Making Sorghum in New Hamburg

Laura Simon

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Ralph Enderle has kept the tradition of making sorghum alive since 1980. His friends and family helped make a batch of sorghum on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, in New Hamburg, Missouri.

JoAnn Compas and her younger brother Ralph Enderle cook the juice from the sorghum cane to make sorghum on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Daryl Ross loads sorghum cane into the press at Ralph Enderle's New Hamburg, Missouri home on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle's sorghum is almost ready when it starts getting "google eyes", as seen on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Daryl Ross evens out the pile of pressed sorghum cain at Ralph Enderle's New Hamburg, Missouri home on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. (Laura Simon)

Ralph Enderle smiles as he chats with a friend while making sorghum at his New Hamburg, Missouri home on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle uses a pitchfork to even out the pile of sorghum cane after it goes through the press New Hamburg, Missouri home on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle uses a pitchfork to even out the pile of sorghum cane after it goes through the press New Hamburg, Missouri home on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle uses a pitchfork to even out the pile of sorghum cane after it goes through the press New Hamburg, Missouri home on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. (Laura Simon)
Daryl Ross, left, and Paul Meyer run the sorghum press, which is powered by an Allis-Chalmers tractor, at Ralph Enderle's New Hamburg, Missouri home on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. (Laura Simon)

The cooking pan for making sorghum is heated from underneath with burning wood at Ralph Enderle's New Hamburg, Missouri home on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. (Laura Simon)
JoAnn Compas stirs the juice from the sorghum cane in the cooking pan at her little brother's New Hamburg, Missouri home on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. (Laura Simon)
JoAnn Compas stirs the juice from the sorghum cane in the cooking pan at her little brother's New Hamburg, Missouri home on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. (Laura Simon)
Daryl Ross adds more wood to the fire to keep the cooking pan hot for making sorghum on Monday, oct. 10, 2016, in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Paul Meyer tinkers with the tractor that powers the sorghum press on Monday, oct. 10, 2016, in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Fimble Enderle helps load the sorghum cane into the press on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Sorghum cane waits to be pressed on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Paul Meyer runs sorghum cane through the press to extract its sweet juice, which runs down directly into the cooking pan to make sorghum on Monday, oct. 10, 2016, in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Sorghum cane waits to be pressed on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle stirs the sorghum as Paul Meyer runs sorghum cane through the press to extract its sweet juice, which runs down directly into the cooking pan to make sorghum on Monday, oct. 10, 2016, in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle stirs the sorghum as Paul Meyer runs sorghum cane through the press to extract its sweet juice, which runs down directly into the cooking pan to make sorghum on Monday, oct. 10, 2016, in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Paul Meyer runs sorghum cane through the press to extract its sweet juice, which runs down directly into the cooking pan to make sorghum on Monday, oct. 10, 2016, in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle's sorghum is almost ready when it starts getting "google eyes", as seen on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle spoons some fresh sorghum to taste at his New Hamburg, Missouri home on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle's sorghum is almost ready when it starts getting "google eyes", as seen on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
JoAnn Compas and her younger brother Ralph Enderle cook the juice from the sorghum cane to make sorghum on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
JoAnn Compas and her younger brother Ralph Enderle cook the juice from the sorghum cane to make sorghum on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
JoAnn Compas and her younger brother Ralph Enderle cook the juice from the sorghum cane to make sorghum on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle removed a cheese cloth that helps strain the fresh sorghum as it comes out of the cooking pan on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle places a cheese cloth on the cooking pan that helps strain the sorghum on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, in New Hamburg, Missouri (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle samples his fresh sorghum on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle samples his fresh sorghum on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle stirs the sorghum as Paul Meyer runs sorghum cane through the press to extract its sweet juice, which runs down directly into the cooking pan to make sorghum on Monday, oct. 10, 2016, in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Paul Meyer runs sorghum cane through the press to extract its sweet juice, which runs down directly into the cooking pan to make sorghum on Monday, oct. 10, 2016, in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Paul Meyer runs sorghum cane through the press to extract its sweet juice, which runs down directly into the cooking pan to make sorghum on Monday, oct. 10, 2016, in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Paul Meyer runs sorghum cane through the press to extract its sweet juice, which runs down directly into the cooking pan to make sorghum on Monday, oct. 10, 2016, in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle cook the juice from the sorghum cane to make sorghum on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle adds more wood to the fire under the cooking pan on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
JoAnn Compas and her younger brother Ralph Enderle cook the juice from the sorghum cane to make sorghum on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
JoAnn Compas and her younger brother Ralph Enderle cook the juice from the sorghum cane to make sorghum on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
JoAnn Compas and her younger brother Ralph Enderle cook the juice from the sorghum cane to make sorghum on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Daryl Ross evens out the pile of pressed sorghum cain at Ralph Enderle's New Hamburg, Missouri home on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. (Laura Simon)
Daryl Ross evens out the pile of pressed sorghum cain at Ralph Enderle's New Hamburg, Missouri home on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. (Laura Simon)
Paul Meyer runs sorghum cane through the press to extract its sweet juice, which runs down directly into the cooking pan to make sorghum on Monday, oct. 10, 2016, in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Sorghum juice flows from the press on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle pours hot sorghum into buckets at his New Hamburg, Missouri home on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle pours hot sorghum into buckets at his New Hamburg, Missouri home on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle puts some fresh sorghum on his ham and beans on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. (Laura Simon)
Ralph Enderle cooks the juice from the sorghum cane to make sorghum on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
JoAnn Compas and her younger brother Ralph Enderle cook the juice from the sorghum cane to make sorghum on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
JoAnn Compas and her younger brother Ralph Enderle cook the juice from the sorghum cane to make sorghum on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 in New Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)
Paul Meyer holds a jar of fresh sorghum on Monday, oct. 10, 2016, in new Hamburg, Missouri. (Laura Simon)