Southern Traditions

[Lyle]

Is 'reheaten' a southern term? Mrs. Lyle's family, 2nd generation Americans setteling in the hill country of TX., uses this term as in "We plan on reheatening that side of beef in the doggie bag tonight for dinner". I had never heard this term before (and, noticing it more deftly, very rarely after) and I was just wondering if this was a southern specific or just another odd product of a tricked-up family.

[kpurvis]

And "tump" - as in "knock over" primarily used at table, as in: "Y'all kids might could be a little more careful.  Yor fixin' to tump over yor big ol' glass of buttermilk."

I have a cousin named Tump, for reasons no one can recall. In fact, in some circles, all I have to do to establish my Southern credentials is point out that I have a cousin named Tump and an aunt named Verna -- bless their hearts.

[fimbul]

I have a cousin named Tump, for reasons no one can recall. In fact, in some circles, all I have to do to establish my Southern credentials is point out that I have a cousin named Tump and an aunt named Verna -- bless their hearts.

I have great uncles named (or at least nicknamed) Yankee and Napoleon. My father grew up with a dog (dawg) named Dammit and a cat named Yellafella.

My first name is Taylor. I was 4 before I first heard the "r" sound at the end.

You simply cannot make this shit up. It's too good.

...That my father used to hide under my bed and make monster noises is an equally good story, but not, perhaps, peculiarly southern.

[Jaymes]

And how about the ever popular murder-defense theory, "He just needed killing."

As in -

Lawyer: "Yer Honor, my client maybe did shoot ol' Buck down like a dawg, but he was the baddest badass in three counties. He just needed killin'."

Judge: "I heard that."

Lawyer: "Damn straight."

Case adjourned.

[Jaymes]

My first name is Taylor.  I was 4 before I first heard the "r" sound at the end.

'Acorse.

It should rightly be pronounced 'Tayla' as everyone knows.

[Varmint]

My previous law firm had attorneys with interesting given names and nicknames:

Amos, but was called Buck

Nigle, but was called Tex

Julian, but was called Bo

Another interesting phenomenon in these here parts is the naming of children. Parents will name their daughter something like "Almeda Louise Smith", but they call her, "Sue". Given names found on the birth certificate have nothing to do with what they're called on a daily basis. Each of the 4 times we had a child, we told people what their names were going to be, and we were promptly asked, "What y'all gonna call him/her?"

[Jaymes]

...as in "We plan on reheatening that side of beef in the doggie bag tonight for dinner."

Well, that is strange. You sure they said "plan" instead'a "fixin' to"???

And as for the "reheatening" part of it - that makes perfect sense. After all, hadn't it already been "heatened" once???

[Ron Johnson]

A couple of great southern names for good ole boys:

Cletus and Teacup

[Lyle]

And as for the "reheatening" part of it - that makes perfect sense.  After all, hadn't it already been "heatened" once???

That just made me realize how strange the tale is. In initial preparation, items are heated, not heatened. Only on repeating this procedure do products become reheatened.

Yes, you are correct, they are always fixin to do everything. As am I.

[Lyle]

My brother's name of calling was Bubba.

Edited February 13, 2003 by Lyle (log)

[sparrowgrass]

Round these parts, churches often make sorghum molasses as a fund raiser in the fall--is that the same as cane syrup?

Catfish--fried, of course

Cabbage--fried, of course ( fry off a couple of slices of bacon, shred the cabbage, toss with some sliced onion, fry in the bacon grease, salt and lots of pepper.)

Okra--fried, of course

bucket mouth bass--fried, of course

red velvet cake--don't fry it

home made ice cream--don't fry that either

strawberry shortcake--ditto

rhubarb custard pie--ditto

[Ron Johnson]

Round these parts, churches often make sorghum molasses as a fund raiser in the fall--is that the same as cane syrup?

No, it is much thicker and darker with a much stronger flavor. Sometimes referred to as "blackstrap" molasses. Usually you have to swirl a pat of butter into the pool of sorghum on your plate before you spread it on your biscuits or the flavor is too intense.

[Varmint]

Usually you have to swirl a pat of butter into the pool of sorghum on your plate before you spread it on your biscuits or the flavor is too intense.

Cutting molasses with butter is for tourists.

