This is a cast iron sugar kettle. It originated in cajun country, South Louisiana, where sugar cane is a cash crop.
These cast iron pots came in a variety of sizes, and were vital to the processing of sugar cane into sugar. The extracted juice would be heated, clarified and evaporated in these kettles.
There's an interesting article detailing the original sugar making process here.
Most of these kettles were melted to benefit the military in World War 2.
When they weren't being used to make sugar, they were used for cooking on the plantation, and for serving hot punch at social gatherings.
They're not used for sugar production today. Mostly they are used as firepits, landscaping, fountains, or to cook for very large groups, usually jambalaya.
The Steens Syrup company probably used these to make their syrup in the beginning. In the beginning Steens used a waste product to make his pure cane syrup. Now his syrup goes for a premium price in the local grocery stores. These Kettle Pots have taken on a new name over the years. We now call the Jambalaya Pots for the many people that purchase them and use them for making Jambalaya for crowds from 20 to 1500 people.
ReplyDeleteI've seen the huge "jambalaya pots"... I'm sure they were used for jambalaya when not being used for sugar, being in Louisiana!
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