The processes for making cane sugar is very similar to Sorghum MolassesSeveral tree saps are good, process same as maple. Here we tap birches (my favorite, as I'm not that fond of maple syrup, plus that's a cash crop around here, better to sell that one). When I was still in IN we used hickory, another favorite, but hickories are few and far between here, not a good resource. Some folks use butternut or black walnut, also not favorites of mine, but a lot of folks like it. I'd not do anything to jeopardize a black walnut unless for some reason that tree not good for the wood, anyhow). Basically, I'd say if you have an abundance of some sort of tree, try a run one spring and see how it goes. Warning: it takes a LOT of sap to get syrup (maple 40 gal to get a gal of grade A syrup, birch almost double that, others vary a lot, and they all will vary some year-to-year). Warning #2: Do not try to boil down sap in the house unless you are doing a tiny trial run. You will be scrubbing sticky off walls, chair rungs, light fixtures, window frames, etc, for a year if you make a batch in the house!
except you go beyond the molasses stage. You could make sugar from Sorghum
molasses. Similar process for beet sugar.
Let's see:
Honey. Easy to get, just take the caps off the comb and drain.
Maple Syrup. Collect sap in the spring then boil off the water.
Other trees can also yield a sweet sap.
Sorghum Molasses. Grow Sorghum, cut the whole stalk, squeeze out the
juices, boil off the water.
Cane sugar. Same as Sorghum except the molasses is taken a few more steps.
Beet sugar. Grow sugar beets, harvest roots, mash, squeeze, boil off water,
continue as cane sugar.
Others?
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