In today’s post, we’re going to really dig into one of my all-time favorite Southern and Appalachian ingredients – sorghum syrup. I’m going to share all about this fantastic sticky-sweet ingredient and give you plenty of good ways to use it once you’ve got it.
What is sorghum syrup?
Before we dive into the syrup itself, we should rewind the tape back a little further and talk for just a sec about the plant from which it is derived. Yes? Yes.
What is sorghum?
The two images below were shared with me by my friends in the land of artificial intelligence. Let it be known that I didn’t take or create them. But I did really want to show you what a stalk of sorghum grass actually looks like, as well as what the grains looks like once harvested. It’s cool, right? The syrup in question today, that which is the subject of my utmost affection, derives from this here plant.
In its most technical fundamental sense, Sorghum is a flowering member of the grass family. It found its way to the United States (primarily the Southern states) from Africa where, since it requires less water to grow, it thrived thanks to the warm, dryer climate. Also referred to as “broomcorn” its cultivation for human consumption began in the 1800s, when it was also used as livestock feed and used to make broom bristles (that explains the alternative name).
Sorghum, as it were, is an ancient grain superfood that really deserves to occupy a more prominent spot on our everyday tables. From posh grain bowls to tasty veggie burgers, sorghum as a grain is wonderfully useful and versatile. I’ve even seen it in stores, sold as a popped grain alternative to popcorn. Kind of awesome, right?
Okay Let’s Take it From the Top – What is Sorghum Syrup?
So it should follow, now that we’ve gone over the need-to-knows re: sorghum, that the syrup version of the stuff is the reduced sap/juice that is extracted from the stalks of sorghum grass. And scene.
How to use sorghum syrup
Sorghum syrup is a beautifully versatile product, just like honey – just like maple and corn syrups. So, any way that you’d use those things, you can absolutely do the same with sorghum syrup.
- Use it in a salad dressing (my current obsession, see the photos below). Instead of honey or maple syrup as a sweet foil to the acidic vinegar and fatty oils in our dressings, try adding a drizzle of tasty sorghum syrup instead. In my Appalachian roasted root vegetables with sorghum candied bacon recipe, I use sorghum syrup in both the dressing and as a way to candy the bacon. I personally like it better than any other syrup sweetener, because the flavor is just complex enough to keep things interesting without dominating the whole scene.
- Use it instead of maple syrup. I love to drizzle ample amounts of glossy sorghum syrup all over pancakes, waffles and French toast. It’s a truly Appalachian and Southern thing to do, and it’s just different enough to make your mealtimes a little more interesting.
- Use it as a healthier, less processed sweetening option in place of granulated sugar. I’d suggest using it in these high protein blueberry muffins or this quick bread.
- Use it in a barbecue sauce. I often use molasses in my BBQ sauces, but sorghum would be a mighty fine alternative.
What does sorghum syrup taste like?
While some people claim that sorghum syrup is an “acquired taste” I personally think it’s one of the friendliest, most delicious natural syrups around. Sorghum syrup tastes like a combination of molasses and maple syrup. It has a milder flavor than molasses, and a deeper flavor than corn syrup, which is often cited as a substitution or alternative. Sorghum is lower in sugar than molasses and higher in fructose, which makes its flavor sweeter.
What can I substitute for Sorghum Syrup?
The list here is pretty long, as sorghum syrup has many sticky, syrupy first cousins who would all stand in nicely for sorghum syrup, if you need to tap them in. Because let’s be honest – sorghum syrup can be a bit tricky to procure. So, fortunately there are plenty of other easy-to-find things that make for fine substitutes.
- Honey
- Maple Syrup
- Molasses
- Corn syrup
For my money, though, I like to stir together a mixture of molasses and maple syrup, as I find it most closely approximates the flavor/color/consistency of sorghum syrup. It’s truly a delicious combination.
what is the difference between sorghum syrup and molasses?
Molasses and sorghum syrup are kind of like kissing cousins – they’re so very close to one another in several conspicuous ways, but they’re not born of the same parents let’s just say. Molasses is obtained from the refining of sugarcane or sugar beet juice into sugar. Sorghum syrup, as we now know is a syrup made from a sweet juice which farmers obtain from the stalk of the sorghum grass plant.
So, while the end results of each product do bear some resemblance to one another, they really took totally different paths to get there. Though admittedly, sometimes farmers do refer to sorghum grass as “cane,” likely due to the sweet juices contained within.
Where can I buy sorghum syrup?
This is a toughy, truth be told. If you live in the South – particularly in central and Southern Appalachia – you should be able to find some in a local store or two. You can obviously Google it and procure several different brands of sorghum syrup for yourself, with the click of a few buttons. This is what I do now that I live in the Portland area and it’s not quite so easy to just pop out and purchase.
I recommend Muddy Pond Sorghum Mill, as the flavor is just fantastic and they make it easy to order either directly from their site or via other sellers, such as Amazon, etc.
