Down hyar in ol' Kaintuck, we'uns call that stuff "sorghum molasses"! You are right - - it shore is fine! I stood around watching my family make that sorghum molasses, but they never let me have nary a dipper-full! Maybe a finger-lick, that's all! We like it on hot buttered cornbread, too!. Good follow-up to a bowl of pinto bean soup with onions. (Oh darn, now I've got to go get something to eat before I go to bed.) I am fat enough without you Hatcher folks whettin' my appetite like that! Martha, born and raised in Green Co. KY ----- Original Message ----- From: "William W. Hatcher Sr." <thehatchers@alltel.net> To: <hatcher@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 10:29 PM Subject: [HATCHER] FW: Sugar Cane.. > Thought some might like to read about the good memories of cane syrup > cooking time in the south??? > > > > Enjoy, > > > > William W. Hatcher Sr. > > Milledgeville, Ga. > > * Phone: 478-454-3468 > > God Bless America! > > > > Muscogee County GaArchives News.....Eating Sugar Cane a Pleasure > > By Sara Spano > Staff Writer > > I think that some of the happiest times in my whole childhood were in > the > > fall of the year. In the small country town where I lived, cotton was > picked > > and ginned, and sugar cane was made into syrup. > I used to ride with my father all over the big planation. When the cane > began to ripen, he would stop and cut a few stalks. I would then be > permitted > to drive the horse while he peeled the cane, and we'd eat it as we went > along. > I can't remember anything that ever tasted any better unless it was the > sardines and crackers we'd have for lunch. > Being far from home he'd stop at a small country store and buy two cans > of > > sardines and a box of soda crackers. We'd eat these washing them down with > drinks of cool creek water out of his black derby hat. (Isn't it wonderful > how > well one survived germs in those days?) > When we went to the cane mill, I always elected to stay there while he > went > on somewhere else. I felt a deep sympathy for the poor mule who, hitched > to > the > long pole that turned the mill, went round and round all day long. > The stalks of cane were inserted in the mill, where all the juice was > pressed > from them, and then they were tossed aside. The juice ran out into a big > wooden > barrel and I always managed to drink > several large dippersful during my stay. I invariably got sick from my > tasting > spree and my mother > would fuss and fret and threaten not to let me go again. > I also took a great interest in the syrup making, which took place a few > yards from the mill. > The juice was put in a large vat, under which a roaring fire was kept > going. > Someone had to stand there all the time and skim off the top of the > boiling > juice with a big tin dipper. What he took off he poured over into a > barrel. > These were called "skimmings." > Let me tell you one thing, after standing a few days this was potent > stuff. > And unless my father stood right there and made the workers pour it out, > the > > result was a lot of singing and cavorting around in the streets on > Saturday > night. One good glass of "skimmings" was as effective as a pint of the > best > > moonshine whiskey, and a lot cheaper too. > Even at an early age, I was determined to live life to the fullest. One > day, > waiting until the man at the vat turned his head, I hastily drank down > about > > half a dipper of the "skimmings." When my father returned to pick me up I > was > reclining, full-length. upon a pile of cane stalks. We both caught it when > we > got home. My mother had plenty to say about a father who returned home > with > an > intoxicated nine-yearold daughter. > We always brought back a jug of the syrup. Nothing, absolutely nothing, > tastes better for breakfast than enormous feather light hot biscuits, > ozzing > > butter and covered with fresh cane syrup. > > > Special Sesquicentennial Supplement II > Ledger- Enquirer, Sunday, April 23, 1978. S-30. > > > File at: > http://files.usgwarchives.org/ga/muscogee/newspapers/eatingsu2249gnw.txt > > This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ > > File size: 3.6 Kb > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 8.0.100 / Virus Database: 269.23.21/1454 - Release Date: > 5/19/2008 > 7:44 AM > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > HATCHER-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.21/1454 - Release Date: > 5/19/2008 7:44 AM > >

HATCHER website: http://hatcherfamilyassn.com HALL DNA project: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~nhatcher/hall/HDNAtest.htm "If you can't stand the skeletons, stay out of the closet" - Val D Greenwood Keep it down, you guys! I'm trying to sleep! And don't leave crumbs all over the kitchen, hear?? :-) Nel