Identification

• According to Smithsonian Education, the stems and leaves of a sorghum plant can be toxic. Juice in the cane is used to produce sorghum syrup, which is considered a delicacy in some parts of the country. Seed heads are still used as a feed for chickens.
  
  

Processing

• In some places, most of sorghum processing is done by hand. Workers remove the heads and leaves before cutting the cane. Some farms have syrup-processing equipment, but many farmers take sorghum to mills to be cooked into syrup. About 8 gallons of juice produces 1 gallon of sorghum syrup.
  
  

Sorghum Syrup

• Processing removes most of the proteins in plant material, which is skimmed away as the juices cook. Enzymes are added to break down starches that tend to lump together in older crops. What's left is mostly sugar, starches and water. Some enzymes may remain, but most are destroyed by heat during cooking.