[Lyle]

We would use an inordinate amount of butter, like 2 parts butter to 5 parts heated molasses poured atop the butter before our molasses became a spread. I have since learned that I prefer a more lopsided ratio.

[Ron Johnson]

Cutting molasses with butter is for tourists. 

Actually, its the best way to tell the locals from the tourists. Also real southerners will swirl a pat of butter into their grits before they add salt and pepper. The tourists are the ones eating straight sorghum and making weird faces.

[Varmint]

I remember taking a summer clerk to one of our local Southern institutions ("Big Ed's"), where they have squeeze bottles of blackstrap molasses on every table. He had ordered some smothered pork chops and started squeezing the molasses on the meat. We asked what the hell he was doing, and he replied, "I'm just putting some soy sauce on my pork chops." Ugh. He didn't get a job offer, of course.

[crumbs]

'Acorse.

It should rightly be pronounced 'Tayla' as everyone knows.

Yep. You only pronouce the "r" when it isn't there.

My cousin, Lin-der (Linda)

My sister, Dane-er (Dana)

Aunts: Gertrude, Luverne (Lu-Vern), Glady, Wanita (Wa-need-er or just Need-er)

Uncles: Herman, Otis, Edlo, Bud, JB (doesn't stand for anything, just JB)

Oh, and there are three cousins all born within four months of each other: Cathy Sue, Deborah Sue (me) & Donna Sue.

Ya'll have a nice day now, 'ya hear?

Debi

[Wilfrid]

Oh, I like molasses. They're Southern are they? In my home-made marinades, my home-made baked beans, and decorating ice-cream type desserts with their delicate, sticky black threads.

[Dave the Cook]

Oh, I like molasses.  They're Southern are they?  In my home-made marinades, my home-made baked beans, and decorating ice-cream type desserts with their delicate, sticky black threads.

Actually, like many things Southern, molasses came from the Carribean.

- Dave the Sugar Geek

[stellabella]

Oh, I like molasses.  They're Southern are they?

What is the singular of molasses? Molassi?

And, Dave the Cook, what's the difference between molasses and cane syrup [pronounced SIGH- rop]?

[Dave the Cook]

...what's the difference between molasses and cane syrup  [pronounced SIGH- rop]?

Technical answer

Cane syrup is made from cane juice. You crush the cane, filter the juice, then cook it down to the desired consistency. In addition to amplifying certain flavor components (and changing others), the heat stabilizes the juice, which would ordinarily have a shelf life of about three hours. (I think there are a couple of companies in Central and South America that pasteurize and can it, unreduced, as a beverage.)

Molasses is the byproduct of crystalization. If you're making granulated sugar, you take the filtered juice and run it through a series of evaporators in order to get rid of most of the water. Then you introduce seed crystals to the remaining solution (which is about 65% solids). When you think you've got all the crystalization you're going to get, you centrifuge the solution. The white crystals get packaged. Off-white crystals get re-melted and go through the process again. The leftover liquid, which still contains quite a bit of liquid sugar, is molasses. Since the filtering and evaporation stages are heat processes, this liquid has been cooked, which is why it looks like caramel. It could be filtered and bottled at this point, or you could cook it down further to get different grades of molasses. In fact, most of it is diluted and re-evaporated to extract more sugar. Eventually it's used for animal feed, pharmaceuticals and alcoholic beverages.

Marketing answer

If you've been paying attention, you'll have noticed that both products are simply concentrated cane juice. And in fact, the mildest and sweetest molasses on the market is made in the same way as cane syrup -- from filtered cane juice. I don't think you could tell them apart. It's only when you start cooking it way down (headed towards the blackstrap zone) that molasses develops real differences.

[Ron Johnson]

This is molasses.

and,

This is cane syrup.

However, in Kentucky we do not make either of those because we do not grow sugarcane. Dave the Cook is right, those are from the caribbean.

In Kentucky we make sorghum molasses, which is described HERE

[Wilfrid]

Interesting. Can we trace the molasses back to Africa?

[Dave the Cook]

That second link is great, Ron; I hadn't seen it before.

[Dave the Cook]

Interesting.  Can we trace the molasses back to Africa?

I don't know. Sugar cane was being cultivated in India around 300 BC. Alexander noted it.

I should make myself a little clearer. Obviously molasses existed before Europeans came to the New World. But I believe it took slavery and ocean travel to make it a cash crop.