The Bitter Cauldron
Bitter Molten Memories: The Iron Trains of Sugar In 18th-century Barbados, cane sugar production required the use of cast-iron syrup kettles, a technique later embraced in the American South. Sugarcane was squashed utilizing wind and animal-powered mills. The extracted juice was heated up, clarified, and evaporated in a series of iron pots of reducing size to make crystallized sugar. The Rise of Barbados Sugar Wealth. Sugarcane growing started in Barbados in the early 1640s, when the Dutch introduced crop. The island's rich soil and beneficial environment made it the perfect location for sugar production. By the mid-17th century, Barbados had become one of the most affluent colonies in the British Empire, earning the nickname "Little England." But all was not sweetness in the land of Sugar as we discover next: The Hidden Dangers Behind Sugar In the glory of Barbados' sun-soaked coasts and dynamic plant lies a darker tale of durability and hardship-...