Sugar Cane Press

I finally got around to building a Sugar Cane press. Sugar cane is just one of those things that’s been on my mind since my childhood. Nothing like the primal fun of chewing and spitting cane. I even made my own sugar-mint juice as a kid; must made a whole ounce of it :)

So now I’m old(er) and I planted some cane in 2014 and watched it grow for a few years all the while thinking that one day I’d sweeten my coffee with it.

I was looking for a press that I could use by hand just to meet the needs of my family.

My research showed in large that the best equipment comes from India. That the hand operated types usually have multiple gears, vertical cranks, optional motors, and they cost a lot to ship!

So decided to make my own from some coffee cans filled with concrete and steel cable to turn the cylinders.  Here it is:

final

The weakest part the press was the 1/2″ square shafts.  They will shear off if the cane is big enough.  I grow Badila which regularlly gets over 2″ in diameter so I need to split it in half in order to run it through. The best way to split cane in half I found is by mounting a machete vertical and pulling the cane through the blade.

My cane grows 10-12ft and a tall stock will generate near 2 liters.  A smaller-medium sized stock about 4 cups.

Here’s a video:

Here’s how I built it:

 

Splitting cane

First make sure your machete is sharp (it doesn’t take long to sharpen a machete with a sharpening stone and it’s worth it :). Find a way to mount your blade. I used a clamp and some nails. You start the split by pushing at one end of the cane; just be careful not to push too hard or you’ll cut your hand. Once through, pull the cane from the opposite side. You can back up and angle your cane to correct things if your cut is running off to one side. Here’s a video:

Coffee time :)

The best way to store the juice I found is to freeze it in some water bottles, or some small mason jars. Cane juice last about a week in the fridge before it starts to turn. I pull a bottle out of my freezer once a week for fresh juice. Here’s are some pictures :)

Some useful links:

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zs6kmn3Ivw&t=403s
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvrrlkdjI4E
  • Here’s a thread on a similar experience
    • https://permies.com/t/54534/Quest-Sugarcane-Press
      What I learned from the thread is that you should search for sugar cane “crusher” (not “press”).