Sugar cane question

[Mezzaluna]

I have two six-foot lengths of sugar cane in my car, waiting to take them to school tomorrow. (My sixth graders have been reading about Roberto Clemente's early life, which included work in the sugar cane fields of Puerto Rico.)

My question is, what's the best way to cut these long canes into lengths I can give the kids? Do I have to peel them so they can chew on them?

Thanks in advance!

[ShawtyCat]

Oooohhhh Sugar Cane! Droool.

When I was little we would go into the cane fields in Barbados and have someone cut us a few canes. We'd cut them into manageble lengths at the "rings" (you can go shorter than that), peel them and cut them into little sticks to chew. They kinda looked like Mickey D's fries only a little fatter. Don't let them swallow the cane! You only suck the juices out.

Jodi

PS

To cut the canes at the rings, my grandma would hold one end of the long cane. In her other hand she would take a sharp knife, put her thumb on the cane with the knife under the cane and twist her hand in a clockwise motion. Durn that doesn't look like it would help! And my grandma did have some pretty big forearms from working the fields. Sorry I can't explain it any better. Oh, all right. Just whack it into lengths. (I've seen guys break em like sticks over their thighs! ) BTW Do you own a cleaver?? Would help.

Oh almost forgot!
You can't just cut em into short sticks like that. Gotta brace em on a table standing upright, and slide the knife down the middle. Bounce it against the table if you need to. Definately not like cutting carrots. You could do this overnight and store em in a tupperware container in the fridge.

[ShawtyCat]

Hey Mezz,

Here is something Im sure that book mentioned about sugarcane fields. You gotta watch out for: mongoose and centipedes. They have big purple ones that'll kill you if you get stung. Sugarcane is a pricey crop to work.....for the workers that is. That's why they wear those high black boots and tuck the pants cuffs in and secure them. Don't want one of those critters running up your pants leg. Whacking at it could kill you!

I think the mongoose eats the centipedes though and I can't remember if they attack but I do remember being scared of them.

This is what a Mongoose is.

And here is what a Centipede is.

For those of you who have never seen one.

Jodi

[Mezzaluna]

Thanks for your help, Jodi! I do have a cleaver, and thought that might be part of the solution. Off I go to whack the cane!