is extracted from the stalks using large and heavy presses. There is no machine of equal capability suitable for home use, so chopping and boiling are used instead
Step 3. Boil the pieces of sugarcane in a large pot of water
The sugar is extracted through a long process of boiling the pieces of sugarcane until it thickens, for about two hours. Sugar water is considered ready when it has a taste like coarse cane sugar. You have to taste the taste to determine that.
- Another sign is to look at the pieces of sugarcane. After a few hours, the sugar cane pieces will turn light brown, indicating that the sugar has been extracted.
- Check the pan every half hour or so to make sure that all the pieces of sugarcane are still covered in water; if not, add more water.
Step 4. Pour the sugar water through a sieve into a smaller saucepan
Use a sieve to sift through all the pieces of sugarcane fiber. You don't need the bagasse anymore, so you can throw it away.
Step 5. Boil to thicken the sugar water to make a syrup
Boil the sugar water until it really thickens and the texture is like thick syrup. This process will take about an hour or two, so keep an eye on the pan to make sure you don't overcook. To see if the syrup is ready, dip a cold spoon into the saucepan and check for texture.
- If you like runny syrup, you can take the pan off the stove while the syrup-while spooning-is still sliding easily from the back of the spoon.
- For a thicker syrup, remove the pan from the heat when the syrup no longer slides easily but instead sticks, coating the back of a spoon.
Step 6. Pour the syrup into a glass bottle/jar
Close the bottle and allow the syrup to cool completely before storing it in a cool, dry place.
Tips
- Store-bought sugar is often, in the process of making it, bleached using bone char -carbon granules made from animal bones - so growing your own sugarcane is a good idea especially for vegetarians/vegans.
- Sugarcane juice produces a refreshing drink and can be served hot or cold.
- Fresh sugarcane can also be crushed or squeezed, so that the juice can be extracted.
