How to make sugar from sugarcane

Ever wonder how sugar was made? I was at my local fruit and vegetable store when we spotted some sugarcane, three stalks for 3$. We figured, we must be able to make sugar from that right? After a little research, I did the following:

1. Smash the canes with a rolling pin or a hammer, enough to open them up
2. Take out the bad bits. The interior of the cane should be fairly white and not smell fermented. Any red or brown bits you want to take out.
3. Take the fibrous flesh off of the outside “bark” using a knife.
4. Boil that flesh for a good 30 minutes, using just enough water to barely cover the pulp.
5. Remove the cane leaving only the liquid.
6. Keep boiling until the sugar crystalizes at the bottom of the pot. Near the end, you need to keep a close eye on things and reduce the heat in order not to burn you sugar.

The result is a brown sugar with a taste of molasses. Unfortunately, you need a good amount of sugarcane to make even a single cup of sugar. Now I can see why this is not something that’s feasibly makable at home.

• “Think ingredients…”