Sugar Cane
What is it?
It is the common name of this species of herbaceous, vivacious, woody stem of a genus (Saccharum) of the family of grasses (Gramineae), originally from Melanesia and whose fundamental species is Saccharum officinarum. It was introduced in Cuba by the year 1535 from Santo Domingo. Sugarcane is grown a lot in tropical and subtropical countries around the world because of the sugar it contains in the stems, formed by numerous knots. It is a giant grass related to sorghum and corn. The cane reaches between 3 and 6 m in height and between 2 and 5 cm in diameter. The root system is composed of a robust underground rhizome; The stem accumulates a juice rich in sucrose, a compound that, when extracted and crystallized in sugar, forms sugar. Sucrose is synthesized by the cane thanks to the energy taken from the sun during photosynthesis with leaves that reach up to two to four meters in length. In its upper part we find the panocha, which measures about 30 cm long.
Properties and benefits
This plant is one of the oldest crops, it is known that three thousand years ago it began to be cultivated in southwestern Asia, specifically in New Guinea. It is currently grown in tropical or subtropical areas of the world.
Christopher Columbus in his second trip to America introduced the cane in America, but this cultivation of canes did not catch on and became extinct. Years later, plants that were able to be cultivated and harvested were introduced, since that time sugarcane succeeded in plantations throughout the Caribbean and South America.
Even though the juice of sugarcane is beneficial, the use of sugar itself should not be abused. Many consider sugar to be the cause of many diseases besides obesity. So it must be taken into account that any excess is harmful.
In the same way molasses and honeys from sugarcane are used to produce monosodium glutamate which is a product to highlight the taste of foods as it stimulates the taste buds of the tongue. This improves the appetite and pleasure when eating. However, it should not be excessive either.
Among the main benefits:
Softens abscesses or tumors, susceptible to occur in any person from one moment to another.
Relieves colds in an extraordinary way, calms the cough.
Calm the drunkenness, it is necessary to eat some sugar from this plant.
Relieves jaundice and kidney pains, for which it must be eaten roasted.
If cane is burned in a room where a patient is found, an environment is created, pleasant for perspiration, eliminating the bad smells that are there.
Characteristics
The sugar cane belongs to the family of grasses, has a woody stem, about two meters high, elongated leaves with rough and thick texture and purple flowers. The stem is a tissue, spongy and sweet from which the sugar is extracted. This plant is harvested annually (in warm regions) has a good and rapid sprouting capacity, this allows two or three crops a year.
Cultivation process
As it is a permanent crop, it captures sunlight, reduces costs and the dangers related to planting, such as lack of water, the appearance of insects and weeds, as well as soil erosion.
In order for sugar cane to become sugar, a long process has to pass, but the result is very satisfying and sweet.
- Harvest: First you have to perform the burning, to eradicate snakes, and other insects and rodents from the plantation, cut and stacked to be collected.
Storage: It is transported to the sugar mills, there it is washed and weighed.
Picado de la cane: In the trapiche The cane is chopped into cutting machines to obtain small pieces.
Grinding: Through immense presses, the juice is extracted from the cane and hot water is added to extract the maximum amount of sucrose that it contains.
Clarification and refining: In this process the juice obtained is poured into huge pots (pailas) and at high temperature, the clear juice is separated, until it crystallizes and turns into blond sugar, if you want to obtain the white sugar it is refined by adding it lime, an element that helps to separate insoluble compounds, you can also add gaseous sulfur dioxide to the bleaching and refining process.
Evaporation: In this stage the water evaporates from the juice, obtaining a molasses or syrup with an approximate concentration of soluble solids of 55% to 60%.
The molasses is purified in a clarifier. The operation is similar to the previous one to clarify the filtered juice.
Crystallization: From this process crystals (sugar) and liquid are obtained.
Centrifugation: The crystals are separated from the liquid.
Drying and cooling: The wet sugar is dried in hot air dryers countercurrent and then cooled with cold air in countercurrent.
Packaging: The dry and cold sugar is packed in sacks and is ready.
