Annual Sugar Cane Harvest at ECHO North America Regional Impact Center

Several weeks ago, we held our annual sugarcane harvest at the North America Regional Impact Center. Many staff and volunteers contributed to make for a successful 2024 harvest. Each year, this process provides interns, staff, and volunteers with the opportunity to learn how to turn raw sugarcane into a shelf-stable syrup. This year we harvested over 425 kg (938 lbs) of sugarcane which yielded 142 kg (313 lbs) of fresh juice by weight, or 134 L (35 gal) by volume. The 134 L of raw juice yielded 26.5 L (7 gal) of syrup.

While the process is relatively simple, it requires many hands when utilizing turn of the (20 th) century tools and techniques. First the sugarcane is harvested and washed, then it is pressed in a manual-powered cane mill. After the juice is collected, it is poured into a large cast iron cauldron. The juice is brought to a continuous boil and closely monitored as it slowly reduces to syrup. Upon reaching the target sugar content, the hot syrup is carefully bottled into glass jars.

Take a look at some pictures of the process!