WE ’ RE IN YOUR CORNER .
December 2017 THE BEACON Page 9
The mill at Fallen Timbers Sorghum Farm is located in Milan , Indiana .
Harvesting a Sweet The sorghum press dated 1904 . Surprise
By Nicole Williams
If you are in Ripley County around the middle of October , visiting Fallen Timbers Sorghum Mill is an absolute must . This is the time of the yearly harvest of the sweet sorghum plant . If you are lucky enough to find yourself in conversation with Dr . Larry Barlow , the fourth-generation owner and operator of the mill be prepared to be fully educated on what it takes to get this sticky goodness into a mason jar . He always welcomes kids as they seem to truly enjoy learning about the process .
The sorghum plant is a broad-leaf plant that may resemble corn to an untrained eye . The stalks can reach up to 13 feet tall . This grain crop is best known for its end product : sorghum syrup . This is different from sugar cane , which yields molasses . Sorghum is typically harvested during September and October by extracting the juice from the freshly cut plants right in the field .
Dr . Barlow , a recently retired dentist of forty years , has mastered this process . “ I enjoyed dentistry , but there is always a time in life to change paths .” It was his Uncle ’ s Grandfather that constructed the original mill in 1890 in Southern Dearborn County near Farmer ’ s Retreat , Indiana . By the year 1955 , it was Dr . Barlow ’ s uncle who operated the mill . Since his uncle had no children , Dr . Barlow would assist his father , mother , and brother in the harvesting and processing .
In 1990 , an unexpected event occurred . The mill collapsed . Instead of letting the building lay in ruins . Dr . Barlow started the task of moving the mill to its current location in Ripley County . With the help of his son , they made weekend trips to haul back the many components it takes to run a successful mill . They cut and used timber from the forest on the land . The end product was a success and is currently nestled behind a lake with a green backdrop of woods directly behind it . The mill ’ s name was chosen after a small creek that runs just west of the location .
The inside workings of the mill proved to be both simple and complicated . Sorghum mills are built on a hill as they use gravity as a source of power . In fact , Dr . Barlow only installed electricity in his mill because it is a requirement of the Ripley County Inspection State Board of Health . Stalks are cut by hand and fed into a horizontal press that was originally built in 1904 . Dr . Barlow drove to North Carolina in 2012 to purchase the press they currently use . The fresh limegreen juice is transported to the mill via an underground tube . It takes 15-17 gallons of sweet sorghum juice to make one gallon of sorghum .
At this point , the juice is at 15 % sugar . From there , the juice needs to be pre-heated to 180 degrees . The scum is constantly skimmed off the top and the bottom of the tray by the original copper tool used by Dr . Barlow ’ s uncle . Then it is time to cook it slowly by way of evaporation . The juice is fed into the restored copper box which is fluted and sits at a 1-inch slope . Underneath is the “ oven ” filled and fired with wood . The juice is cooked for 5 hours until it comes out 65 % sugar . From there it is transferred to the finishing pan and cooked to 226.9 F and is 78-82 % sugar . The level of sugar can be tested with just a couple drops on a refractometer . It needs to cool back down to 165 degrees to be bottled , where it continues to cook until it cools . This leaves a little residue on the inside of the lid and sides of the jar as it was done in 1890 , creating that
Photos by Nicole Williams
old-time flavor .
Dr . Barlow ’ s “ work crew ” is an eclectic bunch . Floyyd Ison ( 79 ) is the official “ Pressman ” with the assistance of Danny Taylor ( 50 ). Gene Voegele , a friend from church , is one of the “ Skimmers ”. Friends from dental school have even been up to visit and help with the process . When you have such a magnetic personality and passion for the trade , it becomes clear everybody has an enjoyable time completing the tasks at hand .
The thick dark syrup from Fallen Timbers is sold everywhere from local grocery stores to farmer markets . The very first batch may have turned to taffy , but the creators have it down now . Sorghum syrup can be used on cornbread and biscuits . It can be used to replace brown sugar in cooking . Some people use it to sweeten their tea or coffee . Southern chefs claim it adds a lot of depth to whatever it is you are cooking . The simple fact that there are only 6 Sorghum Mills in the entire state makes getting your hands on a jar even that more exciting .
Dr . Barlow sells his Sorghum in pints but chuckles over what his great uncle would have thought about that . “ He would be rolling over in his grave at the idea of selling it in such small quantities . It was the 1920s and 1930s when he was in business , and those were harder times . Sorghum was a staple sweetener . Customers would bring their five-gallon lard buckets over to fill .”
Dr . Barlow explains the process of using the original copper .
Grandmother Burkhard ’ s
Ginger Cookies ( Phyllis Barlow ’ s grandmother ) 1 c . sugar 1 c . shortening 1 c . sorghum 1 egg 1 Tbsp . soda 1 tsp . ginger ¼ tsp . salt
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Dr . Larry Barlow holds an original copper skimmer .
Cream sugar , shortening , ginger , and egg . Add the baking soda to 1 cup sorghum . Stir it up and add to sugar mixture . Stiffen batter with flour ( 3-4 cups more ). Roll into balls and flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar . Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes and cool on wax paper .
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