From SUGAR CANE to BROWN SUGAR and RUM at REEF BAY and Annaberg SUGAR Factories
SUGARHOGSHEADS
After cooling and solidifying in the crystallizing pans for 8 to 12 hours the sugar, still wet, is packed into hogsheads to dry or cure. Curing takes from 3 to 4 weeks. A hogshead holds 1600 pounds of sugar.
BROWN SUGAR
This raw, light brown sugar (muscovado) is still available in Tortola where a sugar factory operates. For many local recipes, it is the preferred sugar.
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RUM
The alcohol solution is boiled and the alcohol released as vapors that condense in the “worm” or cooling cistern. The raw rum is called “Kill Devil” If cured in barrels, it mellows and is ready for export. Approximately 30% of a sugar factory’s profit was derived from rum production.