Nothing can beat a full glass of sugarcane juice with a bit of ice and if it is a hot summer day, it can make you feel like heaven on earth.
Since all fruits and vegetables are unique in taste and texture, sugarcane is widely popular and in high demand due to its amazing nature. The plant is something that looks like bamboo but it belongs to Poaceae, a family of grass species. Due to this, some hair-like grasses can be seen on the stems of sugarcane.
Sugarcane grows well in tropical and subtropical areas and is mainly used in the production of refined sugar. However, especially children who are not familiar with sugarcane usually ask the question, is sugarcane edible? For them, yes sugarcane is edible and crushed to get the natural nectar contained in it.
The below discussion holds some uncommon facts about sugarcane and its health benefits. If you are interested, let’s get into it,
Is sugar cane edible or not?
Yes, sugarcane is edible but you can’t get it entirely.
If you want to take its sour juice, you have to cut it and squeeze it to get its extract. However, you don’t want to chew lemon peel because it seems to be the bitterest thing in the world.
The same thing happened with sugarcane because its sweet sap juice is always used to extract and stalks are used to make paper.
For hundreds and thousands of years, it has been used to meet the demand for sugar and sugar-based foods around the world. For instance, sugarcane juice is frequently combined with other juices to produce rum.
How to eat sugarcane sticks?
Sugarcane can be eaten in a variety of ways such as chewing the stalk and crushing it for extracting the pure juice and it can also be used as a skewer in cooking.
Apart from being processed for industrially refined sugar, sugarcane can be bought in the local market and can be eaten instantly. Here we have mentioned three different ways to eat sugarcane,
Chewing the stalk
This method is most popular and often used by all sugarcane lovers. You can buy sugarcane stalk and can take it raw for the tasty sap. For this, you need to go for small pieces of sugarcane stalk so that its inedible skin can be easily removed. Then you can snack and chew the peeled cane stalks.
Crushing the stalk and getting the juice
You can see the industrial sugarcane crusher which is commonly seen on streets in India and other countries in Asia. These crushers do an amazing job of extracting sugarcane juice and delivering it to you in a matter of minutes. If you have a sick jaw but you are still a sugarcane juice lover then you can consider this way to get your favorite drink.
Use as a skewer in cooking
Maybe this is a new idea for some but yes there are many uses of sugarcane in cooking like a skewer, slicing and adding it to get a sweet taste in any drink, etc. Cooking sugarcane as a skewer is a great way to add sweetness to meat, curry, and seafood. It does not spoil the taste but it makes the dish more delicious.
How is sugarcane extracted at home?
Making sugarcane at home is enjoyable and pleasurable if you have a grinder or crusher to deal with the stiff sugarcane stalk.
Since industrial cane crushers are expensive and are not made for house processing. You can also find mini sugarcane extractor designed to provide the best cane juice experience in your home.
Also, you can do it using a grinder or crusher and with your hand. To do this, you can go through the following steps,
- Buy fresh sugarcane from the market, ask the vendor to cut them into pieces
- Rind off the green outer skin to get the core cane
- Take a bowl or wooden pot and take all the sugarcane pieces into it
- Use a heavy grinder or crusher to grind the cane sticks
- To ensure the juice is fully extracted, use muslin to squeeze the stalks with your hand
What are the health benefits of sugarcane?
Sugarcane has numerous health benefits because it contains many essential nutrients for our health. Cane juice takes on high levels of vitamin C, B-complex vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, and phosphorus. In addition, it is rich in dietary fiber, protein, carbohydrates, and minerals.
Here are the significant health Benefits of Sugarcane
- Improves liver function
- Reduces blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- Improves digestion
- Promotes healthy skin
- Lowers risk of diabetes
- Increases energy levels
- Supports overall well being
How to grow sugarcane sticks?
Growing sugarcane is hassle-free and you have a way better to consider growing it in the open field or in a large bowl in the home garden.
The seeds are collected from the mature stalks and you need to prepare the soil just like other plants. Select the place you want to grow sugarcane, remember to choose a warm sunny place where it can be grown in full sunlight.
Dig a hole about 2 feet deep and 4 feet wide. Add some fertilizer to the hole and mix thoroughly in the soil. After that, add water to the hole until the topsoil is moist.
It will take 1 year or more to mature the cane stalk. You should let it grow as long as possible before harvesting.
Final verdict
From the above question and answer, you may have already got the answer to the question, is sugarcane edible or not? Without any doubt, sugarcane is an extremely enjoyable beverage that can lift your mind up in the hardest time.
The sweet sap or juice is not only regarded to quench thirst but quickly heals and restores energy. You can buy the raw sugarcane stalks or collect the processed juice as both can be available in the local market. Besides getting its mind blowing juice, you can also consider it cooking to add an unusual taste to your regular meal.