SUGAR KETTLE HISTORY

Jesuit priests brought sugarcane into south Louisiana in 1751.  After some experimenting with growing sugarcane, a thriving sugar industry was born in Louisiana that continues today.

 

Sugar Kettles were utilized in the production of sugar.  They were essential to the production of sugar.  While there were different sizes of kettles for use depending on the stage and type of operation; they were all primarily the same shape.  The Sugar Kettle was born out of necessity and found on the Louisiana sugar plantations.  These Kettles were also used for cooking on the plantations, as meals were prepared for large numbers of people.  Made of cast iron, the Kettles were very durable and versatile.

Sugar cane is normally harvested in the fall. After cutting the cane, it is milled to produce sugar cane juice. Originally animal power was used to turn the rollers (usually a multiple roller mill) to grind the cane. The cane juice was boiled in four large open kettles (sugar kettles) arranged in a kettle train (often referred to as a Jamaica train), usually heated by burning wood. Each kettle was of different size, and the kettles were arranged from the largest, which held up to 500 gallons, to the smallest. The first kettle, the largest, was called the grande, the next one was called the flambeau, the third called the sirop, and the fourth, the smallest, was called the batterie.  

 

In the first kettle, the grande, the juice was brought close to the boiling point, and, as water boiled off, the resulting concentrated sugar syrup was moved to the next kettle. The process was repeated from the flambeau to the sirop kettles. When the syrup thickened and reached the proper quality and density it was transferred to the batterie. As one kettle was emptied of it contents, it was replenished with juice from the kettle that preceded it in the train.

The sugar maker oversaw the syrup boiling in the batterie. When it reached the proper temperature and the right consistency, he would make a “strike.” At that moment, when the boiling mass began to produce sugar crystals, the sugar maker moved the syrup into vats to cool. If the strike occurred at the right time, the syrup would crystallize. If the strike did not occur at the proper time, the syrup would cool into a mass of molasses.

The cane grinding season, or roulaison, was a festive time on most plantations.  Social gatherings, dances, and candy pullings took place after the cane was ground, and visitors to the plantation sugarhouses were often treated to "hot punch," a drink made of partially boiled cane juice and French brandy.  The "hot punch" was made and served from the Sugar Kettle.

Today, the Historic Sugar Kettle is not used in the production of sugar; however, they can be used in many other ways.  The Sugar Kettle is used as a container planter, a water garden as well as lawn or estate ornaments.  Water fountains are also a common use for the infamous Kettle.  With a creative mind, the possibilities are endless with these Sugar Kettles because of the versatility they offer.