At Sherry in California, I wish you luck in finding some good molasses out there. Many folks want to cut it with corn syrup and call it molasses. We true old timers that grew up around where it was grown and cooked out proper (and I'm not THAT old) 59, but I grew up going to the mills as a child and buying ours still warm & fresh each fall freshly bottled in a quart jar. Pure molasses, never cut back then. VERY thick! Good. Such fun to watch them grinding the cane with mules walking around a circle turning the grinders, catching the juice. Boiling it off. Stirring and skimming the foam. And you are right, it smelled great. Wonderful memories.
Dave, a lot of sorghum used to be grown and processed here in West Tennessee, and we still have a handful of folks here that produce some. I have a fresh pint from the fall, wonderful stuff. Black gold, the flavor is just wonderful. Honey is another wonderful flavor. Corn syrups and pancake syrups cannot compare. Wish I lived near the maple syrup production area. Bet those are wonderful too. Can't say I've ever had any REAL maple syrup. Imagine all I've ever had is a flavored one or some that has been cut with corn syrup. I'd like to have some pure stuff.
Claude, I am in Selmer TN, not too far from you. Probably about 100 miles?? I would love to hear about that method of cooking. All I have ever seen was a vat method.
