Sorghum grain is making a comeback. The Sorghum plant has been a food plant for centuries, but in recent decades, cropping has declined. It is a common food in many countries as a porridge, flour, or even an alcoholic beverage. Grain Sorghum is also made into a syrup, although corn syrup is a top sweetener. There are many other Sorghum uses outside of a human food crop.
What Is Sorghum?
Sorghum doesn't enjoy as much popularity today as it did in the 1800s. Then it was an important sweetener and many cuisines featured it in classic recipes. It has received more interest in recent years due to its important properties. The Sorghum plant is a southern crop in the grass family. The flower stalk matures in hues of yellow, red, brown and combinations of each. This is Sorghum bicolor, a nutrient rich food for humans and animals.
Is Sorghum Gluten Free?
In addition to its use as a porridge or syrup, grain Sorghum is also an important animal forage or feed. It is also used to make ethanol, much in the same way as corn. As a human food, is Sorghum gluten free? Many diners are adopting a gluten free lifestyle due to allergies or dietary preferences. The Sorghum plant is a gluten free option being developed to address these new preferences. It is used much like corn and can even be popped. It is high in B vitamins, fiber, iron, and magnesium. It also contains more protein than corn or rice.
About Sorghum Bicolor
This celiac safe grain is primarily grown in warm regions. The plant is tolerant of poor soils and dry conditions. Sorghum bicolor is cropped as either a grain crop or sweet Sorghum, used in syrups and other foods. The plant is a fast growing annual, achieving 5 feet (1.5 m) or more. The leaves are corn-like and the inflorescence is a clustered spike which is green when mature, but ripens to a variety of colors. The plant is cropped but also grows wild in many regions.
Sorghum Uses
Sorghum has many uses. In traditional medicine, the seeds were used for a variety of ailments. Modern medicine has experimented with its use in cancer treatment and to alleviate stomach problems. In dry, arid regions where trees are scarce, the stubble is used as fuel. It may be fed to animals or cultivated as forage. Sweet Sorghum is pressed to release the sap and made into syrup or a molasses type of item. Sorghum flour is the ground plant. It is rather crumbly so if substituting in a recipe, the addition of fruit such as apples or bananas, or xanthan gum improves consistency. It can be cooked as a substitute for rice in a 3-1 ratio to water. Popping the seeds is a delicious gluten free snack.
-
Want a Backyard Mini Orchard? Create Your Own Container OrchardEasier to care for in small spaces, a backyard mini-orchard makes sense for busy gardeners and juicy fruit is the reward.
-
Urban Beekeeping Guide: Top Tips For Raising Bees In The CityUrban beekeeping can be a rewarding and appreciated pastime, but first be sure it’s legal in your city and learn the ropes of beekeeping.
-
Wild Millet Grass – Learn About Growing Proso Millet PlantsIt looks like a corn seedling, but it's not. Birds flock to it, but farmers may not. Is wild millet a weed or a beneficial plant? Click here to find out.
-
Using Broomcorn For Crafts – How To Harvest Broomcorn PlantsBroomcorn produces big, fluffy seed heads that resemble the end of a broom. If you’re feeling crafty and would like to know more about using broomcorn as well as tips on harvesting the plant, click this article to learn more.
-
What Is Broomcorn – How To Grow Broomcorn PlantsDo you wonder where those broom straws originate, the ones that are bound tightly into the broom you may still use for sweeping porches and hardwood floors inside? These fibers come from a plant called broomcorn, a variety of sorghum. Learn more here.
-
What Is Winnowing – Chaff And Winnowing Garden SeedsGrowing your own grain in the garden is a practice that’s gaining in popularity, and while it’s a little intensive, it can also be very rewarding. Click here to learn the meanings of chaff and winnowing, and what they have to do with harvesting grain and other crops.
-
Harvesting Small Grains: How And When To Harvest Grain CropsHarvesting small grains as an individual can be tricky, without big threshing machines, but our ancestors did it and so can we. Knowing when to harvest grain is the first step, but you also need to know how to thresh, winnow and store it for best results. This article can help.
-
What Are Cereal Cyst Nematodes – How To Stop Cereal Cyst NematodesLess vulnerable to warm season pests, issues do arise during the cool season when growing grains. One of the most prominent issues is cereal cyst nematodes. If you’re curious and asking, “what are cereal cyst nematodes,” click here for an explanation.
-
Growing Small Grain Crops – Small Grain Information for Home GardenersMore gardeners are beginning to shift their attention to multi-purpose crops like small grains, which serve multiple functions in commercial applications, homesteads, and family farms. Growing small grains is a rewarding way to maximize space and yields. Learn more here.
-
Seed And Chaff Separation – How To Separate Seed From ChaffHave you heard of the phrase ‘separating the wheat from the chaff’? It’s likely that you didn’t give too much thought to the saying, but it refers to separating seeds from chaff. What is chaff and why is seed and chaff separation important? Find out in this article.
