Region of Origin
Commodity:
Sugar Cane
Description & Origin
Sugar cane looks like miniature palm trees, but it is considered a tropical grass. They have tall, thin round stalks or “canes” with palm-like leaves at the top. The very tough outer layer of the sugar cane is mottled in color with rings dividing the stalk into sections. The extremely fibrous interior flesh is light tan or cream-colored. Sugar cane cannot be eaten. It is used for its extremely swe...
Health Benefits & Nutrition
Raw sugar cane and fresh sugar cane juice are high in calories and carbohydrates, but also vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant polyphenols. Fresh, unprocessed sugar cane is often used in traditional and Ayurvedic medicine for its diuretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and cooling properties.
Our Varieties
Sugar Cane Red
AKA: Purple Sugar Cane
Description
The skin of red sugar cane has a deep red-purple color to its skin, with a whitish cast around the joint areas. Some red sugar cane varieties are sometimes considered softer and more appropriate for chewing, although the characteristics can very depending on the specific cultivar.
Variety Tips & Tricks
There may be preference for red sugar cane in some Asian communities.
Commercial Availability (Grown for the US Market)
Sugar Cane Green
Description
The color of the outer skin is a vibrant green or yellow-green color with spots of brown hue where the joints meet. Green sugar cane is sometimes considered more fibrous than red sugar cane, although different green cultivars may vary.
Variety Tips & Tricks
There may be a preference for green sugar cane in Caribbean communities, as the fibers may more easily stick together when chewed.
Commercial Availability (Grown for the US Market)
Foodservice Tips
Traditional Culinary Uses
Sugar cane is not eaten – it is only used for its juice. Sugar cane juice was traditionally extracted by pounding the pith to soften the hard fibers that make up the cane. The cane would then be twisted and squeezed to release the juices. Today, sugar cane can be juiced using a special press made for the purpose. Fresh sugar cane juice is delicious on its own, with lime and ginger, or combined with other fruits juices. It can be used in cocktails, mocktails, and other beverages. It can also be boiled down into syrups and other products. Strips of the fibrous inner flesh can be boiled in water or punches to release their sweetness – or simply chewed as a high calorie energy snack. Strips of tough sugar cane also make an excellent skewer for grilled proteins like shrimp or chicken.
Flavor Pairings
Lemon, Lime, Ginger, Mint, Plantain, Peach, Pineapple, Mango, Papaya, Mugwort, Shrimp, Chicken
How to Prepare
If you have a sugar cane juicer, large stalks of cane can be juiced with or without the peel. In a typical home juicer, the cane must be cut and peeled first. First, the “joints” of the cane encircled with ridges must be cut out, leaving smooth sections of cane. This can be done by carefully and slowly scoring the cane with a sturdy cleaver until it breaks. Then, the outer skin of the cane can be peeled away in strips using a paring knife. The inner stalk can then be peeled and separated into thinner strips for juicing, boiling, or chewing.
How to Store in the Kitchen
Sugar cane should be kept refrigerated either as the whole stalk or cut into sections. If cut into sections, wrap the sugar cane in a bag or plastic wrap to prevent moisture loss. Rotate regularly to prevent the buildup of condensation. Sugar cane can also be stored in the freezer either as whole stalks or peeled sections.
Fight Food Waste Tips for root to stem cooking
If using certain juicers, the entire sugar cane stalk can be juiced – skin and joints and all! The leftover fibers from juicing sugar cane are known as bagasse. In commercial sugar cane processing, bagasse is typically burned for energy or processed into paper or compostable cutlery products. At home, it can be composted.
Warehouse Storage & Handling
Maintain these conditions for optimal short-term storage shelf life.*
IDEAL STORAGE TEMP:
45-65°F
TEMP STORAGE ZONE:
55-60 (Warm Storage)
SUBJECT TO CHILLING INJURY:
Yes – Sugar cane can experience chilling injury.
RELATIVE HUMIDITY:
80-85%
PRODUCES ETHYLENE:
No
SENSITIVE TO ETHYLENE:
No
Quality Assessment
Sugar cane should have good color and be free from excessive white patches or black spots. The stalks should be smooth and free from excessive scarring, cracks, or mechanical damage. The cut ends of the cane may appear dried out, but should be free from excessive redness or decay. The highest quality sugar cane has long internode lengths and thin, but heavy, stalks.
Optimum Shelf Life
Depending on the variety, conditions at harvest, and handling, sugar cane may last 7 days, up to 14 days.
