Sorghum syrup is a natural, old-fashioned sweetener that tastes similar to molasses but is slightly less sweet. The syrup is mostly grown and manufactured in the United States. The stems of the sorghum plant are crushed, and the juice is poured into heated pans; the water evaporates off, leaving sorghum syrup. This syrup contains small amounts of important minerals.
History
Sorghum, a grass closely related to sugar cane, originated in Africa and from there spread all over the world. Sorghum is popular because it grows in harsh environments, where other crops fare poorly, and requires little water or fertilizer. Sometimes sorghum is referred to as a "poor people's crop." Nineteenth-century slave traders brought sorghum to the New World, where it was at first called "guinea corn." Sweet varieties of the grass were made into syrup, which was patented as sweet sorghum in 1853.
Sweet Sorghum in the United States
Today's sweet sorghum is grown from Texas to Wisconsin, as well as in Kansas, Iowa and Minnesota. While most Southern states grow sorghum, Kentucky and Tennessee are the leaders in the production of sorghum syrup.
Nutrients
One tablespoon of sorghum syrup contains 62 calories and 15 g of carbohydrates. It contains 30 mg of calcium, which is about 3 percent of the recommended daily intake for a 30-year-old female. A tablespoon of sorghum syrup has .76 mg of iron, fulfilling about 4 percent of an adult woman's iron quotient. Sorghum syrup also contains about 6 percent of an adult woman's magnesium requirement and 10 percent of her zinc requirement. Small amounts of potassium, riboflavin, copper and iron add more nutritional benefits.
Cooking Substitutions
To add sorghum syrup to your diet, try these substitutions. Use sorghum syrup instead of honey on a one-to-one basis unless the recipe uses baking powder, which doesn't react well with sorghum. If you're making a barbecue sauce or a sauce for baked beans, substitute the same amount of sorghum syrup for molasses, but use 1/3 less sugar than the recipe specifies. Replacing sugar is a bit more complicated. In recipes for baked goods, try replacing only part of the sugar, about 50 to 75 percent, with sorghum syrup.
Cautions
While sorghum syrup contains nutrients, it still has the health drawbacks of sugar. Too much will result in weight gain, and sorghum syrup is not a safe sugar substitute for diabetics. Use sparingly and eat other healthy foods to round out your recommended daily intake of iron, calcium, potassium and other vital nutrients.
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