GORDONVILLE -- The sorghum presses will roll again this weekend, turning sorghum into all-natural sorghum molasses.
Volunteers from Christ Lutheran Church in Gordonville plan to cook more than 400 gallons of molasses, using old-fashioned methods. The last molasses-making weekend for this year will be Saturday and Sunday.
The molasses will be sold to raise money for the church projects and missions.
Christ Lutheran volunteers made molasses for the first time last year when they cooked up 220 gallons of the thick, brown liquid.
"We just didn't have nearly enough," explained Ellen Lorberg, a church member who is coordinating molasses making. "We hope to have twice as much this year."
Instead of two acres of sorghum cane, church members planted five acres. Already, volunteers have cooked up about 150 gallons of molasses, with another two days of work scheduled.
Lorberg said visitors and volunteers are welcome.
The molasses is made at John and Ellen Lorberg's farm one-half mile west of Gordonville on Highway Z. On Saturday, molasses will be made from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Sunday, cooking will be done from 1 to 4 p.m.
"We've had an outstanding response and a good variety of people who have helped us," Lorberg said.
The volunteers are using old, horse-drawn presses.
"We have mostly older people who remember making molasses," Lorberg said. "Very few young people know how."
She said home-made molasses tastes much different than molasses bought in the store. Store-bought molasses is cut with syrup.
The molasses is sold by the pint or by the quart. For information, contact Lorberg at (573) 243-2858.
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