Sorghum Syrup and Other by Products

Abstract Sweet sorghum syrup, also referred to as sorghum molasses, sorgho, or sorgo, is made by boiling the sweet juice of the sorghum cane ( Sorghum bicolor ). Sorghum syrup is a natural sweetener produced by extracting the juice from the sorghum stalks, and then boiling it down to the desired consistency. Generally, good quality syrup can be produced from sorghum genotypes with a high percentage of reducing sugars and a low percentage of sucrose in their juice. Nearly 500 kg syrup prepared from the juice of hybrid “Madhura” has been test marketed mainly in Phaltan and Pune. The varieties RSSV-9, RSSV-24, RSSV-45, NSS-221, NSS-104, and SSV-84 gave good quality syrup containing iron, calcium, and potassium. Glucose syrup is produced from purified sorghum starch by saccharification using immobilized enzymes like glucoamylase and glucose isomerase. Sorbitol is also produced from sorghum starch hydrolyzed by chemical hydrogenation in the presence of a nickel catalyst and is used as a sweetener.